Living right next to a school - feedback please

worried_jim

I border two schools and it is hell!

Mums abandoning cars everywhere, blind corners, people's drives, double yellows, zig zags- they dont give a stuff. People carriers mounting the pavement as they are too busy on their mobile phones.

Both schools have had massive building projects going on six years now and all the construction traffic including weekends. Not being able to relax in your garden on a nice day due to the noise.

WWIII every Nov 5th as they now have a fee paying fireworks display, school discos, marching band practuce. Little gits skiving off and smoking weed by my garage. Cars getting keyed.

Just don't do it.

happyandcontented

I think a Primary is different to a Secondary in terms of issues. We live opposite a Primary and parking is our only issue and only at pick up time, it soon passes. There is noise in summer from the playground but we don't notice it now, after school events are not regular.

In your position with a child headed for the school I think the benefits will far outweigh the negatives.

phatbear

as virtually everyone has said parking is the big issue.

my other halfs grandparents live opposite a school and on a couple of occasions they have had people park in their front garden, which has a drive way on it, the last time grandad confronted someone about it he got a mouthful of abuse and the numpties justification for parking there was he didnt think anyone was home.

personally i wouldnt purchase a house by a school

Browntoa

I've had to drive forward towards a car parked across my drive at my old address as she was waiting for her kid and would "only be a minute"

I told her if she was still there i would drive into her car and it would be Her fault

Other problem was regular gridlock as the road would be reduced to a single lane and most of them could not drive properly, the record was 45 minutes of stationary traffic as they ended up with 2 lines of cars facing each other in the single available lane.

Regular scraping of people's cars by pram's and kids bikes if you were parked on the road

sparky130a

It very much depends on the road layout etc. As everyone has said inconsiderate parking is the main issue.

I've lived in two places right next to schools (Primaries) and not really had any issues. On the one occasion parking across driveways became a problem the head soon intervened.

itchyfeet123

Browntoa wrote: »

Other problem was regular gridlock as the road would be reduced to a single lane and most of them could not drive properly, the record was 45 minutes of stationary traffic as they ended up with 2 lines of cars facing each other in the single available lane.

I live across the street from a primary school and down the road from another. This is the big problem - and I'm in London zone 2 where a relatively low proportion of both parents taking kids to school and my neighbours going about their business are driving. But, the morning rush is predictable and quick -- at 8:45 the street and footpath are impassable and at 9:05 it's clear -- so very easy to avoid. I suspect the afternoon isn't as bad (I'm not home to see it) because a good number of kids are in after school care and have staggered pick up times.

My only real annoyance came from a teacher who must have been on morning duty last term. The morning bell would ring, and he'd immediately start yelling "the bell's gone" until the last kid had gone inside.

Callie22

I think it depends where you are in relation to the school. I wouldn't live near to the entrance to a school but I do live in a house that backs onto a primary school playground. I wouldn't be as keen to live near a secondary school playground as I think there would be more antisocial behaviour, but primary is fine. There is noise at break-times but it's very peaceful at evenings and weekends, which are the main times I'm home. We do also get lots of stuff chucked into the garden - hoops, balls and homework worksheets ... but this has got better since we installed a taller fence. The layout of the school means there's little chance of development behind us so that's another bonus.

Our main issue has not been with the children, but with the school's 'business manager' who misread their plans and decided to chop down our fence and try to take part of our garden away. We did eventually get it resolved after getting the Governors involved, and ultimately the school had to pay to replace the fence. However, it has made me somewhat wary of living near a school - they can be laws unto themselves and can be difficult to deal with if there are issues.

silvercar

Do some observation at school times now. it could be hell or it could be a breeze.

Check the admission criteria, if local children are admitted as priority, there should be fewer cars and less problems. A friend bought a house right next to a school entrance and then couldn't get a place for her child. Nothing more annoying than finding your driveway blocked when you can't get your car out to take your child to another school, on a journey you never wanted to make.

ripplyuk

My granny lives right next door to my old primary school, which was very handy for my parents growing up as my granny looked after us all day whilst they were at work. That's really the only positive thing.

The traffic is unbelievable in the mornings, and then from around 1.30pm to 3.30pm, as the kids get out at different times. We literally cannot visit my granny during those times anymore. We can't even get down that street. It is shocking to see how these parents seem to forget all rules of he road, parking on yellow lines etc. They even park on my granny's disabled parking space! We've had people being rude to us if we ask them to move.


There are lots of minor car accidents as well. And endless litter being chucked into the garden. I'd avoid it OP.

TrickyDicky101

I live next to two schools (Primary and Junior). For me, the parking issue is restricted to say 30 minutes twice per day Monday to Friday. It has never bothered me - and when I was commuting to work I had always left before and returned after the school day so I literally never experienced the parking.

Some of my neighbours do seem to get stressed about it, but like I say, for me it has never been an issue.