Would you buy a house near a secondary school?

[BonnieBlueButler]

The back of the school playing fields are directly side on to the house - there is the house, a turning area for cars and then the playing fields. It’s quite a big secondary school. The entrance to the school is down another road entirely so students wouldn’t be coming and going past our house. The house is actually very private and perfect in every other respect. My husband is more concerned than me and thinks that big gangs of kids will be hanging around by the house.

So, has anyone bought near a secondary school? Would you do so?

[Angryosaurus]

No. Heard of kids from a very respectable secondary setting fire to neighbouring fences. Put me off the school (and living close to one)

[BordersMumNow123]

Could you go down there around school closing time and see what it's like? Will lots of kids walk past your house as a short cut to get home? It may be very quiet, but you won't know unless you check

[specialsubject]

Do a recce as suggested . you don't want the kids going past as the percentage that are taught that it is OK to drop litter will drive you nuts.

[MustRememberTheLInFingerling]

We live a couple of minutes walk along the same road as the only secondary school in our town.

The majority of pupils will walk past our house and the only issue I have ever had is getting off our drive as they’re all leaving so 3-3.15ish but as I’m meant to be collecting the younger dc at a similar time, it’s only an issue if I’m running late!

No noticeable littering, no noticeable antisocial behaviour. Mornings are not as bad as they arrive over a more staggered time.

[BonnieBlueButler]

The problem is I’m a teacher myself so can’t be around to check when the school ends. But it also means that none of use will ever be home during the day during term time.

[BonnieBlueButler]

*us not use

[MustRememberTheLInFingerling]

And it’ll be empty at weekends/holidays presumably?

[MyOtherProfile]

Living near a school is great. I've done it twice. Quiet at holidays and weekends. Only really an issue at pixk up and drop off time so you just have to factor that in.

[cricketqueen]

I live next to a secondary school. Similar set up to what you said, entrance on another road but playing fields near our house. We get a few kids walking round but havent had any trouble tbh. Sometimes shouting etc but never anything serious. Our house is for sale atm I hope it isn't putting people off haha.

[Mumelie]

Not again! I live near a large secondary school and the traffic and parking can be horrendous (Victorian houses no off road parking).
However it's a very good school so I know I can sell quickly when I've finally had enough 😂

[MustRememberTheLInFingerling]

I’ll be honest, I’ve never seen groups of kids hanging round the school - before and after they are arriving/leaving so it’s just a trail of youth! Evenings and weekends it is only for organised activities - so it is mostly parents in cars dropping off and picking up.

There are some groups who use the sports field but very much for sports - football and hockey type stuff. Not sure if it’s official or not but they don’t appear to be ‘misbehaving’.

It perhaps depends on where you live though - we have beach’s etc which seem to be where the youth gather

[ivykaty44]

What happens in the playing fields in the evening? Are they used for sport? Will they be used for sport in holidays etc?

[Bluntness100]

We lived opposite one, no big deal really would see the kids come out or go in, that was all and during weekends and holidays nothing, wouldn't put me off.

[Dalg]

I lived across the road from a large secondary school for 10 years. It didn't cause me any problems except occasionally when parents double parked over my car to drop their kids off. A couple of times I could hear music on a Saturday night and saw police turn up to move kids in from the school grounds. I think there were often kids hanging about in the school grounds at night time. I don't know if all schools are like that. I was happy living there and the street was nice and quiet on school holidays and weekends.

[MaisyPops]

Gut instinct is no.
I work at a great school with lovely students. I wouldn't buy next to us.

A local school with a large site has just been knocked down and rebuilt further across the site so houses that were near the playing fields are now near the school building and ones which were near school back onto fields.

I'd never live very close to a secondary school if I could avoid it, not because of kids but everything else.

[Middleoftheroad]

Don't do it.

I live by two primaries in a side road and it's a nightmare with parking and being blocked in. In the ice the cars were stuck.and I couldnt get into work.

Also check floodlights on playing field dont glare directly on your house.

I leave and come back in school traffic. Nightmare.

I did scope out the street several.times first and thought I could live with it (it was also only house available to suit our 5 bed needs and to meet admissions cut off).
Whatever 'niggles' you think you can tolerate will become real bugbears - we've been here a year and Im already considering moving.

[Sgtmajormummy]

We intentionally bought a flat in the "high school district" (6 different technical and classical high schools in close proximity) of our town, where our kids went to playschool, primary and high school, all maximum fifteen minutes' walk away. I knew I didn't want the hassle of a school run or being Mum's Taxi for activities.

It's mayhem at drop off and pick up for 20 minutes as the buses from out of town spew out their passengers and parents drive down the road at the last minute but apart from the odd sad truant smoking on our (accessible) garden's benches we don't have any problems with gangs or vandals. They can't get away fast enough IMO!

[campion]

I live opposite a secondary school. The entrance is on an ordinary suburban road so twice a day the cars are crazy for about 20 minutes and there is an increase of litter but not too bad. Teachers come out and supervise departure and move any loiterers on.

Lived here years and really not a problem.

[phoenix1973]

No. Living close to the primary is a pain in the arse enough.

[Jeffjefftyjeff]

Always lived v near a secondary school with no real issues. I don’t drive though, so miss all the parking chaos that must annoy neighbours (particularly a problem if you are travelling at school beginning/ end?). Playing fields large and only used football Sunday mornings so a lot of ‘quiet’ space nearby. Can you investigate this type of thing? Caretaker on site as well as lots of fences, cctv, and some weird thing where people activate some kind of recorded voice to scare people off. So feels safe. Do you know what security at the school is like? Houses quite sought after. Children driven to school or walk home fairly quickly- any ‘hanging around’ is in alleys or by shops not near our house.
Pain if there is a trip to France with a 4am drop off though!!

[newmum7369]

I live near a secondary school - the playing field is slightly further away but I can see the car park from the rear windows of my house.

It was alright when I was working office hours because when I was home it was fairly peaceful. Just be aware however that school areas are often used out of school hours for other things, for example the local cadet group use the car park for their training a couple of evenings a week and some of the local sports teams use it for fitness training. It doesn't bother me too much but can be a pain if you're in the garden on a sunny evening trying to have a BBQ or a quiet drink.

I started maternity leave in June and it has bothered me more since then. The kids are obviously out playing before school, at morning break, lunchtime and around pickup time and so it's fairly noisy. I guess if you're a teacher that's less of an issue for you but worth being aware of if your situation might change like mine has.

[Woodchiponthewall]

We have almost exactly that set up OP, we back onto school playing fields but the main entrance is on another street. I am also a teacher so am out when the kids are in so it has very little impact. The huge plus is that we look onto open, well maintained fields rather than other houses. There is a right of way through the field and they are public accessible so it is handy for the dc playing football/building snowmen straight out the door which is lovely. In better weather we do have kids hanging around though, they seem strangely drawn to their school even if they don't live close. They are generally fine and just playing football etc. Any litter/anti social behaviour I go and tell them off and they scurry away muttering apologies! Although one year it became a bit of a party space on a Friday night with about 50 kids turning up drinking. That was pretty horrendous, but we were really sharp elbowed about it with the school/police and moved them on. All in all it was a good move and I love it, and think of all the terrible neighbours you are potentially missing out on!

[namechangedforthis54]

I live a few doors away from one, house backs on to school. It is great not being overlooked by houses, and lots of trees give us privacy. I don't miond the noise at breaktime etc and don't even notice it (work form home).

It is a nightmare at home time though, only because of selfish parents ignoring the parking rules (no parking near school) but it only lasts 20 mins or so. Have had the house for a decade, never any problems with kids. In fact they came round with Xmas gifts from the school, probably to keep us sweet so we don't complain re:parking!

[Feezles]

We have lived literally next to a secondary school for 4 years. It's totally fine. The end of our road is right next to the main gate and it's a short road so we are very close - and our back garden backs onto the grounds for good measure.

There are annoyances, but they're minor - it is quite hard to drive down the road leading to both the gates and our road for the 15 minutes after school finishes, but it certainly isn't impossible, and a couple of times a year (sports day, summer fete) we can hear the PA system as though it was in our garden, which was annoying when trying to get DD to nap.

But on the flipside, for 23.5 hours a day in term time, and 24 hours a day during the holidays, there is no noise at all. I've never regretted choosing to live here.

[BonnieBlueButler]

This is all really helpful. Thank you. It seems that parking may be the main issue. I’m honestly not too worried about that as I’ll never be in at drop off/pick up time. It does look nice to have open fields around rather than other houses. Our main worry was kids hanging around and littering/being a nuisance.

I may knock and ask the neighbours on our second viewing. I’m thinking they might be impartial as they have nothing to gain if we buy or don’t.