Travelling to school question.

aliasojo

Would like a general idea of what distance or length of travelling time is classed (by parents) as reasonably normal/average from child's home to school please?

At present, we live literally 5 minutes walk away from a good secondary school (we live in a small town) but are moving and I'm just wondering if the new distances we seem to be dealing with, are within what most would class as normal.

So does your child (last year in primary/early secondary ish age) walk, do they get the bus (public or specific school bus?) or do you drive them every day? How long does their journey take? Do they travel on 30mph type roads or on 60mph main roads/motorways/dual carriageways?

I've been a bit surprised at what I've been told is the norm by someone in the LEA but perhaps that's more because of what we've been used to rather than anything else.

Thanks in advance.

rachbc

I have no idea on 'normal' as both the secondary school and primary are 5 mins walk- one at the top and the other at the bottom of my street so my son walks - he started going to school by himself occassionally at about age 8.... Freinds who'se kids go to further away schools all go on public transport.

When I was at secondary school it was a comp in a rural area with a very wide catchement - I walked about 1.5 miles along a busy single carriageway, other kids got bused in on a school bus as public transport was non existant.

hollyh

My 14 year old Son walks home from secondary school 1.9 miles away so we're just not far enough to have a bus provided. It takes him about 40 minutes. We live in a village and the school is in the next town. There's a long stretch of 40mph road in between and the rest is 30mph limit. There are quite a few busy roads to cross but there are crossings. He's walked home since half way through year 7 when i started work and didn't get back in time.

[Deleted User]

We are a 5 min walk away from the primary school my son will be attending in september and we live on a housing estate. However the road outside gets really busy and there are two roads to cross, so i guess i'll be accompanying him for a few years at least.

When I was at school we walked a good 1.5miles each way across town, crossing many roads from about the age of 9 onwards. The journey took about 25 mins. I think parents were more laid back then and i know i certainly had a lot of freedom to go out play and explore than kids do these days.

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi, we live in a very rural area. Our secondary school is only 5 miles away but the bus journey takes 45 minutes because of the route and the stops along the way. This is a bus provided by the local authority.

My son hates the fact that he spends an hour and a half each day on the bus - but I am grateful for the free transport. I do wonder with all the cuts going on how long this travel to school will be remain completely free.

onlyroz

We live 10 mins walk from my son's school - I drive him there in the morning because I've got to get straight on to work and I also have to get my daughter to nursery. He walks the 1 mile to his child minders every afternoon on mon-wed, and on thurs-fri he walks back home with hubby.

Mupette

When DS started the big school, he had a 3 mile trip, well 3 mile as the crow flies..

We lived right in the city anyone who knows bristol, i lived right beside cabot circus, his school was up in Clifton/Redland/Cotham.

A walk to the bus stop, at the time it was around the building of Cabot circus to the bus stops beside debenhams, up the hill in the bus and right outside school.

could take up to 40 -60 depending on traffic and buses on time.

Now we have moved it can take about an hour and a half to hour and 3/4, 2 buses.. Great for independence, check with the local council and school about entitlement to free bus to school, the mileage was dropped to 3 miles, 2 if on benefits

balletshoes

We are 10 minutes walk from DD's primary school, her preferred high school is 5 minutes walk away. However, if none of the schools nearby were any good and I didn't want to send her to them, the next nearest good high school is probably about 30 minutes walk, and I don't think thats unreasonable. The one after that wouldn't realistically be doable by walking, and is probably about 15 minutes drive - again, I don't think this is unreasonable and I would make arrangements to do that. In the opposite direction, for a good high school she'd be looking at 2 buses and a total of about half an hours travel on them each way - lots of kids around us do that.

I grew up on a farm 2 miles from my primary school, 3 miles from my high school, and cycled to them both (no buses). I also didn't think this was unreasonable (and there wasn't any choice, as those were the nearest schools).

peachyprice

My Boys high school is about a mile and a half away, I take them in the morning because I'm on my way to work and taking DD to school. In the afternoon they either walk or get the bus home.

My DD's primary school is about 2 miles away, in the opposite direction to the high school. I drop her off at school after the boys on my way to work. I pick her up in the afternoon.

cheepskate_2

We are a 1 hour drive away, about 20 miles or so, but this is because we choose to put him to the school we wanted rather than by distance.

If we put him to our local primary it would be just round the corner, Senior school would be a 15 minuite walk or 5 mins in the car.

renowen

When I went to secondary school it took me 40 mins to travel home by bus or an hour if I walked (teenage stroll lol), although often I beat the bus as sometimes was left standing around at the bus stop for 20 mins and the walking route was a more direct route.

Not sure how far away my school was - was at least 2 miles and I was considered to live fairly close!