Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How far is the school run and do you drive or walk?

270 replies

yippyyippy · 27/09/2021 14:30

Just curious after looking at another conversation about walking to school in the rain!

My DC primary is just over a mile and we walk but don’t have much choice over the matter as I don’t drive. If it’s very bad rain then I’ll try and arrange a lift or taxi.

Most parents walk or drive as it’s a small town with limited public transport. I’ve never seen anyone cycle in with their children thinking about it.

What does everyone else do?

OP posts:
owlbethere · 27/09/2021 14:32

I usually dropped mine by car because i was going to work so no time to walk them there and back for the car. But as soon as they were old enough they walked in together as it’s very close to home

Rinoachicken · 27/09/2021 14:33

About 2 miles. But there’s no footpaths along a 40mph road for half of it, so I drive instead of walking. Before I could drive we got the bus, but no direct bus route so that took an hour as it was two buses and a walk

shivermetimbers77 · 27/09/2021 14:33

We cycle- its about a mile away.

Dragonpox · 27/09/2021 14:33

We cycle on days when DD comes home afterwards but if she has clubs that need driving to we try to walk or scoot in the morning and then I'll drive in the afternoon and then straight onto her club.

BlusteryLake · 27/09/2021 14:34

400m for primary school and 900m for secondary. Clearly they walk!

EatYourVegetables · 27/09/2021 14:35

1.2 miles. We walk / cycle. In torrential rain we get the bus.

Biancadelrioisback · 27/09/2021 14:35

Walk. But our school is at the bottom of my street so it takes about 2 minutes. People who do drive end up having to park around where I live

ofwarren · 27/09/2021 14:36

5 miles and we get the bus

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 27/09/2021 14:36

About 100m now. My poor darlings are made to walk. They have to walk further on school grounds than off it.

Previous schools...
2 miles including rural A road... drove
2.5 miles... school bus, walked to bus stop quarter of a mile away
0.75 miles... cycled.

MattyGroves · 27/09/2021 14:37

0.1 miles. We walk. Grin

lljkk · 27/09/2021 14:38

I was about 9yo when I resolved to always live in walking distance of any primary school my kids attended.
That's how bad school run looked to me in 1977.
I wasn't even an eco-freak then. Just disliked the chaos.

In reality, primary school Worked out as just about 900m away. About 4x/year I had a reason to drive (need to zoom off to or in from somewhere far away).

Older DC have done mix of bus, cycling or train journeys to attend secondary/college.

Ichangemynameagain · 27/09/2021 14:38

I can see the school from my house. I haven't actually measured it. It takes us the grand total of five minutes to walk.

But yet, there is a parent in our road who drives his kids to school. Confused

TreesoftheField · 27/09/2021 14:38

Half a mile so we walk. Once in a month someone has a meltdown and we're late then we'll drive halfway!!

lljkk · 27/09/2021 14:39

oh, and hail. I got in car a few times due to hail. Hate that stuff.

puffasocks · 27/09/2021 14:39

Always walk. Parking is horrendous so easiest to walk. Saves me the stress and we all get some exercise, fresh air and daylight. I’m very lucky to live within walking distance and feel for those with no choice but to drive.

Elephantsparade · 27/09/2021 14:40

Mainstream school .8 of a mile. Walk.
SEN school 15 miles - drive

Peggytheredhen · 27/09/2021 14:40

2 miles, rural road, we drive. I park half a mile away.

Ellarain · 27/09/2021 14:40

1 míle each way, we walk.

JustLyra · 27/09/2021 14:40

We can see the primary school from the window so they walk.

The high school is less than a mile and half, but there’s no safe path so kids either get the local bus or people organise lift shares. Which is ridiculous as all it needs is some organisation to sort the pathways, some lighting and put in a crossing which long-term wouldn’t cost that much, but instead they give all the kids bus passes.

4BlueTowers · 27/09/2021 14:40

14 miles.

Car.

I could ask them to bus it but the eldest has a range of SEN and severe travel sickness. Plus the evening bus does not get to our village until nearly 7 pm.

EvilPea · 27/09/2021 14:41

Just over 10 miles. No normal bus route, and school bus is £100 per month. So drive.

FawnFrenchieMum · 27/09/2021 14:42

Our school is about 1.5 mile, up a massive hill! We usually drive. I’m normally rushing off either to the office or home to log on in time.

When we were without a car for a few weeks, we would catch the bus up and either walk or get the bus home depending on time / weather.

evtheria · 27/09/2021 14:43

It’s less than a mile (0.8, maybe)
We walk. Even if I had a car the traffic along that road is so bad it would take us as much time or longer to drive. If it’s heavy rain we just get very, very wet Grin despite the waterproofs.

Normandy144 · 27/09/2021 14:43

We live 0.5 miles away and walk. I work from home so can easily do the school run and be back ready to start work for 9am.

AnxiousWeirdo · 27/09/2021 14:44

Around 2.5 miles up some extremely steep and very long hills ...I drive obviously.