Refusing to go to secondary school

[MILLYMOLLYMANDYMAX]

Can anybody help? Ds had set his heart on one particular school but failed to get in because of his English and handwriting. I said I would get him a tutor and he could take the test next year and hopefully he would get in then.
In the mean time we put him down for the secondary school most of his class are going to and although we both had misgivings about the school we reasoned it was only probably going to be for a year and he would be with his friends, (in an interview he was asked who would he like to be in his class). He was feeling positive about everything and he knew he had a goal to work towards and with that he went to his induction day.
After his induction day on Tuesday he is refusing to go. He was upset that he was put in a class with only 1 person from his school (not his class) and the class seemed from what he said to be filled with loud bully boys from one particular school who set about the other child from his school and started bullying him. One of his friends had his leg broke and the whole thing has sent him into a downward spiral.
Can anyone recommend a school, I don't mind paying but not extortionate amounts, I don't mind travelling we are based north London / Herts borders.
Did look at Steiner schools but the dancing on youtube video of lesson put me off. In my head I was just imagining what ds would say.

Looked at Montessori in West Hampstead but the fees and extras and deposits made my head spin.

Prefer state but am at a loss to know which ones are good.

Because of where he was educated last September/October we did not get the chance to go round the different schools.

Have you spoken to the school about this? I would give them a ring, explain the situation and ask what they can do to help.

All secondary schools have incidents such as these, but the way they are dealt with shows you the good schools from the bad.

I assume the type of exam/interview scenario you describe means you are in the private sector.

Did you make a state application at all? Do you know which schools near to you still have vacancies? Are you willing to move house?

No this is the state system not private. I would have a word with the school if I thought it would do any good but they have made it clear that they have mixed everyone up so they make new friends. Ds is distraught as his best friend is now in a different class and he feels totally let down given they especially asked who his best friend was and wanted to be in the same class as.
Ds has had a really up and down time at school. Which culminated with me taking him out of school after year 3 to teach him how to read and write. He returned last November to a school he loved from day 1 and made new friends and settled in really well. His SATS results were good 5 in maths, 4 in science and a 4 in reading but only a 2 in his handwriting. Considering the last school he went to said he scored 0 on all his end of year exams (because he couldn't read and write) and that he was below nursery standard. I think he did pretty well.
The secondary school is in a pretty rough area but so is his primary school. The children at his primary all get along really well and are really well behaved.
As for moving house, because of where we live which is a strange anomaly our nearest secondary school in our catchment area is 8 miles away and primary is over 5 miles away. When my eldest was allocated the nearest school in our catchment area and I objected as it was too far. I was told I could go to any school in the county and I would get in if they had a space providing I did not ask for transport.
Also even if we moved house if we got a buyer today and found a place to live it would take till at least October before we actually moved and the money it would cost I might as well pay for private.

Do you mean that the other boy from your DS's primary was physically bullied to the extent of broken bones? On his secondary transition visit? That's appalling!

I live in S.W.Herts, inside the M25, but cannot think of any non-selective independent secondaries off the top of my head.

You might be able to get him into a prep school, as a lot of boys leave at the end of Y6, to go to Habs, Watford Boys, QEB etc, so spaces open up. I realise this would only be a solution for two years.