Travelling to school question.

happy35

ds walks about 2 miles to school, no bus but there is no real buys roads it is walking through housing estates

Lunar_Eclipse

My daughter is also currently in Y6, starting secondary school in September. Her primary school is 2 miles away; we carpool the journey.

She will be travelling to school by train, which will take approximately 1 hour door to door. It's a bit much really (in my opinion), but it's an outstanding school and the one she chose. She's really looking forward to the independence and whilst I think it's a bit much for an 11 year old, she should be going to this school for 7 years, during which she is going to become an adult. We have discussed moving to be within walking distance, but at the moment she isn't remotely interested.

We/she turned down a place at our nearest school which is within walking distance, about 1.5 miles away.

Pee

Well done the poster who mentioned after school activities. I wasn't really able to participate, which was fine as most of those were sports and although I was asked once to join the hockey club the fact I couldn't was no loss to them and I wouldn't have wanted to. When I was doing A levels, there was an after hours group I belonged to and transport back from there worked out in the circumstances and it would have been really detrimental to me if I had missed out on that. If your children might be keen on these activities, I think you need to do your best to ensure that that was possible.

Savvy_Sue

We've never had more than a single bus ride to secondary school, BUT it can take up to an hour in traffic. And once in 6th form, DS2 opted to walk there and back most days (4+ miles!)

However, I think we had it pretty easy, in that the bus stops are close at both ends. And I've known far more complicated journeys.

[Deleted User]

Where I live, there is a bad shortage of primary school places so I could only get my five year old to a school that is just under 2 miles away. Too far for him to walk at that age, so I get two buses, its takes about 40 mins. I have to pay adult fare for him for travel before 9.30 which makes me steam lol. No monthly passes available for children because of this arrangement I am sure. The bus company told me they don't offer child fares at peak travel times.

My 15 year old is luckier.., we are about 20 mins walk from his school. Its less than a mile away.

Sometimes, those are the breaks lol.

C_Mababejive

When i was at secondary school,i used to cycle 5 miles each way on normal 30mph roads.

jcr16

we live about 2 mins away. the childrens school is litrally down bottom of the road we live in and cross 1 road.

but the school we want to chnage our children to is about a 45 mins hours walk away for the children maybe less but when walked it before they walked quite slow. so that will be a car journey or a house move to put it within walking distance.a car hourney will make it about 5 -10 mins.

Spendless

My yr 6 child has to go to Secondary school for 2 days next week, and my options to get him there and back were he met his teachers there, which I'd interrepreted as I drop him off, something I'm unable to do due to my job and getting his little sister to school. Or he could go to his school and they'd all walk with a teacher. I started to tick the last box and was met with a huge wave of protest from DS who insisted he was going to get there walking by himself.

On talking to a few of his friends mums they'd also had similar conversations, so between us we have decided that their DSs and mine will walk a trial run to the school today. They can ring us when they get there, and then we are sure that they def know the way (there are a few different walking routes to take) and how long roughly it will take them. Then assumming it works out fine we''ll agree to them doing it alone next week.


That idea was met with a tut of disgust from DS but since he is currently a Kevin the teenager trainee, I ignored it.

Is it you worrying about it aliasojo or is it your DD whose nervous about the liklihood of a lot longer journey?

Lunar_Eclipse

deannatrois wrote: »

Where I live, there is a bad shortage of primary school places so I could only get my five year old to a school that is just under 2 miles away. Too far for him to walk at that age, so I get two buses, its takes about 40 mins. I have to pay adult fare for him for travel before 9.30 which makes me steam lol.

That must get quite expensive.

Is there anybody else who drives to this school that lives nearby and could take him in every morning? There were a few children that did that in my daughter's reception class, especially where parents had to get to work.

You may not know many of the parents yet, or feel uncomfortable in asking, but it's a practical option that's environmentally beneficial. I know I'd be happy to do it for someone in your situation, assuming your son is pleasant.:D

Or could you cycle? I'm guessing you don't have a tagalong, but I recall several parents doing this too with their infant school aged kids.

aliasojo

Spendless wrote: »

Is it you worrying about it aliasojo or is it your DD whose nervous about the liklihood of a lot longer journey?

I'm not ignoring your question Spendless but I'm not answering it either. I've soooo learned my lesson about only posting factual type things here now and staying away from the thoughts/feelings/emotional side of things. Whatever answer I gave to a question that involved my own or my daughter's personal feelings, it would no doubt attract people who held a negative opinion about it/me/my thoughts/my family's thoughts and I can do without the grief these days tbh.

Suffice to say the travelling situation will be one that has to be adapted to. I just wasn't sure if the distance involved was normal for a busier town type school or not as it is so far removed from what we are used to normally. This thread has been useful in clarifying that, so again, thanks to all who replied. :beer: