Which school?! Help me 😩

[MummyCool19]

Dd has been offered two secondary school places and I don’t know what to do.

First one is a 15 min walk away, good ofsted, but bad reputation.

Second is a 5 min train ride and then 20 min walk. Excellent ofsted, Christian school, good ethos etc.

I’m so torn. Ringing school tomorrow to see if there is a bus but we are in another county so I don’t think there is. Dd wants school two if bus. I feel sick sending her school on a train. She’s so young still 😩

There will be loads of them catching the train, she really wont be on her own.
About 400 of the 1200 kids at DCs school arrive by train

School 2 definitely. I purposely chose a school 15 minute drive away because it was an outstanding school. It hasn’t disappointed. Well worth the travel. Your child will get used to it and you will probably find other children do the same journey. Good luck!

I used to get the train to school, I loved it. Same sort of journey time your daughter would have. There were quite a few of us on the train, it was fun.

School with a train. She'll be fine. I got the tube at 11 with a twenty min walk either side. Made friends the first day and walked with them everyday.

She’s so shy though what if no one helps her/ she gets lost 😩😩

School 2, do some practice runs over the summer. She will find friends on the commute. I did

My son got a train to school and quite enjoyed it as nicer than a bus.
Definitely worth going to the good school, it could be a life changing decision.

Definitely option 2 if that's what your daughter wants. You have time before September to get her used to the train.

Do some trial runs with her, so she knows her exact route, my sister did this with daughter at the same age, she purposefully made her miss their stop one day, then asked her how would we get home, what would she do? Niece never had any problems with her commute, apart from then odd late train but you can download the trainline app so you can track where her train is, if need me.

You can't choose something that will be an influence over the next 4 or so yrs based on travel fears that will settle within a week.

She will find friends on the journey, it's part of their social life. We are in Sydney and kids travel long distances to get to their secondary school of choice. Last time I was bored and counted there were kids wearing ten different school uniforms on the station platform. School 2 sounds like a better option.

School 2. A five min train journey is nothing and you can practise over the summer. There'll be others doing it and she'll make friends. Even if she doesn't, it's a five min trip with headphones in.

Better than an easy commute to School 1 but then 7yrs of putting up with behaviour issues, disruption in classes, wrong crowd, mediocre teaching or whatever it is that got it the bad reputation.

Thank you all!

If you're that upset about it, then just send her locally.

I think you're concerns about catching a train are utterly misplaced. But they seem pretty damned important to you (from hyperbolic posts) so there isn't really any other choice to be made. Is there?

I live near a good catholic school which is by a local train station, there are literally over 100 kids getting on the train to and from school every day as well as train staff and transport police there every day, she will be fine I'm sure!

Iv spoken to her! She’s so excited about the journey. Apparently dh said he will take her train station or pick her up depending on his work. So looks like she’s going there! 😌😌

School 2, do a few practice runs over the summer, she will be fine after the first day or two. It's a big step sending your 11yr old off to secondary - you'll be fine too!

I don't think OP's posts are hyperbolic, it's normal to be worried about your child doing something they haven't done before even if you know they'll be ok really. I'd be the same with my son.

Really glad your daughter's excited for her new school OP. She'll be fine, and you'll only have regretted not sending her to the best school for her, further down the line.

I know, she really struggles at school and I want her to have the best chances. Dh went to the school and he absolutely loved it.

Take a practice journey on Saturday before you make a final choice. My DD's transferred at 10 and commuted coping fine

Will do, thank you! The only other thing is that she won’t have friends around here, but I think that will be ok? I mean it’s only a train ride if she wanted to see them