How long is your secondary age child's journey to school?

[LorenzoCalzone]

My 11yo will start secondary in September. He'll have to leave the house around 7.35, walk 5 mins to bus stop, 15 minutes on bus, which arrives near school at 8. School starts at 8.20.

I feel a bit guilty cos I didn't pick the closest school (5 minute walk) as it gets awful results. When i was a kid I could walk to school in under 20 minutes so his commute feels long to me.

I've been looking at houses nearer but it's a pricier area and would mean a smaller house but a 20 minute walk - and probably nearer to friends.

Interested to hear how far your kids travel to see if I'm overthinking this.

Mine left the house at 7am, I drove them to the bus stop, bus arrived at 7.10am, arrive at school at 8.20am.

@LorenzoCalzone
That sounds fine for secondary they are only outside for 5 minutes (and the walk into school)

Ds used to walk 20 mins and I used to have an hour bus ride when I was at school.

Mine walk just under 10 mins to the bus, leaving at 0735/0740.

Bus to nearest town, takes 15 mins.

Change at bus station. Bus to school. Arrives about 0835.

School starts at 0845.

For myself, living rurally, it was a 50 minute journey top & tailed by walking. For my 2 sons in London it was around the same time with a choice of buses or trains and walking for both. It was all perfectly normal.

Leave home at 7:15, 45 - 50 mins on a school bus , arrive 8:05 . Quick breakfast at school then lessons at 8:30

My 14 year old doesn’t mind the bus journey at all - listens to pod casts and chats to mates . .

45 minute walk.

Also I don't get you feeling guilty? You said as kid you walked in 20 minutes. Your DCs journey will take 25 mins - it's virtually the same?

Don’t worry op that is fine. I had to get a 25-30 min bus to my school. It was no problem.

Also good prep for working life. In my gap year i then has a job that started at 7am.

I'd say that's a totally standard commute for secondary, both my kids have done this no issue.

Indeed.

One good twenty min walk 5 mins in car the other 8 miles away

DD’s school is 4 miles away. She leaves at 7:30am, walks to bus stop around 5 mins away, bus at 7:40am. Usually arrives at school by 8:15am but often late. She has to be in form by 8:20pm. School finishes at 3:20pm, bus leaves school grounds around 3:30pm, she usually walks in the door just after 4pm. It’s not the nearest school, she got into a grammar school. Paying for the the dedicated school bus route is very expensive but the only option really as there’s no direct public bus route and traffic is awful so we couldn’t drive her in without changing our work hours. It’s worth it though, the local school is massive and a little bit rough, her school is calm, has a great reputation and she’s happy there. South Coast!

Most private schools are not academically selective. Around 60% of private schools are special needs schools. Private schools generally have higher rates of children with SEND than state schools. Parents know that if their child isn't in one of the top sets in some state schools, they will have a very different experience to the higher ability children. Parents choose private schools for many reasons. It isn't just because they expect them to go to Oxbridge and become a high earner. I have worked in several state schools in London. Some I would happily send my children to and some I would avoid at all costs.

Our high school is a 5 minute walk away - it’s closer than the primary school which is a mile down the road. We are obviously one of the closest areas to the high school so most children have a longer walk and plenty take the bus.

I am in Scotland so not the sort of choice you have in England so we had less to think about at this point. We did weigh up lots of options when buying this house and chose this catchment despite the high school having lots of challenging behaviours and being nowhere near any sort of league table success. So much depends on a child’s home environment and any school with a mix of abilities and interests will be fine for a motivated pupil - my daughter is thriving, top sets, loads of clubs etc. And the short commute means she can have a life outside of school too.

The key point is really going to be how far everyone else at his school travels.
At my DC's school most people live within 2 miles and most people walk or cycle in.

There is the odd outlier (due to weird shape of catchment) who lives further away and is driven in or gets the bus. These children tend to have a different experience to those that all live close to each other.

If all the children are travelling similar distances, I would think this is a non issue.

Also didn't choose closest school so they have a ten min walk, ten minute train ride and another ten minute walk. We pay for the train too as we chose a school that isn't their catchment school.

30-40 minutes walk. The "as the crow flies" is actually quite short but there is a railway line and a golf course they need to go around.

Personally I find this absolutely doable and as their PE lessons are a joke, the daily exercise is necessary.

Dd goes to grammar so not the closest school but it’s 2 mins in car to train station, 8 minute train then a school bus at train station to school (5-10minutes). Leaves home at 7.55 and is in school about 8.15/8.20. Some of her friends have 30 minute train journeys.

Thanks everyone, I'm reassured.

I still wonder if the socialising might be affected but can keep an eye on that over the years.

I hadn't appreciated the social aspects of the bus. I suppose it throws people together in a way that walking doesn't. He does know one other person who will be on the same bus so that's good.

My DDs had a 20 minute walk to station, a half hour train journey, then a 10 minute walk to lower school/15 minute walk to upper school.

My DS had a 5 minute walk to the bus stop, and the best part of an hour on the bus.

These were, admittedly, grammar schools - although not super-selective. Our town only had a secondary modern.

All four managed okay - and, as a side benefit, when my eldest got a job, her (sub one hour) commute seemed normal to her, when many of her colleagues struggled.

A lot of kids that live rurally have a bus ride to school, it’s totally normal.

my dd3 leaves at 7.40, ten minutes walk to bus stop, 15 minutes on bus. Drops her off outside school.

I went to school in rural Sussex, I had a 20 minute walk to the bus stop, then an hour on the bus.

As a side note... we are currently getting daily text messages from school outlining road closures, bus strikes etc. The expectation is the parents work out the way round all this, the only exception is the official school buses being delayed. So have a Plan B for days like today (which is including planned road works, a bus strike and a crash taking out a roundabout leading to a 6 mile diversion).

But days luje today are rare. (Exvept tge 6 month long roadworks)

DS18 is a 20 minute drive away, but we take and collect him as the buses are an hour apart and completely at the wrong time.
DS15 is a 40 minute drive away and again we take him as the bus takes forever and he often couldn't even get a seat.
DS18 is really looking forward to the campus uni he's going to in September as he can get out of bed and walk to lectures!

10 minute walk

My child’s school commute is about 45 mins (walk, bus, walk) but he doesn’t go to the local school either. It’s quite common among his group of friends, but I do think it affects socialising and is a pain.

I would move closer if I were you, if you like the area!