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AIBU?

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Original poster

Can your child walk to secondary school from your house?

149 replies

DarkGreen · 05/06/2021 19:23

We are moving to a new area where the secondary school will be a 10 to 15 minute bus ride away from home for the kids and I feel funny about it. My kids aren't anywhere near secondary school age but don't plan on moving again.

AIBU considering only buying somewhere with a secondary/high school within walking distance or is it more normal they have to travel?

OP posts:
Mugsen · 05/06/2021 19:36

We are a short walk away. It does have advantages in that they can get homework done earlier and get up later. It's a mix here. Some have a long walk, some get buses.

qualitygirl · 05/06/2021 19:37

No it's 10 mins by bus. They can't walk to primary school either. We're rural

blissfulllife · 05/06/2021 19:38

Our estates secondary closed a few years back leaving us out of any other schools catchment area so all the kids from here get scattered across a ten mile radius!

MsAwesomeDragon · 05/06/2021 19:40

My dd can. It's a 20/25 minute walk each way, which is doable, especially when walking with friends.

The majority of pupils at my school have to come by bus though and they all cope fine with it. There are very few issues arising from the buses, which is pretty good going considering how many kids are on each bus with the only adult being the driver.

I used to travel to my secondary school by public bus and it was a 45 minute journey, which I quite enjoyed as a time to chat with the few friends who caught the same bus.

Lindy2 · 05/06/2021 19:41

She could walk it but it's 3 miles and it takes about 45 minutes. The public bus is about 10 minutes with a 10 minute walk from the bus stop to the school.

Being close to the school would be handy but it isn't essential.

3LittleDucksQuack · 05/06/2021 19:42

Ds takes 40min to walk to school. No bus route as you'd have to walk Back on yourself to get a bus and still Have a way to go.
He also cycles if he isn't walking with a mate.
Mums taxi if bucketing down

Plumbear2 · 05/06/2021 19:42

We are lucky mine have a 5 min walk which makes it easier when they stay late for extra curricular clubs. On days the don't have clubs they are home plus homework finished by 4pm. They don't have to leave the house untill 8.50 every morning Lots do live further away and take buses school.

CoffeeWithCheese · 05/06/2021 19:42

If they go to our catchment one - yes - about 5 mins walk although they all detour by the petrol station to buy crap to eat. Not sure I'll be sending them to that school though - there's lots I don't agree with and it's one in the papers every year for sending half the school home for one white stitch visible on their shoes and such nonsense.

Juanbablo · 05/06/2021 19:42

Yes. We live in a small village and both primary and secondary schools are here, located next to each other.

purplesequins · 05/06/2021 19:43

yes. but it's more than 2 miles so they cycle.
bus would take them 40min, cycling 15. plus free exercise.

colouringcrayons · 05/06/2021 19:44

Yes walking distance, there is a bus if they want to but they never do.

blahblahblah321 · 05/06/2021 19:44

Yes although he cycles, it would be a fair walk

PollyRoe16 · 05/06/2021 19:44

I got a 25 minute bus from the age of 10 for middle school at high school

1n5piration · 05/06/2021 19:45

My DC will go to secondary which is 35 minute walk away. Half the kids from our village seem to go by bike, most others by bus and a couple walk.

Echobelly · 05/06/2021 19:45

10-15 mins public transport is no time at all for secondary travel, I wouldn't worry about it. DD's secondary is walking distance, about 1.5 miles but I'd have no problem with a commute by public transport of up to at least 30 mins for secondary (my school commute without a lift was 40-60 mins, DH's over an hour, but we both felt that was too long!)

tiredanddangerous · 05/06/2021 19:46

Yes. 10 minute walk.

KingdomScrolls · 05/06/2021 19:46

I used to get the bus to secondary school 15-20 minutes, it's where I met my husband

Scbchl · 05/06/2021 19:46

Yeah its half a mile. Primarys the next street.

romany4 · 05/06/2021 19:47

I used to get a 15 minute bus and then a 30 minute train ride to school.
That was in 1984 when I was 12!!

Rillington · 05/06/2021 19:48

It's about 30 minute walk or two bus rides. I have always taken them and picked them up though.

Chillychangchoo · 05/06/2021 19:52

I purposefully bought our house in walking distance to their secondary due to the areas mainly surrounding their school. (High crime, quite deprived). So the less time walking to school the better. We live 0.4 miles away.

a8mint · 05/06/2021 19:52

No 7 miles away amd 45 minute bus ride

clary · 05/06/2021 19:53

@CeeceeBloomingdale

Yes, it was not negotiable for me when buying a house. I grew up a bus ride away and hated not living near to my friends
Same. DH also. We both went to selective state schools (standard in our home areas) and our school friends lived miles away. My day started at 8.10am and finished at 4.45pm. DH's was even longer.

My kids can see the school from our back windows and their day was 8.40am to 3.20pm.

15-minute bus ride sounds ok but how long is the total commute? Where do the other kids at the school live? If it's 10 miles in various directions you may have a lot of taxiing. That wasn't a thing when I was a kid so I just didn't see my friends outside school.

MadMadMadamMim · 05/06/2021 19:58

Mine couldn't walk to either primary or secondary school. Rural location. Primary school was 4 miles away.

Secondary is 8 miles.

Both in different towns.

LtGreggs · 05/06/2021 19:58

Mine have a 30 minute bus ride and it's their favourite bit of the day. It's very sociable.