How long is your child's commute to school?

[twerkit]

Does 8.5 miles and up to 40 mins in bad traffic seem too long?

[PrettyLovely]

Yes, Is there not one closer?

[French2019]

My dd has a 30 minute walk.

8 miles/40 mins is doable, but are there buses or will you have to do the school run every day?

[PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks]

It will be an 8 minute walk.

[Taffeta]

DD - 25 minute bus ride 7 miles away
DS - 30 minutes on two trains 15 miles away

[twerkit]

Dh or I would drive her. This would be once she's in secondary school. Current commute to prep is 4.5 miles and 10-15mins.

[dancemom]

3 minute walk to bus stop, 10 minute bus ride to town, 5 minute walk to subway, 8 minute subway ride, 15 minute walk up the hill to school

[missmapp]

9 miles. A 30 min bus and 10 min walk. Works for us and is worth it for the right school

[OracleOfDelphinium]

State or independent? If the latter, it's pretty normal (and pupils commute from far further afield than 8.5 miles). If state, it might be less so, though I wouldn't know. If it's a good school and suits your DC, I wouldn't worry about it.

[OracleOfDelphinium]

@twerkit Just seen your reference to prep. Suggests you might be thinking of independent secondary. If so, there would be absolutely nothing unusual about that kind of distance. You might in due course be able to lift-share, or your DC might be able to negotiate trains/buses? Mine are at independent schools and I've always made a point of living within 30 mins (walking distance) of school because I don't want the faff of driving twice a day, but loads of children live miles away, and it's fine.

[Petalflowers]

My eldest son had a 12mile commute, or 30 minutes on the train.

Other son’s school is about four miles away.

I think it’s not the distance that counts, but the ease of transport. We live in a semi-rural environment, and my son has to take two buses due the local bus service. It can take him an hour to get home.

My eldest school was further away, but the journey was more direct, so was quicker,

[Mumthedogsbeensick]

Ds does a 5.2 mile bus journey which takes 40 - 60 mins traffic depending. It's the route and the amount of stops it makes which takes so long. He is in Year 9 and doesn't mind at all - it's a chance to chat to his friends.

[qu1rky]

14 miles, 1hr 15mins in the morning. In the afternoon, she gets off near where I work, so It's 45mins, then 15mins in car.

It's to a grammar school.

[Growingboys]

15 mins on bike or 20 mins on bus. London.

[Pigwitch]

DS has a 45 minute commute on the bus. He doesn't go to the nearest school but it's the nearest Grammar and where he wanted to go.

[xyzandabc]

If they went to the local school, where 95% of the primary goes, it would be a 3 minute walk, then 20 mins walk from yr 10 onwards.

The school they actually go to is a 15 minutes walk then 50 mins on the bus. A majority of kids at that school get the bus from far and wide so it's quite normal for everyone. They don't know any different

[raspberryrippleicecream]

DC are 10 miles away, which is 15 minutes driving on country road, but about 40 minutes on school bus as it goes round the villages. There are many, many DC at the school (rural) with a much longer commute.

[Frusso]

27miles. 50mins on a clear run.

[clarrylove]

15 min bike ride to Grammar school.

[TheFrendo]

No. 1: 1h on the bus - leaves home at 7.05, back at 5.30 - VIth form
No. 2: 20mins on bus - leaves home at 8.10, back at 4.00 - secondary school
No. 3: 5min in car, 2 miles on country roads, not safe to walk.

[useyourimagination]

8 miles
32 minutes
walk, train, walk

[Theworldisfullofgs]

About an hour.
10 mins drive to station.
15 min train journey
15 min walk to school

Plus hanging around time makes it about 60 mins.

[Justgivemesomepeace]

10 min walk

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Both DC leave at the same time (7.30am), although one goes to a school further away than t'other.

DC1 - 10 minute walk, 30-40 minutes on the bus, 2 minute walk (it would take a couple of hours at least to walk it)
DC2 - 15 minute walk, 20 minutes on bus, 15 minute walk (but could probably walk it in an hour)

And neither school is really that far away. Many local children travel just as far if not further.

[Pumpkin1975]

Bizarrely, my kids only live 3 miles from their secondary school but because we’re in a very rural area and they are at the start of the bus run, their bus journey takes 45 mins as it winds round all the villages and farms. Likewise they are the end of the homeward journey. I do usually run them in in the morning as it seems daft when I have to leave for work anyway. But they usually get the bus home.

[PerspicaciaTick]

12 miles, 1.25 hours each way.