school journey fron ickenham /hillingdon to tiffin boys

I live in Ruislip but my dentist is in St Margaret's beside Richmond. I'm sure you are more than aware of how horrendous the traffic is in this area. We turned down a place for my reception aged child at a private school in Hillingdon as J couldn't face the stress of getting to long lane for 8.30 every day. We didn't even consider north wood. I agree with rest of the posters and I know the area well. Even if there is a mini bus, life would be awful.

Another one open mouthed at this.
A friend has 2 boys at Tiffin and there are definitely boys bussed in from that area but it is a private arrangement.
You would think the school would look at addresses.. Surely if they say a journey of over an hour is unfeasable , they could deter boys from sitting the exam.
So wrong on many counts.

Glad to hear that mutton, maybe it's just the year 7 kids I know that just started there that are struggling a bit for other reasons then. It's all very subjective and depending on the kid themselves isn't it? At least they are nearby though hey!

DS(11) commutes 1 hour each way to get to/from school. He doesn't mind the commute at all - school run bus which has quite a social life within itself. He does after school activities 2/3 times a week and swims with a local club 3/4 times a week, mostly after his commute! He has two sets of friends, school and local so socially he has ended up gaining more friends than he has previously.

Having said all that, 1 hour is the absolute maximum that I would allow either of my DC to commute at this age! DS is out of the house on a non club day from 7:10-4:55 and on those days generally has to go straight to swimming so he doesn't get home until 7:30. It's a very very long day.

Is moving even half way an option? As everyone else has said, that sort of travel is horrendous for even the most hardened commuter.

Oof. Awful journey to do every day. If google maps says 1hr 40min, in the morning it's going to be more realistically, especially with the M25 and that part of the motorway is notorious. Two hours there, two back and more if there's a really bad jam.

I agree why on earth did you apply? How about leaving the school for more local students

The problem with giving it six months is that at that point your options for other schools will be very limited. Your poor son will be shattered and you will be faced with trying to make a very quick move to the other side of London or try to find another place, which will only exist in a unsubscribed school not a grammar.

The most practical thing now would be to make a late application to local grammars/other schools and try to get a late place for September; if you are turned down to start with you can appeal. Even if others do the journey (and looking at the postcode spread for the last few years I doubt there are many close to you) it's a horrible thing to make him do even for a short time. He will have no life outside school and commuting and that's before tackling the homework mountain.

Why would you even apply for a school so far away? There is more to school than exam results. You are putting your wants ahead of your sons needs.

Asi2000 - This is madness! The journey would be horrendous as the traffic just crawls along in rush hour. Minibus or no minibus. He will burn out before he even gets to GCSEs. Plus he will have no social life as all his school friends will live too far away. You should have thought this through before applying.

I used to do a 60 mile (3 hour) round trip to get to my secondary school between the ages of 12-15 and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I missed out on so much. My DD has just started secondary school and has a 20 minute walk - distance was very high on my list of priorities Please don't do this to your son - move closer or opt for a different school.

Paulapantsdown - my son actually goes to Douay Martyrs and is in year 11. He is doing really well and their pastoral care is far better than the other schools in the area. I've actually got another child in a different secondary school and from a caring point of view, wish that we had sent her to Douay. I don't bother looking at league tables and scores etc but apparently Douay is doing better than Vyners.

Quint - if it was Douey Martyrs you turned down then you made the right choice, I've been hearing bad things about that school lately.

My son is now in year 7 at a local independent school. He leaves the house at 7.45, walks 20 minutes to school, to be there in time for an 8.15 start.

School finishes at 4, and he is home for 4.30, if he has no clubs or games after. He has clubs twice a week, and then he can leave school at 5.30, so he is home for 6 pm. Even without the nightmare journey you plan for your son, he is tired. It is a long day at school, with many new subjects, and complicated homework which is very different to the type of homework he had in primary.

I think you should focus your efforts on looking into moving nearer the school instead of searching for information about transport, if you are serious about wanting Tiffin for your son.

You dont want to ruin your childs educational experience and his zest for learning by making him put up with this journey.

Incidentally we turned down a good (Catholic) school not far from you, due to distance.

You're possibly looking at actually getting a train at 6.40am. Factor in getting to the station. And work back to include breakfast time and time to get showered/dressed. A ridiculously early start for a child. Planned engineering works at the moment too. Then a hard day at school. No time for clubs after. Straight back into the travel. Home 6pm ish. Then homework. Food. Any downtime?

Even if a minibus exists, or travelling by car, it's a bit miserable really.

We decided not to go to grammar in neighbouring area because would have involved about 55 min journey walk/bus/walk. Decided it was more important to have local friends and time to relax as well as do homework in the evenings.

I know someone who lives slap bang next to a well thought of superselective. She missed out on it by a point. Instead got into another well thought of grammar in neighbouring borough, but about 1 hr journey away. She will go there and I can guarantee that a girl from there will be crossing her path to get to the school she didn't get into. Seems nuts to me - the school near us has 13 mile catchment I think, so technically people could be coming on ridiculous journeys to get there. Does the well thought of superselective really offer so much extra value as to justify the morning and afternoon trek? I'm not sure it does, myself.

You are crazy to be even considering this. Most working adults would not take on this commute, minibus or not. Even if there was a minibus door to door, it would still take best part of two hours each way.

Apart from grammar, there are at least 5 really really good schools within a 20 minute bus ride from you.

Poor kid!

If the school day starts at 8.15 (which is not unusual), what time will your child have to leave home, when google maps say that the journey between ickenham (ruislip station) and tiffin is between 1 hour and 22 minutes, to 1 hour and 40 minutes? When will he be home, if the school day finishes at 4pm? When is he going to do his home work?

How can you even think an 11 year old child should commute for more than 3 hours per day, and be out of the house for nearly 12 hours?

Why dont you try and do that journey yourself a couple of times? Can you do it every day for 6 months while you decide what to do?

He may have to leave the house at 6.45 in the morning, to get to school for 8.15. Two changes, and one of them at Clapham Junction.

Sorry - cross posts.

"your best bet is to turn up to each of the schools (ie boys and girls) at the end of the school day which is when the minibuses will be there, and then you can talk to the drivers and get the details."

My suggestion is a serious one. This is how people get the details. Not from posting on online forums. I wouldn't give an anonymous person details of how my child gets to school without having at least met you. Would you?!

I'm afraid I'm also a "me too" on the commute front - don't do it. It is not worth it and your ds's education will suffer as he will not be up for that length of commute.

But if you are determined, then your best bet is to turn up to each of the schools (ie boys and girls) at the end of the school day which is when the minibuses will be there, and then you can talk to the drivers and get the details. I suspect the school office will not be helpful.

Have you thought how this would impact your son? It would affect his ability to take part in out of school activities, if he made one of the sports teams they have to practice or have matches on a Saturday morning. The Tiffin sports ground is even further away near Molesey.
Please rethink, this is really an awful journey and it doesn't sound like you've thought about it until now.
Did you go to the open evening? Every year the HT pleads for parents not to consider the school if they live more than an hour away by public transport. There is a good reason for that.

What do you like so much about Tiffin that it is worth your son having to make this journey?

Op, this is pretentious madness, you realize this? No good will come out of putting your child through this commute for the sake of going to a good grammar, because you dont fancy living in Surrey.

You could get the tube to Richmond, then train to Kingston. But echoing what Harriet said, this is madness. Will any benefit of going to Tiffin not be out weighed by a hideous commute?