To think that not ALL these parents need to drive their kids to school?

[SecretSquirrell]

"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2034420/Chaotic-scenes-Birmingham-junior-school-caused-dozens-parents-collecting-children.html"

[SecretSquirrell]

Thanks strandedBear

[SecretSquirrell]

I agree.

I know some people are going on to work and I know some will live a fair way out but why on earth aren't people walking their kids to school or letting them walk themselves to school?

[fanjobanjowanjo]

its like that near my house as there's a school at the end of the road, HOWEVER it is unsurprising as there are no proper parking or drop off facilities provided.

HOWEVER a lot of people park inconsiderately of us the residents and of each other, which there is no need for.

[belgo]

The reason why so many children are taken to school by car is because parents have to be at work by a certain time and because many children are not offered a place at a good school close to where they live.

It's not very practical to say 'make the walk' when this simply isn't possible for many parents.

[fanjobanjowanjo]

I think school buses like america would be better than car madness. And walking.

[SecretSquirrell]

genuine question, do people not take into consideration school catchments when choosing a house?

It was the absolute top priority for us every time we have moved. I think being able to walk to school is important for lots of reasons, keeping fit being just one but also living within your school community is pretty important too.

[NodsSmilesandBacksAway]

lol you should have seen it in our area yesterday - first day back combined with terrible weather = gridlock throughout the city

i was smug, i was going the other way :)

[SecretSquirrell]

Woman near me, literally a 4 minute walk to school and she drives every day and squeezes in as close to the gate as she can get. She's fat, her kids are fat.

[choccyp1g]

At DS' school, out of all the families I know, I am the only one who can actually walk every day, and have time to walk back, and not have to be somewhere else.
Several work part-time and walk when they can, a few have the kind of jobs where you can go in late sometimes or are on shifts; they walk or bike when they can.
The majority simply can't do it, because of work and other children at different schools, pre-school etc. A 10 or fifteen minute walk to school AND BACK to then pick up the car to drive past the school, to get to work 20 minutes later is just not on.

[Hulababy]

In some areas though getting into even your closest school can be very difficult. Or the house prices in the good school areas are so high people do taeke the risk and try and go out of catchment.

My DD goes to school about 3-4 miles away, a 10 minute drive or so. It's an independent school so catchment wasn;t the issue. Fortuntaely it is only a small school and parking isn't too bad. And yes, I do park considerately on local streets. Walking wouldn't be a feasible option.

Even if DD did go to our local catchment school i would have to drive a lot of the time. It's about 1.5 miles away, and because it's hilly it isn't a quick walk - and both DH and myself have walk to get to. So walking there and back in time to get a car to go on to walk just wouldn't be possible I suspect this is the same for a lot of parents.

[slightlymad72]

There are few parents who live near me that drive their kids to school, it is a 5 min walk, I suppose if they are going straight to work afterwards then they have good reason to do so, however due to the number of vehicles parked near the school they have to park further away than their house is, meaning they still have to walk and its further

[SecretSquirrell]

Can some of these kids not walk themselves, though? Surely to goodness by the age of eight you can walk to school by yourself ( if it's not too far etc)?

[Hulababy]

I am not sure I'd want DD walking at 8y. Year after though - yes. But they'd have tobe leaving before or same time as the parents, not after. And I guess for many (like me/DH) we'd be passing the school anyway. If possible it would be good if they just dropped Y5/6 children off and let them walk in themselves.

[SuePurblybilt]

I don't think catchment has much to do with it - I live in a tiny rural village with a tiny school. There is no parking and no through road past the school so not much advantage if you're going on to work - it would take longer to get out of the muddle of cars than it would to walk back to 90% of houses in the village and drive to work. I know cos I do .

Even accounting for the farming families who live out of the village, the vast majority of children are driven. On our walk in, DD and I pass people getting their children into cars, to drive less than a quarter of a mile . Most of the time they just don't fancy the weather or can't be bothered.

[planetpotty]

Walking busses would be a great way around the problem, not sure how it could get set up nationwide?

Would fix the problem for me in a few years when I wouldnt have the time in the morning (due to rigid start work time) to walk the kids to school - which I would love to do by the way :(

[angelinterceptor]

I live in a fairly on the edge of a village, less than 0.5m to the school. About 500 pupils at the primary school and i would guess that less than 50 walk!
In my last house, we had to cross a busy road - so I always walked too, there and back and then into the car to get to work.
Now we have moved to the other side of the school, its footpath beside a busyish road, and a school crossing patrol when we get there.
My DD, age 8 can manage this on her own walking, or on the bike - or sometimes i will go with her for a bit of fresh air.

If its raining, i will probably insist we go in the car - I am passing the school anyway to get to work.

I dont know anyone else in the largish develpment where are house is who does the walk - most drive there and back! Its maddness

I also know heaps of parents who drive their older secondary school age DC to school every day, even when there is a good bus service and a free bus pass.

[MrsBuntyCuldeSacPariah2]

I think there are many similar schools around the country in terms of chaos. I walk my kids, but would not assume it's as simple and easy for everyone to do the same.
I think there is also a bigger picture to look at here which is that some parents do not feel their is a safe route to let their children walk/ or walk their children to school on. People drive like inconsiderate idiots, even in residential areas, persistently breaking the speed limit. I, as a result still accompany my eldest (yr6). Not everyone can do this due to time constraints. I think this needs addressing on a larger scale.

[angelinterceptor]

I should proof read - i dont actually live in fairly!

[Insomnia11]

I drove them yesterday because of the weather but frankly I'd rather get wet and cold than have the stress of driving and parking. Plus that two minutes getting them out of the carpark is far more dangerous than the any part of the walk. I'm lucky though that I can turn up at work ten minutes later than I would otherwise if I drove straight there from school, not everyone can. In a rural area I know some parents live further away from the school and quite a few are going on to work.

There are some though who I know for a fact are SAHP and live the same distance away as me (ten minute walk, 15 tops even with a toddler), have only school-age children and still without fail, every day, drive. I mean ok some days you need to go straight on somewhere but not every day surely?

[SecretSquirrell]

One reason it's so dangerous to walk is the driving parents.

[MrsBuntyCuldeSacPariah2]

there is, sorry

[belgo]

I live in a small town and most children at my dd's local school walk or cycle. This is because most of them live very close by; there is a culture of cycling facilitated by cycle paths; and the main road has a policeman on duty for half an hour in the morning ensuring children cross safely.

[MrsBuntyCuldeSacPariah2]

In part, SecretSquirrel but the roads that extend beyond the school's vicinity are horrendous where I live and it certainly isn't all school traffic. This is one thing that keeps me awake at night with worry as my eldest gets older (traffic danger). I suppose it depends where you live but in the South East it's shocking.