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Original poster

Travel to Secondary School

30 replies

London1305f · 26/05/2021 11:21

My DC is in year 5 so we are having to make decisions soon about secondary schools. Am I crazy to consider applying for schools that would take an hour to get to each day? There are a few private schools that have a coach service that would pick up at 7.30am and the drop off again at 5.30pm. Would an 11 year old just find this too much on top of homework etc?

OP posts:
halcyondays · 26/05/2021 11:55

That’s a really long day, I would have hated that myself.

Seeline · 26/05/2021 11:53

As it's a school bus which presumably transports virtually door to door as it's private, I don't think the journey would be too much. Plenty at my DCs schools do similar.

THe buses there don't normally leave school until after extracurricular activities finish so the children don't miss out on those. If they haven't got an activity, they can go to the library and do homework.

As others have pointed out though, you will still have that journey for concerts, sports matches, parents evenings etc. Also if your DC is later home because eg a trip, or finishes school early eg exam periods there will be no bus then. Is it possible to do the commute by public transport, or will they always have to rely on you?

Also if you live further away from the school, it is likely that others will too (often in the opposite direction!) which can make you responsible for your DC's social life too.

SJaneS49 · 26/05/2021 11:37

An hour in this part of the world (Kent) is pretty typical for the circa 50% of local kids who didn’t go to the local comp. My DDs journey is 50 minutes. Yes it does make their day longer and they need to be organised but I don’t think it is too much.

LIZS · 26/05/2021 11:34

I think it will limit the extracurricular possibilities and you may soon find yourselves the commuting for activities, trips, parents evenings, concerts , sport a chore. Is there Saturday school/matches/weekend rehearsals as often there is no bus service then.

TeenMinusTests · 26/05/2021 11:25

Well, I think you're crazy, but there again we are less than 15mins walk from a good school, no issues.
People in London seem to accept quite long commutes and see them as normal.