Possibly relocating to Villena with family

https://alicante.kingscollegeschools.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/07/Copy_of_Fee_Schedule_Alicante_2019-20_NEW_BUS_2019.pdf

https://www.inlandtraderonline.com/spanish-towns/255-villena

https://wolfstreet.com/2019/04/27/unemployment-in-spain-still-miserably-high-despite-six-years-of-economic-growth-now-it-ticked-up-again/

I'll say to start that I don't know Villena but I've found a few links that may help with some of your queries.

With schooling I believe your 14 year old would have tremendous difficulties settling into a Spanish school at this stage of his education but there is the option of online learning as International schools are some distance from Villena (about 45 minutes I think) and very expensive, as per the first link.

My interpreter came to Spain at the age of 7 and had very few problems in her Spanish school. She now speaks Spanish like a native and all her friends are Spanish. As many ex-pats are retirees there are few school age Brits, especially inland. Spain is football mad so there will always be football, just in a different language.

Unemployment is a big problem especially for young non Spanish speakers in traditional Spanish towns.

We are currently refurbing our country villa and have encountered a lot of problems along the way. In the Valencia region if a country property does not have 10,000m2 of land, it was built illegally and there are about 400,000 such properties in Valencia with 125,000 of those in Alicante Province. Many of these do not have a Habitacion Licence and whilst this does not rule it out completely, you have to be aware of the pros and cons. In my area the Town Hall issue licences on installation of an EU approved septic tank and although this still doesn't make the build legal, it is "regularized" and subject to strict  regulations on improvements and a total ban on increasing the footprint, including garages, car ports, swimming pools and hard landscaping. My advice if you go ahead, would be to employ a local architect to help you as they will know what can and can't be done locally and both minor and major works licences will be required.
Expect the unexpected with all aspects of existing wiring and plumbing as many of these properties were self built and usually added to in a haphazard way over the years. You may find that on the deeds, the property is listed as 100 m2 but in reality is 180 m2. This is because it was probably extended illegally with no permissions, the Town Hall don't know about it and can only claim the last 4 years in back tax when the property is sold and these "extras" come to light. As my extensions were over 20 years old, that was a massive saving for the vendor and you need to make sure everything is listed accurately on the deeds before putting down any deposit.
Most older Spanish country houses are single skin with no dpc, little insulation and possibly one open fire which is totally inadequate for the winter. From October to March/April, evenings get very chilly and looking at temperature charts doesn't give a true idea of the actual feel which I liken to camping out in a detached garage with a tin roof. We live at 150 m above sea level, Villena is 500 m and you will experience frost and even snow at times.
In our refurb we have added false ceilings throughout with masses of insulation, insulated plasterboard on all external walls, complete re-wire (the existing had no earth and was dangerous and only one socket per room) and plumbing with combi bottled gas central heating system, extra bathrooms (we originally only had hot water in the single bathroom) and the septic tank. When finished with all the building work we will have to re-plaster and re-tile throughout as the floors have had to be dug up for heating and water/waste pipes. We are doing most of it ourselves and are 16 months in with at least another year to go before we can think of anything to do with the garden where weeds seem to grow a foot high overnight.
We have questioned our sanity many times, especially in the heat of summer, but we love our house and our lives here.

Jim's guides - your complete guide to SpainThis is an excellent guide for you to read through and although everything can be done yourselves we struggled and ended up using a gestor.

Finally, never use the Abogado recommended by the estate agent and this is especially important if buying with deed discrepancies, no Habitacion Certificate or multiple owners.

We have a much better life here but we are early retirees and don't need to work and really only have ourselves to please so it would be really helpful if you get some posts from ex-pats with children in inland areas to give you more insight.

All the best with whatever you decide to do.

Hello Ruth,

One thing you will find in this area is quite a few Brits, like myself, who have moved here and battled with the red tape and general rules. I myself have been helped tremendously by other members on the forum and next week I will be signing my purchase deed and finally take possession of my country house just outside Villena.

There are people with children here so you will almost definitely be getting advice from them as to schools in the area. 

Take advantage of the tips and advice, they are precious!!

Good luck,

Janice