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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:
DinosApple · 27/09/2021 16:11

DC2 and I walk about quarter of a mile, and would not drive.

DC1 is at secondary 3 miles away (catchment) and we car share for that. They have a 15 minute walk at the school end, rain or shine.

There are no free school buses due to the council changing the rules so car sharing is cheaper.

GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal · 27/09/2021 16:17

It's about a 15 min walk. We almost always walk - because it's healthier, more eco, and the traffic and parking is bloody horrendous!

The only time I really drive is I'm going somewhere straight after or coming back from something I've needed the car for. Occasionally in horrendous weather I'll drive, but even then usually not, as the traffic is even worse in bad weather.

Jumprope309 · 27/09/2021 16:17

We always walked (0.6 miles) as we passed two other primary schools on the way and the traffic was bedlam. Walking was far less stressful.
Now they are at (different) high schools one gets the bus and the other walks. Even on days like today, when it’s pouring down, they don’t even ask me to drive them!

LBOCS2 · 27/09/2021 16:20

Half a mile. At the moment I'm using the car as I have two in different primaries and a very complicated set of arrangements in the morning and evening. Once they're both in the same school, we'll be walking to and from.

Scbchl · 27/09/2021 16:21

We are two streets away for primary and ten minute walk for the secondary and they just walk unless its pouring down then il drop them off.

Albanian · 27/09/2021 16:22

One is 18 miles. Drive as no bus or train.
Other is 14 miles in the other direction, so drive to station and train from there.

CatTerrier · 27/09/2021 16:34

3 mile drive although we are looking to move to a school half an hour away from home.

TurnUpTurnip · 27/09/2021 16:36

A mile and we get the bus

DrunkenKoala · 27/09/2021 16:40

0.75 miles to DD’s school and we walk. We walk home through the park so (weather permitting) we stop there for 15 mins. I pick her up one afternoon in the week as I have to drive past the school.

The school DS goes to is about 2.5 miles away, he gets the bus and the bus stop is about 500m away.

MrsScrubbithatescleaning · 27/09/2021 16:42

I really miss walking DS to school in the mornings. Sad

We have a 200 metre drive and the primary School is a further 200 metres up the road, but I still insist on driving DS there in the mornings.

The road is a narrow country road with a bend at the top and no pavement on either side. The school and church opposite were built more than 100 years ago about a mile or so up the hill, outside the coastal village. No-one else lives near to the school and the other children are either driven by their parents or catch one of the 2 school buses coming from opposite directions from other nearby hamlets.

Three years ago, I got hit by a school mum driving her car too fast and I was thrown into the ditch and sustained minor injuries. Luckily, she missed DS. She was successfully prosecuted for careless driving despite pleading 'not guilty'(!!) but I only ever walk to school in the afternoons now, assuming it's not raining. I feel far too scared to walk in the mornings as there are plenty of other speeding drivers on the roads at that time. At least when I'm collecting him at 3pm, I can set off early and sit on a nearby wall to wait.

DS is due to go to secondary next year and there's a school bus that will pick him up as it's about 10 miles away.

IHateCoronavirus · 27/09/2021 16:45

3.4 miles for DC1-3 and DC4 is 2.8 miles away. It is more economical (financially and in terms of time) for us to drive.

MummyJ12 · 27/09/2021 16:47

My two did get the school bus until we moved into rented across town. Now the youngest’s school is 10 miles away and I drive them. It’s a killer in heavy traffic. Moving schools is not an option. Hopefully we’ll find somewhere to buy close to where we were.
I’d absolutely love to be able to walk them to school.

RandomWordGenerator · 27/09/2021 16:52

1.5 miles. Across a couple of really nasty roads that are difficult to cross on foot.

Sometimes we walk sometimes we drive. Depending on whether I need to be at my WFH desk for 9am or not.

I always park a 5 min walk from the school, I hate the chaos in the school road.

CreamFirstThenJamOnTop · 27/09/2021 16:54

Around the corner…. 2 mins door to door.

Obviously we walk and our road is chaos with parents trying to find a place to park to do drop off.

BangingOn · 27/09/2021 17:04

15 miles with no public transport option so we drive. It’s in the direction that both DH and I travel for work on days we aren’t at home, so it’s better than it sounds.

Dddccc · 27/09/2021 17:08

1.4 miles we walk and have lovely things called wellies and unbrellas these days haha sorry I used to walk 6 miles as a kid myself and can't believe how many people drive less then a mile to school

TheGrumpyGoat · 27/09/2021 17:14

@Dddccc

1.4 miles we walk and have lovely things called wellies and unbrellas these days haha sorry I used to walk 6 miles as a kid myself and can't believe how many people drive less then a mile to school
I have to, as I drive straight to work from the school run. I don’t have time to walk back and fetch the car. I cut it fine as it is.
Silversun83 · 27/09/2021 17:27

1.3 miles away. Used to always drive and park halfway as there and back twice a day probably a bit much for my 3-year-old DS. But now DH is back in the office some days, he takes DS early to nursery so those days I walk with DD (5) scooting.

shivbo2014 · 27/09/2021 17:31

300m obviously walk 😄

flossletsfloss · 27/09/2021 17:33

5 min walk

Runssometimes · 27/09/2021 17:36

1.2miles and we cycle. DS is in year 5 and we’ve driven due to torrential rain twice ever but it’s faster cycling so on the whole we will cycle in all weathers. We have waterproof trousers if the weather really is bad and a decent coat. Sports bag goes on the pack of my bike pannier and DS carries his school backpack.

maofteens · 27/09/2021 17:38

We used to walk about 1.75 miles across the common, and I'd collect them by car at the end of the day. Then we moved it was a half hour drive, then we moved again so a six minute walk, now sixth form it's a 15 min walk to train, 25 on that, 7 minutes walk at other end - I tend to drop at the train though as always running late!
Kids walked on their own when they started secondary, before that you had to drop them to the teacher and collect from them too.

PaperMonster · 27/09/2021 17:40

A quarter of a mile away. And there is someone who lives midway who drives there and back!!

Dizzyhedgehog · 27/09/2021 17:43

14 miles. We take the car.
I work there, so I'd have to go that way and back anyway.

BusySittingDown · 27/09/2021 17:44

Primary school for DD2 is about half a mile away. It takes about 8 minutes to walk. Traffic around the school is nuts - I'd rather shit in my hands and clap than drive there so walk always. It baffles me why so many people drive there. Everyone lives on the village within short walking distance to the school...anyway I digress.

High School for DD1 is 1.6 miles and she walks, even in the rain. She has a waterproof coat, good shoes and an umbrella.