Thankyou all so much for your thoughtful replies. It's given me a great deal to think about. TBH, I was surprised that the majority lean toward option B, mainly because I think I have generally been tending toward option A.

My argument to myself is that school is the place that they will spend the majority of their days throughout their childhood, and so the culture in which they are immersed is bound to have a huge impact on their imagination, intellect, relationships etc. DH and I will be who we will be. Yes, having to stretch ourselves financially and time-wise will leave us 'frazzled', as I put it, but I hope that we will still maintain our ethics and parenting style. A house is just a house, and whilst we may never afford a bigger one, this one will meet our children's basic needs. And there's nothing wrong with camping rather than trips to far-off places.

Reading your other ideas has given me pause to consider 'B' more though. Obviously, I was thinking about it, as I wrote this post, but I don't think I really considered the many valid points you have made. Fortunately, I have a while to make the ultimate decision and will then know more about what our budget looks like when I return to work.

I think if it was just a matter of private versus public school, I would have a clear preference for the local public school, especially for primary. I went to a mainstream private school and don't think it afforded me any great advantages, except perhaps for the final couple of years. In fact, the culture of the school really didn't suit who I was and I found it stifling and in many ways, quite damaging. The confusion really comes from my love of the Steiner ethic and culture. It's just an aside... a really big, expensive one, that the fees are what they are. I'm more than happy to accept that Steiner education may not suit my children's personalities and learning needs and will try and be as responsive to what suits them as possible. But in the mean time I have to make a decision based on what I hope might be best for them, and i really feel like this school might have 'it'.

Ginger... and someone else who asked (??!!), the school has long waiting lists and esentially I'd have to start from primary to ensure that they'd have a place. I understand that it's next-to impossible to get a place in the senior school without having been in the primary. I think that the Steiner style of education really suits young children and how I want their childhoods to be 'shaped'. I would have to re-assess when they're heading for secondary school as of course it would then depend on what they want in terms of academics, structure, subjects and teaching style.

Ummm... sorry, so utterly brain-dead, I'm not sure if I've covered everyone's comments and queries. Thanks again ladies. Lots to think about. xoxo