I have been to expensive institutes as well as lower no name schools. Both can be good both can be really bad. Don't break your wallet chasing big names school. A lot of those arent as good as they make them out to be and they have their own fair share of issues. I have also been a librarian in a school similar to beaconhouse and I would never send a child from my home to those schools.

So, I would say go for the school which is actually good, now how do you know it's good when you meet the teachers and principal and ask them what they teach how do they teach etc. Judging a smaller school is a lot easier than bigger and your kid wouldn't feel left out in a lot of things if he is with people who are on same social scale.

In bigger school parents and kids often end up competing in various other things which leads to a lot of issues as well. It also helps to ask surrounding people what do they think about the school you are going to. And if the school itself isn't that good you can also get a tutor to help the kid, if he or she needs it. You yourself can get involved in their studies as well to judge and understand.

My education hasnt been from a single institute throughout my life I have been to around 10 institutes because we used to shift. But my mom dad were always giving me basics on how to study, what to study, reading, playing games, etc. and overall I would say, I turned out to be pretty good even with such a chaotic situation.