School run with two children in London

[Intubia]

Hi All,
i wonder if I could use community wisdom re: options how to commute to school/back with two children.

my older one is now 3 and we’re driving to/from on most days (15-20min up to 30 door to door at most in am), around 15-20 in pm. We do it 3 times a week. We also have an option to take the bus (4 stops) and then tube (3 stops) which is also around 30-35 min. The bus bit is usually a walk 15 min adult pace, I thought of using scooter but it’s up and wonhill and rather bad pavement, significant traffic etc.

next year my older one will go to reception so will need this 5/week and I’m planning to put my then 2 y/o into nursery on the same place. Whilst driving will probably remain preferred mode of transportation, there will be days when I will need to head straight to work after drop off, and I’m unable to leave the car in the area as it’s either resident permit or up to 4 hrs paid parking.

cycling probably not an option as route is dangeorous+2 children. I was thinking sth like Thule chariot cross 2 but then tube station does require 1 flight of stairs. Bus connection extends journey to 40 min and that’s w/o traffic.

any other parental hacks?

As far as I can tell this is only a problem on rare days you need to go straight to work after drop off.

You and your partner should be sharing the drop off and pick up duties. On the days you need to go straight to work he should be the one to take the kids to school.

My husband and I both work a combination of WFH and WF office. The one who is WFH does all the school runs that day.

Or research private parking space rental near the school, there are websites where you can book spaces on an ad-hoc basis.

Use a sling for the little one?

Where in London are you? Honestly, I would do the bus and the tube rather than drive.

Driving local roads in Zone 2 London and outwards is no different to driving in any other town in the UK.

I do a bit longer, central-ish London school run in the car (for special school) and then go to work. Same 4 hour street parking rules. I really really recommend Just Park.

You've not said what bit of London you need to leave the car in or where your workplace is, but I have got myself a fairly nifty spot in someone's front garden parking space, about 7 mins walk to the tube, when I need it.

Well, the traffic is usually worse, and depending on the area buses can sometimes move significantly faster than cars by using the bus lane.

Driving may be fine but parking is often really stressful (particularly near a school). Low Traffic Neighbourhoods have been introduced near me so all the handy little cut-throughs can no longer be used.

It isn't just London. I grew up in Brighton and driving is often hellish there.

If car is the easiest option but you can't park near work, is there an option to leave car near school and take public transport from there to work?

E-bike with 2 bike seats and find a parking solution for the bike near a transport option to get to work afterwards. Ask around at school for those living locally and be prepared to pay someone to store your bike at their house during the day.

The other option that I'm unsure is viable to your situation, is to hire a nanny or an aupair for specifically the school run only. This way the aupair has the navigate the school run in a car only. Obviously there is a cost, but it lessens the overall stress.

Our London primary school was only a 5-10 min walk. But I've had friends do this who live in London.

Sling the smaller one and the four year old can walk on the tube/bus route but moving either house or school would be much easier. They also won’t be very close to friends so it all seems rather harder than it needs to be.

So it’s awful then everywhere in the country?

A 6 mile journey in zones 2/3/4 from our house to visit a relative takes 45 minutes minimum more likely an hour.

I would move closer to the school.

Yes that's my experience too. And that's at the weekend or midday. I just wouldn't even embark on some of these journeys at rush "hour" ( way longer than an hour!).

It can also be almost impossible to get a buggy onto rush hour tubes and busses.

I found cycling my toddler to central London nursery ended up being really freeing, especially as my local tube line has perpetual problems with signal failure. Once you realise you just need the right gloves, waterproof all in one suits etc it is brilliant to be master of your own destiny. Definitely helps if you can find good routes though. Eg by the river is often a great, flat, way to get East - West.

I've recently seen a few people on ebikes that have a kind of long section behind the saddle that either fits 2 or 3 small kids or lots of shopping. They're really slimline and neat looking, not like traditional cargo bikes.

Edit to add I'd definitely want to cycle it to work and ask my employer to provide suitable bike storage however. These things get nicked.

All the people suggesting putting the younger child in a sling - the OP has said that the younger child will be two next year. A sling won’t be a solution for very long.

You can get an amazing preschool carrier from Tula. I used it for my four year old when his legs got tired (he had a medical condition) and it was extremely comfortable for hours at a time.

DS’ private school takes 15-20 in peak school traffic and we’re not in London. So we leave early and spend 30mins in the car listening to stories / finishing breakfast / playing

Most parents at my children’s school who come from further away use a cargo bike - is that an option?

I'd definitely look into cargo bikes, with the extent of cycling infrastructure these days the journey will likely be much quicker by bike. I cycle round London a lot and it's always the quickest mode by far.

I've never owed a cargo bike but did seriously consider it when my kids were younger but in the end we couldn't justify the cost as need wasn't as clear cut as yours. You def have the need. I know a few local families who swear by them for shorter school runs than yours and they get so much use out of them at weekends too. There are a few hire options these days - eg www.londongreencycles.co.uk/hire/ - so you could try before you commit to buying.

As an aside I'm v nosey to find out what area you live in for local primary school to be described as troubled. State schools in London are generally better than the rest of the country . . .

I am also wondering what area OP lives in that the primary schools are all so shit. London schools generally perform very well.

That’s still really far for a private school in London considering the ages of the kids. Are there really none closer you’d be happy with? I know 7+ year olds doing that kind of journey on a school bus and 11+ year olds doing it on public transport but they stuck local for pre-prep because otherwise it’s not really workable if you’re having to also commute to work. Which is what you’re finding. You’re not really missing anything. The only other options to consider are- rent a parking space near school for your car during the day, uber every day if you can afford it (I have a neighbour that does this but they somehow got an outstanding state further away and they justify it by saying it’s cheaper than school fees!), or cargo bike and then you cycle it onto work but it would probably need to be a longtail to get in the office bike room and it’s a long way for you + pretty miserable in bad weather.

If you’re determined that they go to this school, you’ll have to try the various options and see which works best.

Is the little one small enough to carry in a sling?

I drive 20 mins to school across Zone 3 North London every day. It’s no big deal. “Rush hour traffic” isn’t really a big thing in London as most people commute to work by public transport. Maybe quite a lot of trade vans on the road but they tend to disappear by 8am. We put the radio on and enjoy singing along and listening to the chat, or I chat to my son about his day ahead.

As mentioned above, the rush hour is a much bigger problem on the buses or tubes, not at all a good idea to be trying to wrangle 2 kids in that.

Plenty of residential parking around the school (the actual school street has no stopping but easy to park a couple of streets away). The surrounding streets have a 2 hour window restricted from 10 to 12 to stop people using them as all-day car parks, but we’re long gone by then.

There are lots of very pricey electric cargo bikes about (mostly Terns). I am not convinced it’s all that safe to cycle with your kids in a low down box out in front of you, seems to me they are in the front line of any other traffic behaves erratically. However, having tried a Lime bike, I have been impressed by how effortless it is to ride an electric bike up and down hills so I can really see the attraction of them.

I literally just don't believe all the closest primary schools are shit. State primaries in London are some of the best in the whole country. I hate it when people can't just be honest and say, yeah we prefer to send them privately.