To make the kids walk 3miles to school?

What? With the onset of autumn and winter storms. They will then have to spend a full day at school. Will you be expecting them to walk home as well along dark roads in the autumn? Maybe in the 19th century but not now. Get up earlier, get them prepared and drive.

Beginning to think this is a wind up.

3 miles would take them ages isn't it? Longer than it would take you to drive there...
Our school is 1.6 miles and it's a 35 min walk uphill already, I wouldn't consider anything much longer for a daily commute.

I would still drive them.

Your post hasn’t even detailed compromise on your part, are you at least willing to drive them if it is pissing it down?

I’d say ask them to do it sometimes but if the weather is foul, they have a heavy afternoon of extra curriculars or if they are I’ll give them a lift. I’d also see if they can leave stuff like sports kit or heavy books etc in school in a locker. And obviously they could walk in trainers and leave school shoes at school.

Also agree that another alternative would be leaving your car the other side of the roadworks or getting a bus the other side some days.

My children have a 1.8 mile trip to secondary school; takes them between 40 and 55 minutes, depending on dawdling and snack stops! 3 miles will take ages!! And before they even start school work too. Also if it's raining or any other inclement weather they will be Soaked for the whole school day.... Too far, unless cycling as others have pointed out.

(Fwiw we drive the kids to school and they make their own way home)

Yes, certainly rather than have that drive!

Indeed.

My walk to school was half that distance and it was still an absolute pain with all the bags/equipment, often in crappy weather. I would be finding an alternative solution for my children in this situation.

Initially, I thought 3 miles sounded a hell of a walk to school, but then I googled my old route to school from my mum’s house and I was walking 2.8 miles each way. Never even occurred to my mum to offer me a lift!

Apologies Autumn but it's felt bloody wintery here for the past few days. It's also pissed it down for the last week and everyone is in jumpers here.

Either way I think it's unfair to expect them to do this with all the stuff they would have to carry when most adults here saying they would do it probably wouldn't in reality and definitely wouldn't do so carrying books, art folders, pe kits and all the other stuff required for secondary school.

A six mile walk per day is ridiculous. Don’t you like your children?

Jesus Jones in what world is three miles there and three miles back 'too much' for a 12 and 13 year old? Yes if there are biblical floods or a hurricane driving will be in order, and a rethink might be in necessary when it's dark by 5, and if the route depends on them walking along the M62 then no, and a bike/scooter would be helpful. But otherwise they'll be fine, might even enjoy it on occasion, and might pick up a habit of daily exercise. No wonder we're turning ever more into a nation of lardarses if this sort of thing is beyond the pale.

A 6 miles round trip 5 days a week? With a school bag with books, PE kit and things like cooking ingredients walking in school shoes? No I wouldn't even try to make them do that.

Bearing in mind they will have to leave a lot earlier and get home later to and still have to do homework.

You need some bikes - get them second hand if you don't have any.

id drive one way and have them scooter or bike for the other way

Absolutely, that’s how I used to get to work in London 😂

Not where i live
Funded in primary over 2 miles, no Sen
High school funded over 3 miles no sen

OP edited the post to add the ages. They weren't mentioned originally, you can see in the edit history

At 12 and 13 can’t they cycle there themselves? Why do they need to be collected?

3 miles from the school is the determiner for SEN school transport funding over the age of 7.

If a child with SEN, and no awareness of danger, and mobility problems, is expected to walk 3 miles (6 mile round trip) daily to get to school, I'm sure your 12 & 13 year old will be fine.

Same here. Secondary backpacks are HEAVY. My DS12 who is small for his age takes the bus and he still has a sore back in the evening. 3 miles takes roughly one hour and 12 minutes (Googled it). Walking without a heavy backpack in the morning- fine. With a heavy backpack- not fine. In the evening it will be dark and they will be tired already so please fetch them.

OR you walk with them in the morning and carry their backpacks and DH fetch in the evening. I actually carry my son's backpack to the bus stop every morning because it's so heavy.

Where do you live that it's dark by the time they leave school? Where I am, sunset is around 8pm at the moment.

12 and 13 year olds are surely walking themselves to school anyway aren't they?

I walk quite fast and average a mile in 15 minutes. So three miles wouldn't really be faster than the driving time you've described. At best it would be the same.

Cycle, yes.
Walk, no. It’s too far before and after a full school day.

It’s not winter. It’s barely even autumn. Let them walk @DHdoingmyheadin, it will do them the world of good.