Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Unflip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Unflip

1 2

Original poster

Travelling to school

37 replies

morethanpotatoprints · 30/09/2014 14:17

Have found the perfect school but not sure about travel, how much if any to allow dd to do by herself and how much accompanied.
Would appreciate your views.

The school is situated in Manchester v. close to railway station.
School starts at 8am so dd will need to be on the train at 7.00 am.
It is a 10 min walk to station from our house, through the town centre.
She will be 11.8 when she starts. The train takes aprox 45 mins and has about 9 stops, if this makes any difference.
Obviously the return journey is the same and will usually return at station about 6pm

Would you allow the entire journey yourself, none of it, or some of it.

Tia of your replies.

OP posts:

Hakluyt · 02/10/2014 18:44

Guitar on his back in a gig bag. With school stuff and usually a games kit shoved into the front pocket. Trumpet on the back carrier with bungee cords.

Fall off? He won't fall off! He's 13, he's invincible...........

Original poster

morethanpotatoprints · 02/10/2014 18:25

Hak

Ah, bless him. Is he not worried what will happen to instruments if he falls off.
They can be mighty expensive to fix, but kids just scuff knees and plasters are cheap
What does he play? Please don't say tuba or tenor horn as surely he'd be top heavy.

OP posts:

Hakluyt · 02/10/2014 18:06

My ds sometimes carries two instruments on his bike. But he is a crazy boy and doesn't have to ride on roads.........

Original poster

morethanpotatoprints · 02/10/2014 15:04

I did consider the bike option as suggested up thread, thought it a good idea until dd reminded me she would have several instruments to carry.
Its still a possibility for me on the way back though.
Good point about doing the walk, will have to try that next week sometime.

ohtobe

Boarding would be a brilliant idea and its what she would like (or thinks she would)? but we are being selfish parents and don't want her to go so young. The majority of boarders are upper school as well, so not many of her age aprox 20/30 in any given years.

OP posts:

Hakluyt · 02/10/2014 08:24

This sounds obvious, but have you tried the walk at the times she will be doing it to see if it's lonely, or busy with lots of other commuters? If there are lots of other people about I wouldn't have a problem if she doesn't.

And have you considered a bike?

ohtobeanonymous · 01/10/2014 21:04

Would boarding really be so bad compared to that commute every day? Presuming there is lots of time in the day for music practise as well as academics, but still it seems like a lot of commuting for anyone, let alone a nearly-12 year old...

Original poster

morethanpotatoprints · 01/10/2014 20:53

Sorry Hak, got a bit lost then

Toffee

Many thanks, that means a lot coming from you, you know the road we have travelled.
I'm past caring tbh, seriously. I think a school either fits or it doesn't and this seems to fit well, but who knows. I have told dd she is auditioning them as much as they are her. She met a boy at choir tonight who attends the school so she has a partner in crime now just hope they don't chatter too much now.

OP posts:

Hakluyt · 01/10/2014 17:12

Sorry, morethan, I know that- my reply was to Taz!

ToffeeWhirl · 01/10/2014 14:51

Another one here wishing your DD good luck, morethan. It's wonderful that she has such a gift and the motivation to go with it. I'm sure you'll find a way to make it all work out somehow.

ElizabethMedora · 01/10/2014 14:51

I used to do the opposite commute, iykwim, travelling out from Victoria station on the 07.48 train, there used to be lots of kids coming in off the trains heading to that school (identifiable by massive instruments!), and down Oxford Road to MGS, MHSG etc… It's definitely do-able.

choirmumoftwo · 01/10/2014 14:44

Hi morethan, you're right. I have one current and one ex-chorister. Just wondered if it was worth asking about boarding a couple of nights per week but it may not be possible. My DS has a friend who has just gone to your school for 6th form. Great opportunity and good luck to your DD.

Original poster

morethanpotatoprints · 01/10/2014 11:14

Hak

There has never been a question of us not allowing her to go, just sorting out the logistics. Trying to sort transport so that boarding isn't the only option. No doubt a couple of terms in she will be begging to board, but I don't want her to right at the start.

OP posts:

Hakluyt · 30/09/2014 22:32

Well' obviously if she gets a place she should go- it's how not whether, surely?

Taz1212 · 30/09/2014 19:59

Grrrrr, typos- thanks DH for interrupting me!

Taz1212 · 30/09/2014 19:58

If she's that keen I'd definitely let her go. DS is madly in love with his school. I also had an exhausting schedule as a preteen/teen because I played in a local university orchestra which toured all over the place and on top of hours and hours of weekly practice, we spent most weekends away, not getting home until 1-2AM Monday morning. When I look back at it, all I an think is, "My poor parents!"

I know I'm over the top gung ho (I used to be a Yank so can't help myself but if she's been begging for three years it's worth trying to make it work, IMO.

Original poster

morethanpotatoprints · 30/09/2014 19:35

Thank you jeee it looks like we will have to let her go. She has been begging for the last 3 years so we took her out of school to allow her to concentrate on music with the plan of her attending from y8/9 onwards, because she was adamant she wanted to board.

Choirmum

Hello, I bet I know what your dc do
I haven't heard that they flexi board, but the dc come home at weekends every 3 weeks. I know this sounds good, but we would still miss her too much. I will certainly ask if its an option as I know they let them stay the odd night if they have a particularly late concert, or somebodies birthday etc.

OP posts:

jeee · 30/09/2014 19:18

OP, my dd is normally driven to the station as it's a 20 minute very brisk walk. She catches a train at 7.30 which takes about 30 minutes. Then she has a 10 minute walk through a fairly rough town to get to her school.

She's now in year 9, and despite occasionally finding the journey too much, is still glad we allowed her to go to her school.

If your dd has a real gift, I'd say the journey to a school which will nuture it is worth it.

choirmumoftwo · 30/09/2014 19:15

Would you consider weekly boarding, or do they offer flexi-boarding so she could stay at school a couple of nights each week? Just to take a bit of the travel pressure off until she's older or you move nearer?

Original poster

morethanpotatoprints · 30/09/2014 19:12

Ah thanks Taz

I know, we have to do these things for our dc. I think your ds must be in a really good school to be rowing.
You made me laugh about Edinburgh as that is my biggest fear on trains. All of them seem to terminate there Not so bad if you aren't too far away.
I suppose I will have to get used to it and maybe bribe ds1 to stay over one night and ds2 to do another day every so often.
We should manage it between us when the time comes.

titchy
Yes we both can cycle and there are plenty of places for dd to leave hers at the station, which is a good option, thanks hadn't thought of that.

OP posts:

Taz1212 · 30/09/2014 19:03

morethan It is an adjustment for the parents as well! I drag myself out of bed each morning at 6 so I can sort the dog first before getting DS up at 6:30. Somehow he bounces out of bed but I find it torture! He's often home quite late as well- on Mondays and Thursdays he rows until 5:45. By the time he's made his way home it's well after 7. Last week he fell asleep and missed his bus stop. He did really well and phoned us to say not to worry, he'd work out how to get to the train station at the other side of Edinburgh and did so even though he's not very familiar with that part of town.

I'm sure it will work out for your DD!

titchy · 30/09/2014 18:46

Make sure it's safe for you too! Could you both cycle?

Original poster

morethanpotatoprints · 30/09/2014 18:31

Hak

They don't take singers as first inst only 3rd until sixth form. They said may take a little earlier if exceptional and going as chorister was just not practical for us.

The bus station is next to the train station. The weird thing is if she cut through churchyard it would be quicker, but not on my life

I'm really happy to see that others make long or early trips to school, wow Taz that is some journey for him, but well worth it if its the school for him.

Its looking like an early rise and walking to the station, I don't drive
6am is the middle of the night for me, I'll need at least 6 alarm clocks.
Dh can't be relied upon as not always here or only coming in at 2/3am himself.

OP posts:

Taz1212 · 30/09/2014 17:30

DS(12) needs to leave the house at 7:10 for his bus or train at 7:15 (takes either the school bus or train depending on what time he needs to be in). He usually gets the train home which means a 10 minute walk to the bus stop then 15 minute bus ride then 15 minute walk to the train station.

I get him to his bus or train station in the morning and collect him from either one in the afternoon. He copes just fine with all the travel in the dark - feels the school is worth a commute of over an hour each way.

If possible I'd take your DD to/from the station- otherwise the journey looks fine.

Hakluyt · 30/09/2014 17:30

Is there a bus she could get to the station?

I am incredibly impressed, by the way- I didn't think they took singers so young! She must be something very special.

Original poster

morethanpotatoprints · 30/09/2014 17:26

Atia

I'm not sure about seat on the train yet, probably be ok as the journey starts from our station, but have never been that early before.
I was thinking of a dummy run before hand.
My main worry was the walk to station in the dark and as people have said they too wouldn't be happy with this my mind is set on taking her when it is dark.
On the journey back the school is so close to station, literally next door and the area is well lit and busy during this time, so I know this wouldn't be a problem.

OP posts:

Unflip

1 2