Local primary or stick with settled nursery?

[Southtrainer]

A bit of a long story but my DD started and settled well in a nursery class of a small primary school about 15 minutes away. Different village. She likes it there and I like the school too but now I’m wondering whether I should have put her in her local (down the road) school so she will have local friends. Where she is now is a 15 min car drive and I’ve already noticed friendships developing while others are walking home / live near each other, which my DD is missing out on. But I don’t like the local school as much and I’m loathed to move her now she’s settled. Should I move her to a local school or keep her where she is?

Is your DD happy in her current school?
Does she have friends there?
Is she making good progress?
Are you happy with school?
If so, I don't think you should move her.
You could move closer to the school - but that's obviously costly/disruptive & maybe not something you want or can do. In which case you will need to put some effort into building your DDs social life by organising play dates at weekends/evenings/holidays etc.
if other parents go off to a local park etc could you occasionally go too?

The thing that you need to be considering is whether or not there is a reasonable chance that you will get an offer of a place at the school which is 15 minutes car drive away when it comes to moving to reception year. There is absolutely no guarantee that you will as attendance at nursery is not a criteria to move you up the list.
So how full is the school ? Do they normally have full classes in the infant part of the school.
You will clearly have a much likely chance of getting an offer of a place at your local school.

@APurpleSquirrel yes she is happy, making good progress and has friends. I have been thinking maybe we could move to be local….

Yes I will try to be more social! Covid had been a bit of a problem the last few months but hopefully people will be up for more socialising now.

@admission we are likely to get in to her current school as it is a small village- currently only 21 in her class.

But are there lots of other children from the village or other villages that might be closer than you are, where the children aren't in nursery, or are in other private nurseries or different forms of childcare? You'll be competing with them for a reception place as well. Also, if it's a small school, it's possibly that there might be combined years for KS1, and that those classes might then be full up to 30, even if the current nursery class is taught on its own.

Unless there is something "wrong" with the local school, I would go there.
Walking to school is healthier and friendship is important to children.
When do you apply for reception?
Has she still got another year of preschool?

What is it that you don’t like about the local school? Try making a comparison list between the two schools, colour code advantages/ disadvantages. It’s very easy to go on gut instinct and ignore what could be more important issues.

For example a 15 minute drive means that you are committed to driving your dd to and from school for the next seven years, no texting a fellow mum and asking for a favour if you wake up with a raging migraine one morning.....