which school to choose fro DS - state or private?

[cremeeggs]

DS (10) has been accepted at a selective, academic secondary which does v. well in league tables etc. He is also likely to get a place at the local comp, which also does well in the league tables.
He prefers the private option, mostly because he wants to have a "new start" and make new friends, plus they have very good facilities, small classes and he loved it when he looked round.

The local comp is vast, with huge classes and very limited facilities, yet most of his year at school will go there.

I love the look of the private one, and we can just about afford it, but I'm a bit worried that six months in he'll see his old friends hanging around after school and feel excluded as the private one has a larger catchment area.

He's not having a good time at school at the moment - lots of small gangs and feels he doesn't fit in with any of them - but I sense this is just temporary as he's been fine up until now. What would you do?

MrsGraham i think that it exactly what I needed to hear - thank you!! I got exactly that feeling when I looked at the comp - DS may just decide not to bother working hard if he got teased for it and all his potential would go out of the window, as he already gets teased and called a "geek" for being in the top sets...Am definitely going to accept private place no, this thread has swung it - the power of MN!!!

Don't worry about the larger catchment, either cremeeggs. My DD1 has gone private and has a buzzing social life, with friends throughout the county! Distance is certainly no barrier to having a great bunch of friends. I am lucky with the local rail network though, and quiet country roads so she can get on her bike. I don't have to be taxi driver all the time.