Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

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

Original poster

Taking the tube or London Underground to school

34 replies

chillidev · 06/02/2018 11:31

Does anyone have children taking the tube to school?
Particularly the Central Line to West End.

OP posts:
Original poster
chillidev · 06/02/2018 16:31

Thanks for replies so far. My kids need to get from Ealing to Portland Place School.
The upside is they will build independence and not be afraid to travel across London.
The worries are coping with delays, rush hour, and altercations with kids from other schools, etc.
It’s good to hear there a lots of year 7 kids commuting by tube everyday.

OP posts:
Canadawet · 06/02/2018 15:07

Yes, DS does commute on the Central line, he was not particularly enthusiastic about this in year 7 to say the least, so I was commuting with him in the morning, particularly in winter, then he got used to it from summer term of year 7 onward. Coming back was always OK as they were a bunch of friends all starting together before dispersing.

TheWizardofWas · 06/02/2018 14:15

what school is in west end? I only know primaries there.

Eastlondmum · 06/02/2018 14:13

Plenty of kids travel by tube alone. I only took DD1 for a couple of days at the beginning of year 7 to get used to the journey (Northern line for her). By the end of the first week of school she asked to go alone. One of her primary school friends goes to Cardinal Vaughan and takes the central line, which is more busy, especially in the morning, but he doesn’t seem to mind too much.

Merrylegs · 06/02/2018 13:41

(Buses are also free for over 16s in school living in London boroughs).

DD takes tube to Oxford street (is only a short ride though). There is a 'sweet spot' - if she gets on before 7.50 is OK. Any later and it's rammed.

londonista1 · 06/02/2018 13:31

I suppose pretty much everyone who has a child at CLS or CLSG will have a child taking the tube (or Thameslink) solo into town every morning from Year 7 onwards.

I do wonder how it works in terms of lates etc. when there are strikes, but maybe it's a test of their ingenuity.

PianoThirty · 06/02/2018 13:30

Central line will be a lot less busy once the Elizabeth Line (formerly “Crossrail”) opens in December.

Some kids do take the train or tube to school; but buses are free for under-16s in London, so most kids take the bus, even where a train or tube is available.

ReelingLush18 · 06/02/2018 13:14

Mine don't (they walk and use the bus) but know plenty of children who do for at least a couple of stops, albeit from the end of Tube lines rather than once the trains are super busy.

Central Line would be a super busy one to travel on, particularly at rush-hour (more of an issue in the morning than at school home time though).

MadameChauchat · 06/02/2018 12:26

Mine don't because I wouldn't let them, but DS has a friend who has been travelling to St Paul's station from East London since he was 10 and he has been fine. I think he travels with his mum in the morning though and comes back on his own.

Swipe left for the next trending thread