My DS did a term of schooling in the UK before we moved back home.
When we arrived back, we couldn't move into our house for 6 months, so I drove him... 15-20 mins to the school we were going to be living near.
The driving was so so frustrating in the end. Dragging DD, feeling like id just get home from school drop off only to be getting back in the car and going back to pick him up. The fuel I was getting through was ludicrous... I never felt like I had any time with him either. We'd get home, dinner would have to start (unless I'd prepared it in between time, which then I wasn't spending time with DD).... So many things made me hate that drive.
I wanted to start as I meant to carry on with his schooling after moving from overseas and I only had to suck up that commute to school for 6 months.
He coped well changing schools (didn't think he would to be honest) from uk back to oz.... And now it's all over.
We are moving again though.... But from one street to the next, so same school and still no school driving commute, just a little walk. If I hadn't found a house where I could do that, we were going to be knocking our house over and building right where we are. My pre-requisite for buying another house was that I didn't want to have to drive to school. I won!
Just to add my 2c. I would do number 3 as well. I hate driving at the best of times but such a long way with kids in the car in peak hour traffic is a definite turn off for me. My experience as a child was like MummyNaomi's. I changed schools mid year (even mid term) in years 2 & 5. I coped fine. Made new friends quickly and easily. I also changed schools in year 11. That was a different story. I believe children are a lot more resilient in general than we give them credit for so I'd be inclined to change schools particularly in early primary. It's a tough decision. Good luck.
Look number 3 would be best for our family, so we would do that, but I've got another body to wrangle in and out of the car and mine don't like being in the car for long periods. Yours are better in the car than mine. Option 3 probably does make most sense with car running costs, time spent in car, etc, and just in case you don't move to that other school, starting her at the first school gives her a good chance to settle and make friends.
Wonder if when you know you are moving, you could do an activity (swimming/dancing/gymnastics/sport) once a week close to the new school, where some of the kids go. Then your dd will have some local contacts after the move.
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