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

Secondary school commute time

36 replies

malmontar · 12/09/2018 07:05

Just wanted to start this to get an idea of commute times kids have. We have two options for DD either a outstanding state school that’s 2 local buses that she’s very familiar with and 40mins max. Or an amazing private school that she loves that’s 58mins door to door and is: bus, tube, tube, walk 6mins.
Obv to imagine her on the tube now is difficult but she’ll be 12/13 so quickly I don’t want to dismiss the option. Anyone with a similar commute?

OP posts:
SnuggyBuggy · 12/09/2018 08:53

Are the busses reliable enough for a 2 bus journey? I know several people who have tried to get to work or study on 2 bus commutes only to find they were constantly late and missing their connections.

Original poster
malmontar · 12/09/2018 08:51

I think its also useful to point out that the school doesn't start till 8:50 so she won't be leaving home till 7:45

OP posts:
Original poster
malmontar · 12/09/2018 08:50

The bus stops outside the house and its a very short journey from the tube to the school. There is also the option of 2 busses that's only 10mins longer if there is a delay on the tube. There are a couple of kids that she could meet en-route too. The school doesn't have a bus service but there is a buddy system based on kids post codes.

I would love for her to go to the local school 10mins walk away but she has an EHCP and it won't meet her needs. Hence why even the comp would be a 40min journey. Taking everything into account the private school would meet all of them aside from transport. Their pastoral care is amazing and we crossed it off until DDs speech and lang therapist said to rethink and see if we could make it work.

It is also only a 20min drive so emergencies this could work too and I could leave the car there and jump on the tube to work. Its in an odd area and you have to go into london and back up to get there unless you drive.

OP posts:
HPFA · 12/09/2018 08:33

That second journey does sound exhausting - as other people have said a delay in any of the components is going to throw the whole thing out.
I don't think I would do it, honestly.

DD has a journey between 45 mins and an hour but it's a school bus that stops almost outside our front door.

Hiddeninplainsight · 12/09/2018 08:28

Looking at schools it is the ease of journey that I think is possibly more important. Less than an hour is my rule, but more than two easy changes and I would discount it. It feels like too much faff and too much risk of delay/something going wrong.

cloudtree · 12/09/2018 08:25

DS2 has just started secondary and there's no way he is mature enough to handle the second journey. But we don't live in London.

DS1 would probably be fine with it but he's 13 (Year 9)

Mine have a 45 minute commute but its by car or school bus.

MrsPatmore · 12/09/2018 08:22

Forgot to say that the private option may still be available at year 9 and sixth form too.

MrsPatmore · 12/09/2018 08:20

The private school journey sounds a bit arduous to me. As there are 3 seperate components, if something went wrong with any of those, the journey could potentially be a lot longer. Please take in to account the dark winter days and nights, crowded tube trains and starting secondary which is exhausting in itself. On the plus side, travelling independently is great for their confidence. A lot of the private schools lay on buses - is there a school bus route she could join part way through?

Talith · 12/09/2018 08:18

My newly yr 7 son walks for about 35 mins in a fairly straight line and even that gives me the collywobbles!!!

I think these kids who do a longer route with changes on bus and tube are bloody amazing. Yes I am a helicopter mum. Grin

Maybe safety is a factor, as nights draw in it'll be dark for part of the route if she's walking is it safe lit roads or through a park? I suppose you could ask her if she's happy with the commutes and if so it's not a big deal either way. School choice should come first, all else being equal.

Astronotus · 12/09/2018 08:17

They do get used to commuting by bus/train/tube quickly and up to an hour is normal for many 11 year olds. As you say OP, the years roll by quickly. clary is correct, don't just base this on the commute - base this on how you and your DD feel about the school. Also, have a look at the leavers' destinations for both schools. How do they compare?

clary · 12/09/2018 08:10

AFAIK loads of secondary age kids travel on the tube every day in London. Dd spent a week in London in the summer (she is 17, we live elsewhere) and she remarked on how many 11yos she saw.

It's not just about commute to surely?