Children at different schools

[crazygracieuk]

Possibly a silly question...

I have 3 children in Y5, Y3 and Reception. They currently attend the same primary school which is a 15 minute walk away.

I have been thinking about about the school run when my oldest goes to secondary school. Am I right in thinking that my options are

1. Oldest walks or takes public transport to school and I walk younger 2 to school
   
2. I use breakfast club or childminder so I can drive oldest to school (assuming no public transport available)
   
3. Find someone else in the same situation and agree to share school runs
   
   I can not depend on family or dh doing the school run.
   
   My question is how do you organise the children at different schools situation?

[PlanetEarth]

Mine have been going on their own since they were in about Y4. I certainly wouldn't be taking a secondary age child to school - and judging by the other secondary kids I see round here, they'd be highly embarassed walking to school with mum rather than their friends!

Is there actually no public transport? How far is the school?

[PollyMorfic]

Children of secondary age take public transport, in the main.

[MumInBeds]

Around here (busy town) secondary school aged children make their own way to school. They usually start off travelling in pairs or groups with local children with whom they went to primary school.

[Talkinpeace]

I drop DD off at 8.30 by which time the secondary is in full swing
and then DS at 8.50 by which time Primary is on the go

DD comes home by Bus.
Catchment secondary kids get the school bus
non catchment kids get the public bus or a lift.
Secondary school opens at around 7.30 am and closes around 5pm most days

[crazygracieuk]

Thanks.
LEA policy is that travelling to school alone is ok from Y5/6 and he often goes alone including crossing a very busy road.

If I took him to school by car it would be because the public transport was too awkward. He occasionally walks to school alone and would enjoy the independence of doing it alone.

I hadn't thought of the possibility that secondary schools might start earlier. That could be very useful.

[GnomeDePlume]

Gracie - similar position to you though now much older. DCs all now take themselves to school (DD1 & DS at secondary, DD2 at primary - yr 6). Last year DS & DD2 were taking themselves to primary - Yrs 5 & 6. Cant pretend they walked together, just went in the same direction.

You may well be amazed how much your DS matures through year 5 & 6. If you allow hime to walk more on his own over the next two years, when he gets to secondary going every day will seem natural.

My DCs walk with friends to school, they meet up on the way. Going by car would deny them that opportunity.

[Talkinpeace]

Gnome,
That is why I get DD to get the bus home - so she gets the real world / social life.
School is 4 miles away and bus times are silly in the morning.
When the days get longer and DD is up there too I'll probably get them both into cycling up.

[GnomeDePlume]

Talkinpeace - I think that is an excellent compromise.

Our DCs all cycled to school when we lived in the Netherlands. There it was the norm. Back in the UK it seems to be far les common especially where we live which I do think is a real shame.

[Lonnie]

I have 3 in primary school and 2 in ssecondary come August 1 more will be in secondary

At the moment dd1 and dn takes bus to their 2ndary school and I drive the younger 3 plus a friends 2 daughters to school .

Come September dd2 will go to a different 2ndary school she will be getting on a bus herself to get to school. both 2ndary schools are to far away for me to drive them over and get to the primary on time (and no breakfast clubs in either schools)

[Talkinpeace]

I would much rather DD got the bus to school - even more sowhen DS starts as well next year
but the bus company have moved the morningtimetable to make it harder for the school kids (openly) early bus arrives at school 7.55 late bus arrives 8.55, register is at 8.50.
Buses are good...

[Clary]

My DS1 is at secondary.

All his friends and in fact more or less everyone he knows at school walk to school themselves, or get bus/cycle.

So Option 1 is working for me. And everyone else I know.

But then my yr 5 DD goes to and from school by herself, and DS2 (yr 3) is after the same treatment!

How far away is the school? An NT 11yo is quite capable to getting a bus or walking a mile or two.

[IAmReallyFabNow]

I am already worrying about this. Mine are year 1, 3 and 5 so September 2012 I will have children at two schools. DS1 will only be 11. It sounds old enough but will he really be in a year and a half . Then to add to the fun I am sure that all 3 will be at different secondary school too.

[Clary]

Fab how far away is the secondary yr son will go to?

Honestly, DS1 is totally fine with walking with his mates; and he is a bit of a hopeless case in some way (I love him very much but it's true ).

He only started walking up to school with a pal in yr 6 - I was keen before but he wasn't ready.

Does yr oldest want to make his own way to school now? If not, why not suggest it as something to look at in the summer? (better weather, longer days etc).

Honest - hardly anyone is picked up from secondary school, soooooo embarrassing!!!!

[IAmReallyFabNow]

I don't know yet as we don't know where he will go. None are walkable though.

Ds has asked to walk to school himself but I have said no. I would combust with the worry and have to take 2 others anyway.

[onimolap]

I've started thinking about this, even though DS is still in yr5 (nothing beats worrying ahead of time!)

I shall have to keep taking the younger DD as she can't go alone, so there's no option but for DS to go by himself. So journey to school will be a factor in our preferences (whether he gets a place is another story)

I'm also starting "training" him now in terms of letting him go out by himself on simple errands (corner shop) or walk ahead of us, or tell us when it's safe to cross. When the evenings are lighter, I'm going to stell myself to let him come home alone sometimes from his current school (avert familiar journey). We're in London, so traffic is a concern, but it's got to be done, and age 10/11 seems OK. I expect I shall worry myself sick too, but it's got to be done one day.

[Clary]

fab re your yr5 DS - how about letting him walk up a couple of mins ahead of you - so you can "trail" him en route? I mean if he is keen, it's good practice. Or get him to go with a friend?

That's what we did at first with DD - she started walking up without me last summer - a friend called for her and off they went - she was desperate to do it.

They were both 9 and sensible; the route is busy with people and not too much traffic, about 10 mins walk, one medium residential road, I felt it was fine.

I used to watch them from about 500 yards behind!

[GnomeDePlume]

DH & I used to follow younger DCs to primary school - I'm sure we looked a bit odd - and would check they were in the playground then we would walk home.

[IAmReallyFabNow]

That isn't necessarily true, cat64, and I am not prepared to let my son walk alone through dark woods just so he can maybe get on a bus a bit more confidently.