Taxi share or car share or bus buddy to Kingston ( Tiffin boys) from Twickenham.....anyone?

[MotherLocalLand]

Hi
Looking for another parent who's son will be going to Tiffin in Kingston town centre next year. Looking into possible taxi or car share. Also maybe for a 'bus buddy'....basically a travelling companion. We are thinking getting the bus everyday will be at bit much for our particular 11 year old with everything else he has to adapt to. So we are thinking he can get the bus once or twice a week and rest of time we'll look into a taxi share or we may be able to take him some days, or occasionally collect, depending on our work hours.

[Mumsnut]

Where from? Esher? Thames Ditton? New Malden?

[BitchPeas]

Clearly says Twickenham in the title Mum

[MotherLocalLand]

Btw there was another thread on here when another person asked about taxi share and got loads of posts saying that kids should use free buses, and at age eleven kids shouldn't be given lifts, and even one said that ..... a pp should have sent her child school nearer to her if she thought the bus or train journey was too much!
(Hmmm great if you have a suitable school on your doorstep)

Please bear in mind everyone's child is different: some people live very far from a bus stop, many children can easily do the journey once they are 12 and above and used to the school.

But often settling-in to a big new secondary where you don't know anyone plus getting used to a long journey twice a day on top of that can make a very tough first few weeks or first term.

Sometimes to help a child settle it's a good idea to let them adapt to things in stages and not all at once. Some eleven year olds are much less confident and mature than others and they all vary.

[MotherLocalLand]

Yes Mumsnut and bitchpeas ....from Twickenham. Or if in Teddington Hampton or Whitton and not too far away that could work.

[MarchingFrogs]

'Darling, because we have chosen a school for you which is so far away from home, you won't be able to cope with the journey on public transport, we will ask a bunch of strangers on the internet if someone will take you with them in their car'.

(Isn't this the kind of thing that even terminally lax parents like yours truly warn our children about??).

Have you at least considered asking the school if they would pass your contact details on to other parents of current and incoming pupils in your area, so that you can meet up locally, reassured that the people you are dealing with are bona fide Tiffin parents?

[user1494050295]

A friends kid is at tiffin they live in teddington he gets the 281. There is also the tiffin train to Kingston which leaves twickenham at 748 I think via Kingston. You should receieve an intro to the other parents soon so you can liaise with them

[CraftyGin]

If you are near Twickenham station, go by train. There are loads of Tiffin and KGS boys on these trains. Tiffin is spitting distance from Kingston station.

[ChippyMinton]

tfl.gov.uk

Here’s a link to the tfL journey planner.

Obviously you know your child best, but do you really want to be that parent?

And, yes, my DC have travelled to their London schools on public transport since day 1 of secondary, and heck, even to the orientation day when they were still in Year 6

[MotherLocalLand]

Thanks User1 I am looking forward to that day. Just doing a bit of research now rather than wait.

I am ignoring any nasty unkind or rude posts from those who seem to have nothing better to do than to criticise others.

Anyone genuinely interested and at whom this thread is aimed at, happy to hear from you 😊

[MotherLocalLand]

Bump

[Middleoftheroad]

Worth posting on here

www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/index.php

[ChippyMinton]

Not being unkind, but you should be aware of the reality of secondary school life. Most kids do travel by themselves. The journey with friends is an important part of the day, as it gives them the opportunity to socialise and to learn life skills. I understand you may want to protect your DC, but please don’t be surprised if they want to make their own way, with their peers.

Be supportive, be prepared to replace lost Oyster cards, be on standby to pick them up when they get lost or confused. It won’t take them long to become public transport experts.

[sandybayley]

TFL run a session for years 6s on safety and public transport. Most state primaries seem to run it in the summer term after SATs are done.

You'll be surprised just how much they grow up in the last few months of year 6 and in the first few of year 7.

Try getting him used to buses first and then trains and tube. I would try and find a travel buddy near you rather than organising a taxi.

[Ontopofthesunset]

I don't think people are being rude if they suggest politely that your son would be better off in the long term travelling on public transport. Your fears, while understandable, are irrational. How many boys have been abducted while travelling to Tiffin in recent years? I live locally so I'm sure I'd have heard of some of them. They are more likely to leave their violin on the bus or drop their Oyster card or lose their keys than they are to come to any serious harm.

Of course if you want to organise a taxi for the first few weeks while your son is getting used to a new school and new demands, or if you are able to travel with him for a few weeks, or find an older buddy to travel with him, that would be perfectly understandable and a sensible compromise.

[ChippyMinton]

It’s 12 minutes on the train from twickenham and a few minutes walk. I’m sure driving will take longer, whether by car or taxi.

Perhaps if you share your concerns we can offer some advice?

[MotherLocalLand]

We thank u for more well meaning advice...I have two older dc one year 11 one at sixth form and my brother is a 2ndry school teacher. I am not looking for general advice on how yr 6 kids mature , most kids travel independently over 11 etc as I already know. thank you anyway !

My youngest dc is much less confident and day dreamer going to a different school to his siblings. I was simply looking for car / taxi share people to give him time to settle, adjust to longer days , after school clubs, without every single day commuting by bus every time. We are a long, over 25 min walk to the bus stop before even catching the bus. Appreciate people telling me stuff I might not have known but I am intetested in talking to other parents with dc
going to same school from same direction.

[MarchingFrogs]

www.schoolguide.co.uk/schools/tiffin-school-kingston-upon-thames

This should link to the 'heat map' of where current Tiffin pupils live, based on the school census. I can't see any at all actually in Twickenham, but of course, these may be a whole batch of them amongst the incoming year 7 (presumably just no-one that you or your DS actually knows, or you wouldn't have reported to asking on t'web?). My previous suggestion to ask the school if they would send out your request and contact details to parents in a specified area still holds - both a) as a serious improvement on looking for strangers on the internet to entrust your DS to and b) because possibly there aren't that many other parents in your immediate area, so relying on finding one of them on this site may not be very fruitful?

[headhurtstoomuch]

Speak to the school and see if they know of a group taxi service. My previous next door neighbours son went to Tiffins and a taxi would pick him up daily...and always had other boys with the same uniform in the car as well.

[CountessDracula]

someone on here looking for one

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2606918-Tiffin-Kingston-School-Transport?watched=1&msgid=77504232#77504232

[Nbhar]

Hi,

I am looking for exactly the same, a taxi share or bus buddy. We are in Twickenham/Whitton. Is you DS starting this August (a I think they start early)?

Best

[Nbhar]

@ChippyMinton Seriously, you sound like someone that has nothing better to do. If you have nothing positive to say then perhaps you should say nothing at all!! Besides, no one is talking about taking your child to school, so why the negativity?!

Each child is different and the way they adapt to change is different. Part of "Positive" parenting = easing the transition for your child.

[ChippyMinton]

You may have more luck if you make your own thread instead of bumping an old one.





And did you mean to be so rude?