Been offered a school place

[nousernameno]

My son in reception was on the waiting for a school I like which is 5 minutes from my work (his current school is 40 mins). We have a week to decide if we want to accept the offer. The area is nicer, closer to my work and definitely has better secondary schools. But he is really settled in his current school and has made a really close friend as well. My head is telling me to move as it will make life much easier for me but at the same time I'm not sure if I'm ready to put him through the change.

Thoughts?

I would choose the location of a school based on where you live rather than where you work. He will want to make friends that live close to him so he can see them outside of school easily. Moving him to that school is unlikely to make much difference to him attending a secondary school in that area either as most secondary places are offered based on the distance from the school that you live.

If you put him in a school near your work then you need to be sure you want to stay in that job (and that it won't relocate). Presumably both schools/areas have any necessary wraparound care?
Bear in mind that if you're taken ill, or have another child, you're then committed to the extra travelling to get DS to school.
Note Bizboz's point about secondary schools, although maybe you'll relocate nearer the job before then?

I agree with Bizboz that it's usually a better idea to choose a school closer to home.

Is your job 100% secure, and are you sure you'll want to stay there for the next 6-7 years? If you change job or the office moves or you have to work from home, the school run will suddenly become a big problem.

If you're off work sick, it would be much easier for you / partner / friend to get your DS to a primary school close to home, than have to drive over to where you work.

Bizboz's point about secondary schools is also important. Most secondary schools would admit on distance rather than being a feeder school from a particular primary, and round here, the children from feeder schools still have to live within 2.5 miles of the school.

What about weekend parties, are you going to drive back? When he wants friends from school over for tea? How far away from this school do you live?

He won’t have local friends. Does that matter?

He might end up at a secondary school near home if the new school isn’t a feeder school for anywhere. It’s where you live that matters. So he would start secondary without friends. Would that bother you? Most people get a child minder in your position but I can see that’s expensive.

Keep him at school near home, not work.
It might suit you and a 4 year old to be both based near work, but it probably wont suit a 10 yr old pushing for independence.

Won't make a bit of difference to secondary schools.

It does make a difference for secondary schools. You apply from home address not work address. New primary might be a feeder school to a secondary but it might not be. I would check this out and bear friendships in mind.

which is closer to home- your work has to be irrelevant (jobs change etc)

@whosaidtha

Won't make a bit of difference to secondary schools.

Some secondary schools have feeder primaries

How far is it from home?

I think I forgot to mention that I am considering moving next to my work. Went to see a couple of houses there but my heart is saying to keep him in his current school until we decide to buy a house-which would make more sense as we wouldn't need to move again in the future

Don't move him unless you move house. It's not fair on him. He will want local friends esp later and will want the option to go to high school with his friends. There may he feeder schools but most also take into account catchment / distance so you'd have to be very careful