We went through exactly the same and put our younger one in independent school as there was no place for in year transfers in the few schools we would have liked to go.Having moved areas at a similar stage to you, I decided on sending my younger child to an independent school. The cost of 3 years junior was, in the bigger picture of moving, worth it in terms of having some choice in the matter and ensuring that the younger child didn't miss out when a move was being made for the elder. It was also a lovely school.
We moved to Gloucester (churchdown/longleven area) in the end as we couldn't find a house we liked and also could afford in cheltenham. It's 15 mins drive to pates one way so not too bad. We could've booked him on school coach but didn't think it's worth the money due to distance. We are on bus route 94 that stops outside GCHQ (then 10-15 mins walk to pates) so my older one also takes bus on certain days.
Statistics: Posted by Snow123 — Sat Aug 17, 2024 11:40 pm