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Original poster

55 minute bus ride to secondary school

67 replies

PurpleStripedCat · 10/01/2025 22:48

Is this too much? Due to separate from DH and I will probably end up moving areas around 6 miles away from DS (13) comp. One area is decent with a bus stop along the road which stops right outside his comp. Ex and I will be doing 50-50 shared so only half the time DS will have to do this. I don’t have much choice unfortunately about where I will end up as I’m on the HA/Council House list. I’m coming up as top ten for the area that would be a 55 minute bus ride. Other areas would be a 30 minute ride.

Unfortunately the 55 minute bus ride stops at loads of places which is why it takes ages!

I could also take that area off my list but it is the one I’m coming up top for.

OP posts:
barbiegirl881 · 10/01/2025 23:48

My bus to school took about this long, maybe slightly less. It went all around the town and we lived slightly outside, so it took ages with traffic. Loads of kids did it, it was very normal. I don’t think getting home at 4.20pm is late for a secondary school child personally.

socksonoff · 10/01/2025 23:42

From age 13 due to a house move I had to (for the first time in my life) access public transport with no help from my parents, to get to school daily.

I left home at 7.30am for the first bus, then had to switch over on a high street and get another bus to get me to school for 9am.
Depending on which bus the second one was, I would sometimes get dropped outside the school or sometimes the village nearby, about a 15 mins walk to school.

Same but reversed coming home.
I arrived home about 4,45 every day.
This was before phones and when a bus didn't turn up you didn't know why, had no one to call and had to figure out what to do.

Nowadays with a phone I'm sure your ds would be fine! If he's unsure then maybe do the route with him over a weekend but with maps on phones I'm sure he'd be ok.

I was told to just deal with it and work it out or ask the bus driver to tell me when I was first doing my route 😒
How does he feel about it?

ShadowsOfTheDays · 10/01/2025 23:41

My kids (all the kids in our town) have a 40 minute bus ride every day. It's normal and they're with mates, sometimes it's their favourite part of the day!

NotDonna · 10/01/2025 23:40

PurpleStripedCat · 10/01/2025 22:58

They would get home at 4.20pm - not that bad for half the week.

Wow! Thats an early home time. I don’t see the issue. DD1 in yr7 got two buses to and from school taking 1.5 hours each way. In poor weather it’d take 2hrs so arrive home 630pm. She left at 645am as school started 8.25 not ideal but no choice at the time. She was fine.

BBQPete · 10/01/2025 23:40

KnickerlessParsons · 10/01/2025 23:00

Loads of kids in rural areas do this. They manage.

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Loads of dc in Cities do too - fewer miles maybe, but sat in traffic jams.

Lindtnotlint · 10/01/2025 23:37

Think the bus bit is fine (my daughter commutes over an hour door to door and enjoys it) - worth checking it actually comes as an hour wait definitely isn’t ok.

ThatsNotMyTeen · 10/01/2025 23:36

It’s not the length of time per se but that’s a ridiculous length of time to travel 6 miles! Would a taxi be quicker at least one way?

Bagpuss2022 · 10/01/2025 23:34

My son did it from a rural village to a school in oxford about 1 hour 20mins was a public bus but he had friends on there, it was fine.
we moved to a big town and the school was a 3 min walk he’s a adult now and reminisces about the bus journeys

AuntieObnoxious · 10/01/2025 23:32

My dc has a 45 minute bus ride & loves it. They listen to music or watch YouTube, chat to friends - usually via WhatsApp etc. they love it. We live very rural so it was either that or dh took her on his way to work- they chose bus! Both dh & I has same bus journeys when we went to school. I’m a secondary teacher & it’s quite common.

OceanTurtle · 10/01/2025 23:31

I lost my bus pass once and had to walk all the way home, it took ages. I really wouldnt want my child in a school that far away especially if you don’t drive..

PickAChew · 10/01/2025 23:30

It would be fine so long as the bus is reliable. It's a long wait if it's cancelled as buses so often are, these days.

Dora33 · 10/01/2025 23:25

It's too far. Add in the 20 minute wait for the bus when he finishes in school and none of his friends also on the bus. So he would be getting home 1 hour 15mins after school finishes.
With you not driving, means he can't he collected or dropped off if he is delayed.

Ohwtfnow · 10/01/2025 23:17

My bus ride was an hour and 10 minutes on a good day because I lived rurally and the school bus had to go around all the villages. I hated it.

Musicofthespiers · 10/01/2025 23:06

I think it's fine if he's getting home at 4.20, there is plenty of evening left for homework and downtime.

MassiveSalad22 · 10/01/2025 23:06

PurpleStripedCat · 10/01/2025 23:02

He would be alone 😢 No buddies unfortunately but he’s got his phone and I would ring him if needed. I’d feel better if his friends were on there. He’s an independent boy and wouldn’t be phased really but it does seem like a long journey.

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I understand your reluctance tbh. Of course he'll be fine but as a parent, it tugs at the heart strings. It's a departure. Big changes for you all and this is a part of it.

OceanTurtle · 10/01/2025 23:05

Too far, my son’s secondary is an 8 min walk which I’m happy with. I had to travel on 2 buses to get to secondary school and I hated it

Movinghouseatlast · 10/01/2025 23:05

I did it for 7 years when I was at school.

MassiveSalad22 · 10/01/2025 23:04

KnickerlessParsons · 10/01/2025 23:00

Loads of kids in rural areas do this. They manage.

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Loads of kids in London etc do it too - I used to commute to work on the slow line on a train absolutely stuffed with loud teen boys. I think school bus far preferable to public transport personally as you don't annoy non-school goers! Lots of kids (not mine!!) where we live currently also get train for about an hour or so to the nearest non-extortionate private school as the local one is ridiculous 😄

Original poster
PurpleStripedCat · 10/01/2025 23:02

MassiveSalad22 · 10/01/2025 22:58

I lived 3 miles from school and in the morning the bus came to us first and then did an hour long loop 😁reverse in the afternoon. Was very fun as was a dedicated school bus not a public one so it was raucous. Poor driver! I think your child will be OK although will any of his pals be likely to join him? Does seem long totally alone!

He would be alone 😢 No buddies unfortunately but he’s got his phone and I would ring him if needed. I’d feel better if his friends were on there. He’s an independent boy and wouldn’t be phased really but it does seem like a long journey.

OP posts:
Original poster
PurpleStripedCat · 10/01/2025 23:00

BBQPete · 10/01/2025 22:59

Not good for his street cred for you to be catching the bus with him, no.

For me, 55mins on the bus isn't too bad, but I'd be more interested in the frequency of the buses. If he missed it, would he have to wait 5 - 10 mins or would he have to wait an hour for the next one ?

It would be an hour wait.

OP posts:
KnickerlessParsons · 10/01/2025 23:00

CosyRoby · 10/01/2025 22:52

I think that’s far too long !
Thats 2 hours onto a young pupils day

Loads of kids in rural areas do this. They manage.

MadnessIsMyMiddleName · 10/01/2025 23:00

At 13 he'll be fine OP, it will help build independence too.

Original poster
PurpleStripedCat · 10/01/2025 22:59

SexAndCakes · 10/01/2025 22:56

I would have found it too long but at my school no one else took the bus (I took one for about 30 mins) and I would have felt completely differently with friends to chat to.

More important was the frequency of buses - mine came once an hour, about 2 minutes after the bell rang. I had to do a mad dash every day to avoid an hour's wait on my own. The fact I still remember it at 45 tells you what a pain it was!

Yeah this bus is one per hour but it’s 20 minutes after he finishes school so enough time to go to the shop etc. Definitely handy that the bus stop is right outside is comp.

OP posts:
BBQPete · 10/01/2025 22:59

Not good for his street cred for you to be catching the bus with him, no.

For me, 55mins on the bus isn't too bad, but I'd be more interested in the frequency of the buses. If he missed it, would he have to wait 5 - 10 mins or would he have to wait an hour for the next one ?

Oldbutstillachild · 10/01/2025 22:59

PurpleStripedCat · 10/01/2025 22:57

They don’t do any after school activities, only on a weekend. Another option would be for me to (I don’t drive) meet him up the school and bus it back with him (occasionally) It’s public transport not a school bus if that makes a difference? I’d feel better if it was a school bus.

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My 1hr journey each way was on a London bus, not a school bus, but at school times these buses are full of kids anyway.