My daughter is only 8 so I'm thinking a couple of years ahead. I need to explain so bear with me!
I work at the school that my daughter attends and she is in year 4, obviously this is really convenient because she can just come and meet me in my classroom after school or when I have meetings she goes to a childminder's which she really enjoys. Now, I really want to move house in the summer but I can't decide whether to stay in the area or not. Where I'd like to move to is a much nicer area just a bit further out from town. It's only a 20 minute drive from work so If I move there then it's still convenient for work and dd would still be able attend the same primary school because she would just drive in wih me each morning and I'd pick her up from the childminder's on my way home.
Now the problem would be what would happen when, in 2 years time, when she leaves primary school to attend secondary school. The secondary school that she would attend in the new area is much nicer than the one she would attend if we were to stay where we are, plus it's mixed sex unlike the school in our current catchment area (dd doesn't like the idea of a single sex school, and nor do I). The problem is that dd would have to go home to an empty house after school. If we stay in our current area then she could walk to the primary school and meet me there, but obviously she'll have to hang around waiting for me, which, although she likes doing now, she may not do when she is 10.
So, do I stay here so that dd can walk to meet me at work after school, even though neither of us are too impressed with the secondary school she'll attend, or do I move to a much nicer area, where dd will attend a much better school but will have to go home to an empty house? Or of course we could move and I could find a childminder in the area, but she might feel too grown-up to be 'looked after' when she's 10.
I'd like to hear of any experiences/advice please. I'm a single parent, dd's an only child, we've no family to help out.