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Original poster

What’s it really like living in a road with a primary school on it?

53 replies

Skinnydecafflatte · 16/11/2019 21:58

We’ve seen an amazing looking house just around the corner from where we live. The only downside I can see at the moment is that there is a primary school on the same road. The house has a driveway so parking for us should be ok but I’ll be driving down to my kids school at the same time lots will be dropping off/picking up in that road.
(No chance of my kids changing schools and going to this one.)
I know near my kids school, some people are inconsiderate parkers.
What are the other things I need to consider?

OP posts:
BoogleMcGroogle · 17/11/2019 09:18

We live across the road from a secondary school. The only noise that annoys us is building work during the holidays. There are parking restrictions at start and end of the day, so that's not an issue, and we have a driveway. We make use of the community swimming pool and scout hut on site and are able to use the school field for kickabouts and learning to bike ride at weekends. It's great for getting outdoors, much nicer than the period houses in the centre of our village.

To be honest, we were nervous at first, but I've loved living near a school and enjoy the sound at break times. I'd prefer to be looking into a field and trees than a row of houses and enjoy having the green space nearby. When we've marketed our house it has always sold within a couple of days ( two moves to bigger places fell through) , so I guess others feel similar.

RandomMess · 17/11/2019 09:18

My in laws did. Noise not an issue, parking and be able to drive up and down the road an utter nightmare!!!

People start parking up half an hour before school ends/starts. Add on time for before and after school clubs and that's 2 hours either end of the day the road is hell on Earth.

People think nothing of blocking your drive etc.

So I wouldn't 😂

BerryPieandCustard · 17/11/2019 09:18

There is a primary school at the end of my street and a newly opened secondary at the other (just year 7 atm). I work in another school 8:45-2:30, I don’t really see much of the issue in the morning but I arrive home at 3:10pm and it’s horrendous the amount of parents parking on double yellows, on or too close to corners, in bus stops, on the grass verges and blocking drives.
I have a driveway yet I still struggle to get in it some days.. at my peak annoyance I may have purchased some extra sticky stickers that say do not park here and stuck them on the window of the cars blocking my driveway... seemed to cure the problem

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lotsofstripes · 17/11/2019 09:20

We used to live literally next door to quite a big primary school. You really tried not to leave the house during the school rush (morning or afternoon) because the road was so busy you’d never get out. But the noise definitely isn’t an issue, with the windows shut we couldn’t hear anything too loud and we were honestly next door!

Branleuse · 17/11/2019 09:24

I used to live in a flat overlooking a school. The noise of the children didnt bother me one bit.
I didnt drive then, but i think the road did used to get full of cars twice a day though. If i needed to get in and out at those times it could get annoying I imagine. Id do as a pp said, and check out the street at those times and decide if its something you could live with. It might not be too bad

BlueThursday · 17/11/2019 09:26

The amount of times I had my driveway blocked at pick up and drop off times was infuriating when the (now closed) primary was up the street. The abuse from parents was astounding when you asked them to unblock you

Spudlet · 17/11/2019 09:27

Grew up just down the road from my primary school - the main issue is parking. We have a drive, but it gets blocked, and when I got a car and had to park it on the street there was no chance of getting a space if I happened to be coming home at kicking out time. However that’s only a short time really, and generally it’s ok.

The playing field backs onto the garden so you do get playtime noise, but nothing too excessive. You can hear the school bell in the garden, but not in the house.

I liked growing up there and my folks have lived there for 25 years so it’s clearly not an issue for them!

LoyaltyBonus · 17/11/2019 09:29

I live across the road from a primary school
and it's fine for me, the bonus is that the street is very quiet at holidays and weekends.

However, my DC went to the school and I leave the house for work before parents start to arrive and and back after they've gone. If you need to do a school run for another school, I think you'll find it very frustrating.

Parents are always "only going to be a minute" when they park across your drive and don't seem to care if that's the minute you need to get out. TBH, even the ones who stay in the car and are happy to move if you need them too are a nuisance, you still have to go and ask and then wait while they find a moment to pull out into the traffic, which will be busy at that time. Thankfully, that only happens for me on the rare occasions I have a late start, every day would drive me mad.

Els1e · 17/11/2019 09:35

My sister lives next door to a primary school and works from home. She says it is busy and noisy at times but this only usually for about 30 mins a few times a day. Plus school is only for 36 weeks per year, so half the year is absolutely silent. It wouldn’t put me off.

chuck7 · 17/11/2019 09:38

People will Park in /across your drive. Personally I couldn't

Fallofrain · 17/11/2019 09:41

Ive lived on 2.
1 was a pain with people blocking drives etc but as long as you weren't looking to park between 8:30-9:00 or 2.30-3.15 then it was fine
2 has been fine. I can hear the children but mostly for like 2 hours a day at lunch and break. its at a managable hum, and actually rather nicer than the road noise. You cant hear it once the television is on etc and mostly im at work during the days

Parking situation is fine (although limits on road parking for that time). Our close of 3 cars carpark weirdly has only ever been used once by a friend of my neighbours. Maybe as theres lots of on street parking nearby? Theres a bit of frantic parents driving unpredictably but that tends to last from about 8:30- 8:50 then a 20 min window around pick up. However unless your physically driving down the road you wouldnt notice, and its only for about an hour of the day and its not had much of an impact other than making me tut!

I would go and sit by the house at lunch time, then at pick up times to see how bad it might be. Our house is 95% unaffected really. Id chose to live here again

EggysMom · 17/11/2019 09:45

It really depends when you say "a road with a primary school on it" just how close will you be? I live on a road with a primary school at the end, we are about 20 houses away, it barely affects us*. The traffic is no busier then any other suburban road around school hours, and although the same road, we're far enough away not to get people parking. One benefit is that the road is always gritted and amongst the first to be ploughed so as to keep the access open.

*The only impact on us, the only time we hear the children, is when they walk to the Catholic church mid-week as our house is halfway between school and church!

CatUnderTheStairs · 17/11/2019 09:46

Go and have a look at pick up and drop off. If I misjudge leaving for work then I can be stuck for 15 mins with crap drivers, parents blocking drives etc.

Otherwise I hardly notice it apart from parents evenings when parking is crap again.

TeeBee · 17/11/2019 09:50

I do. I love the sound of kids playing so that's not a problem. But busier around pick up times but she's the affect me as I have a drive. Not been a problem at all.

Chickenwing · 17/11/2019 09:57

Its annoying at around 9am and 3pm... but during those times I am already at work and dont notice. It's only if I have taken a day off I've noticed the amount of cars in my street us crazy.

LittleCandle · 17/11/2019 10:05

Parents are inconsiderate bastards as regards to parking and living on the estate makes no difference. We literally had someone drive their child around the corner (no roads to cross, not heading on to work). Parents park wherever they like and we also have large buses going up and down the road. We were here long before the school was. Parents evenings are a nightmare, as are any school disco/parties, and the school fair.

On the plus side, the holidays are fantastic.

perhapstomorrow · 17/11/2019 10:12

I live on a road with a primary school on it and like you take my dc's to a different school. It is fine most of the time. The road is a bit busy twice a day, but I'm also out so don't really notice it. There are also the parents evenings and other events so the road can be busy. The noise from the children doesn't bother me. I'm 3 doors away and can't hear anything with windows shut but quite like the noise in the summer when I'm in the garden. I'd go to the road during drop off and pick up to see how busy it is.

AnneElliott · 17/11/2019 10:27

I used to live in the same road as a secondary school. It was the parents parking that used to drive me mad.

Noise wasn't too much of an issue. But even with a drive the parking was a nightmare. It was one of the main reasons we moved.

stoplickingthetelly · 17/11/2019 11:36

I live round the corner from a primary school and it’s fine. The road that school is on does get busy at drop/pick up and a few drives do get blocked but this is mainly because people have widened their driveways by removing lawn, but still only have a small dropped curb. It’s a bit noisy at play times etc, but I don’t mind that at all. Otherwise it’s very quiet at evenings, weekends and school holidays. Living near a primary school wouldn’t put me off a house.

DriftingLeaves · 17/11/2019 11:57

If it becomes a problem do what we did. All of the residents available parked in the lane instead of on their drives for a couple of weeks so there was nowhere for parents to park. So they parked where they should have done in the first place - church car park or pub car park.

If they start too creep back we repeat.

There's still the occasional loon who tries to block people in but if you take a photo and send it to the community police they get a ticket.

A couple of weeks ago one parked on my neighbour's drive - some people are just so entitled.

Mrsbclinton · 17/11/2019 12:02

l live beside a primary school and I have no issue with noise. Can hear kids at break time if Im in my back garden but not in house.

My main problem is the inconsiderate parking. Parents park on corners which reduces visibility when getting in and out of estate.

They also park on footpaths on both sides of the road effectively making the it a one way street, which isnt great when you are trying to get to your house (at the end of cul de sac) and all the traffic is coming in the opposite direction.

Ive tweaked my daily routine to try and avoid it most days.
I love my house and wouldnt move because of this however some days I find it infuriating.

My advice, park outside house during drop off/ pick up time and get an idea of what its like.

Looobyloo · 17/11/2019 12:06

8.30 till 9.15 then 3 till 3.45 its a bit mad but I have my own drive so doesn't really affect me, until a parent decided to park on it and told me he wouldn't be long Grin I quite like the noise of the children playing but if you like peace and quiet I wouldn't reccomend it.

TravellingSpoon · 17/11/2019 12:19

We are between 2 primaries here, which are about 200m apart (back entrance for one).

Parking is dire and peoples parking is worse, but DD is never late for school!

TravellingSpoon · 17/11/2019 12:19

That should say parking is dire and peoples driving is worse.

MitziK · 17/11/2019 12:54

Make sure that the front garden wall isn't a convenient height for climbing/walking on. And that there's enough space for installing gates, rather than leaving an enticing slope for children to run up and down and pick your flowers with the approval of their arsehole parents.