To make the kids walk 3miles to school?

No wonder people are so overweight these days if they think 3m is a long way to walk. I did the same distance every day for high school, it was fine.

For context my 6 year old cycled a 4 mile daily round trip for holiday club, up and down hills.

Make it a permanent change!

Well, 3 miles is our councils cut off distance for getting free home to school transport, so it doesn’t sound like an unreasonable distance for two fit and healthy secondary school kids to walk, especially as it’s just a short term thing until the road works are finished.

And as you say in the OP, it’s likely to be faster than driving at the moment.

@DHdoingmyheadin It sounds like a nightmare! What I don't understand though, is why your Local Education Authority is not providing school transport. 3 miles is the cut off where I live, but it's not as though parents can drive that 3 miles in the mayhem. At least if school transport gets stuck in traffic, there is no comeback on the parents.

Mine all walk 2&1/2 miles each way once they went to high school rain or shine. They'll survive, it's only water. At those ages they should be able to walk this far.

Personally, no. I wouldn’t ask my two secondary school aged children to walk 6 miles a day. That’s 2 hours of walking per day for a month. Ask yourself if you could bring yourself to do that everyday for a month? They’ll be exhausted by the time they get home. I’d ask around maybe there’s a car pool going, you offer to do one week and another parent another week maybe? If the options there for them to cycle and you feel confident enough to send them on their bikes then I’d rather that than them walking it. The weathers going to be pretty rubbish in the coming weeks too.

Are you serious?

I don’t know whether to be annoyed at your assertion that I’m lying or sad that you think it’s beyond the realms of possibility for a three year old to ride a bike?

Oh come off it!!

Let 'em walk - this used to be normal for goodness sake.

Its like competitive walking on here...

My DC and I walk a good 30 miles before school but we're fairly fit so it only takes us 47 seconds...then we walk to school which is another 35 miles there and back. What do you mean you don't do the same? No wonder everyone is so unfit these days...

Yes.

If they’re 12 and 13 they can cycle (hopefully). The problem is what if it’s raining.

Is there somebody just the other side of the roadworks that can give them a lift?

You three year old cycles???

I think they will be fine to do that.
My three year old walks or cycles a mile and a half to nursery and back every day.

He eats in school so just his waterbottle. But all the school books he need to bring in every day🥵 it's crazy.

I can't believe how against this everyone seems to be. 3 miles is not far whatsoever. And for two children who are probably at the peak of their energy levels. I would absolutely not entertain driving 2 healthy children to school and back!

It doesn't rain every day! And if you're suitably clothed, even walking in the rain can be pleasurable.

They'll be fit as fiddles and full of self confidence. Erm....

I always understood that 3 miles an hour was average walking speed so that would be an hour there and an hour back again which does sound a lot. I always walked to and from school back in the day as it was actually quicker than the bus, which always got stuck in traffic, but that only took me about half an hour so about half the distance.

I am extremely fit and would find walking 3 miles to and from work in the pouring rain every day miserable.

I always forget about BA @DHdoingmyheadin That's another two hundred children.

Your rush hour record sounds awful, although I'm sure Mr Hughes forgave you for that late hour. You wouldn't have been the only one.

Someone on FB said they'd spoken to one of the workers at Battle Hill this morning, and they're trying to complete in 2 weeks. Then other posters reported only seeing workmen there for 3 hours on Monday. It really hadn't better be there for bonfire night. Can you imagine what the Boyes would do?!

I used to walk 1hr & 20 mins each way to school at their age. Then when I got my first job, I was walking an hour each way. I don’t think you’re being unreasonable. There are a lot of lazy kids out there these days because their parents offer lifts constantly.

You wouldn't want your 12 year old walking 3 miles anywhere at all without an adult? Why not? Would you be happy with them walking a shorter distance but not 3 miles? If so, why does the distance change it? Or not happy with them walking any distance at 12 years old?

I’m with your OP! I think 3 miles there and back to school is quite long and they are young teenagers, not 15/16. I wouldn’t want my 12 year old walking three miles anywhere without an adult.

The reality is that loads of Claverham pupils are going to be in the same boat.

And B+L pupils.

Damn the moaners who insisted the work was pushed back to September due to the tourist trade.

Edit: oh @Gloriia , if only you knew how much of an issue this is causing. It's ridiculous. These works are happening on top of the A21, the major road to London from Hastings, being on slow traffic lights. The closure the OP is talking about is the secondary route to London. It's caused havoc these last 2 days. And that's without the school run for about 1500 pupils in the primary/secondary in the town. (Not village @DHdoingmyheadin !)