which school to choose

[nextsale]

we live opposite a large sec school so close you can see in the classrooms we have done all of the local school visits and my son prefers one that is still close a 10min walk away which is a lot smaller and does not have a sixth form i would be happier with either but do i choose the one that would be easier for us or the one my son wants to go to

I wouldn't have thought a ten minute walk away would really signify as not easy!

I would let him go with where he wants to go as long as academic outcomes are similar etc.... quite a lot of children change schools for sixth form anyway - but what would his sixth form choices be - greater than just the school opposite your house?

that's my thinking but my husband wants him to go to school across the road bloody nightmare why does every decision turn into a dilema

Why does your son prefer the second school?
Why does your husband prefer the first?
What did you think about them?
And are you in with a good chance of getting him into either?

son prefers second as most of classmates going smaller newer cleaner didn't mind the one over the road but scared of being the only one that would seem to be going
hubbie prefers the one over the road as safer to get to and sees it as a no brainer
i don't mind either but don't want to be in the posistion of son saying you made me go there
will get into both as so close
should feel lucky i have a choice

I think if both schools are good ultimately you need to let your DS make the final decision - he's the one who will be going there for the next 5 years.

I don't think safety on a 10 minute walk should be the determing factor? Unless said 10 minute walk involves making a mad dash across the motorway, or your child has SN that means he is not safe to walk anywhere unsupervised!

Smaller one with friends might be a more nurturing environment. Plus less likely to sneak out at lunchtime if it's a 10 mi walk home!

I am not sure why a school you can see would be any easier for you than one 10 minutes walk away, as it will be your DS who will be doing the walk anyway. If both schools seem fine, I would leave it up to your DS. It might also be nice for him to be able to put a bit of distance between his home and his school, rather than to see it all the time.

I'd let him decide. Many pupils change school at 6th form so the absense of one at his prefered school does not matter much IMO. A ten minute walk is nothing for a soon to be teenager.