How far would you travel for a 'perfect' school?

[DanielJames20]

I'm so torn, it isn't even that far. I'm just curious... I don't want to be unreasonable to travel that far, IYSWIM? Its independent by the way. Perfect for DC, great cost, etc. etc. How far would you travel by car?

I wouldn't travel by car for almost any school, the added stress of a drive and the time spent doing it would rule it out. Pretty much by definition a school that required a drive could not be 'perfect'

I wouldn't. I'd want them to be able to walk or get there by public transport or school bus.

I'd try and avoid driving! Walking to school is a lovely time of the day to catch up, chat with DC and so on. You feel like a part of the local community. I was shocked to learn that only DD and two other classmates walk in her class this year. Three out of a whole class!

I thought everyone drove to school these days . OP the maximum would be 25/30 mins, you can chat in the car & it's lovely & warm during the winter months.

You thought everyone drove.... Where do you live?!

Walking distance if possible is great. Time to wind down at the end of the day. Plus it means friends are nearby.

We currently within 10 minute walk of school ds will go to in September we moving 2.5 miles away next week am already dreading it

20 mins is far enough I think, it's coming home that children may find difficult if any longer as the journey time eats into your evening, although that would obviously depend on school finish time.

My commute is one hour which includes drop off off DC in the village their school is in. I'd love to walk. Wouldn't get to work on time though, even if I lived next door to school! They walk from their childminders. It's fine.

Some people's experience is so narrow. Whatever you think you can manage is okay.

Ideally as close as possible, max 20 mins.

I lived far from my senior school and felt socially isolated as a result.

I think it would depend on what time they started and finished and how the were travelling. DS1 has an activity before school that means he needs to be there at 7.55 rather than 8.20 on those days. Clearly that wouldn't be feasible with a 1 hour commute. 40 mins on a school coach is very different to 40 mins on a packed public bus. DS1 comes home on the bus but it is 10-15min so it doesn't matter if he has to stand.

Tons of people at our school do a 50 minute drive / kids on bus for an hour. It's also quite common for kids to board 1 night a week though, so perhaps some of them do.

^ we are in a densely populated area of the country btw.

I believe generally anything over an hour is viewed as being too long for kids.

30 minutes, max. I travelled for over an hour each way to my school. It was a wonderful school, but as I got older, living so far away from my friends became annoying.

DC indie school was a 40 min drive - no pubic or school transport. We had to leave the house at 7 15 for me to then get to work on time so they were at school quite earl and school finished at 5 so they had a long day. However, we live rurally so even if they had gone to the catchment school they would have had to catch the school bus at 7 20. Some flexi-boarding made my life easier but I was relieved when they were old enough to drive and I didn't have to do the journey