To think the 3 mile rule for school transport is unfair and not fit for the current time?

[WellThatsMeScrewed]

My eldest does not get transport to her secondary school because we live 2.89 miles away from her secondary school. Supposedly she can walk this.

It would involve crossing 3 lots of dual carriageways, walking along a unlit busy road.

It’s just not fair.

The 3 mile rule is from some archaic time where there was hardly any traffic.

There was an interesting lived experience in my former London Borough. Children from the same primary were awarded places at the same cofe girls school. Those who lived north of the tube were about 2.2 to 2.8 miles away; those who lived south of the tube were about 3.1 to 3.5 miles away. The children all travelled three tube stops from the same station but those who walked 0.3 miles from South of the station got free travel; those from North of the station had to pay.

There was an argument that they could all have gone to the mixed cofe school that was newly opened. Except it was not as good academically.

When we moved to our current house a few years ago, there was a school bus from our village, plus one to the next-furthest away school. These have both now been stopped due to funding cuts.

If you think that's bad, there was a thread on here the other day where a poster, a woman in her 30s, said she had never been on a bus or train in her life.

Apparently her parents thought it was dangerous and dirty and she has literally never, ever been on any form of public transport.

She drives everywhere all the time.

Blew my tiny mind.

We lived in a small village, the centre of which was 3 miles from the catchment high school. We were at the bottom of the village so 3.1 miles away from the school and had to offer a detailed assessment of why the road, unlit, no pavements, just wide enough for two cars, was too dangerous for our daughter to walk,. Her friend in the same village but at the top of the road was 2.9 miles from the school so immediately got a pass for the school bus which stopped in the village anyway!!! It was bizarre - fortunately we got it sorted within a couple of weeks so not too much driving her to and from school. When we moved to a small town when she was in secondary she still had to walk 2.5 miles to get to school and we didn't bat an eyelid as it was pavemented and well lit all the way!

Would it be classed as an unsafe walking route?
My kids' school is less than 1.5 miles away but we are on an "unsafe walking route" so qualify for a taxi to come get them. I've never used the service because we actually can walk it if I'm with them and I hated the idea of taxis every day because it limits their ability to be able to go down to the coffee shop with their friends for a donut after school or something. But if the route is unsafe then she should get school transport.

Also the public bus local to us only runs 4 times a day....

Says someone who clearly has no concept about rural public transport

Yes, we can all just hop on that one bus that goes every hour but nowhere near the school, that'll work

YANBU I am going through this now because we’re 0.3 miles out.

We live in the country and there are no paths to walk on or public transport and it’s just back lanes until you get to the dual carriageway and then you’d have to walk on the grass because the dual carriageway is always so busy.

It also gets dark in the country very early in the winter which would be just so dangerous.

I have appealed but they rejected it but I’m going to appeal again.

Definitely appeal it OP.

Why would you move somewhere with no public transport that's far away from a school if you're not able or willing to take your child there yourself?

What was the op expecting to happen?

Or is it just that she doesn't want to pay for the school bus?

As if anyone really wants their 11 year old child crossing busy dual carriageways

off the top of my head two of the nearest secondary schools by me have bus stops located on dual carriageways meaning that students have to navigate crossing for at least one leg of their journeys.

You’d hope by secondary age most dc had basic road crossing skills, including dual carriageways.

Is there a bus OP? You haven't answered that question.

TBH you sound a bit entitled. When you decide where to live and where to send your kids to school part of that decision process involves thinking about schools and transport. Ultimately it’s up to you to get your own children to school why is it the councils responsibility? 3 miles does sound too far to walk but surely there are other parents in the same boat, could your car pool or organise a mini bus and pay for it between you.

Interesting, my London Borough hides behind the free bus travel that tfl offer to all children and tells them to get a public bus. Sounds fine, but there is a part of the borough which is a black hole for primary schools so people living there get assigned one across the borough and funnily enough he parents don't like being told to either put their 4 year old on a public bus alone or pay for their travel to accompany them. There is also a high school that is one train stop away from my area but would require 3 buses.

This. I don't understand why everyone wants everything sorted for them these days?

Anoher stupid comment, do you really think that everyone can live within 3 miles of a school? Is it townies day on here or something

Did I miss where OP said this was her first choice school?

Dual carriageway with over or under pass and / or traffic lights for pedestrians is peffectly fine.

TBH you sound a bit entitled. When you decide where to live and where to send your kids to school part of that decision process involves thinking about schools and transport.

Try living in Cornwall where most places have no public transport or paths at all.

Most people live where they can afford and then send their children to the nearest school.

Most people would assume that a school bus would be available for those living in the catchment area but not within walking distance or on an unsafe route.

Appeal on safety grounds. Otherwise can you pay for a privilege pass?

My son didn't qualify for free transport to his primary school as we are just under the distance required. The route is a rural, single lane farm road with passing places and a 60 mph speed limit. No footpath & no lighting. No public transport. There was no way he was walking to school. As the school bus passed our house and there were seats available we were allowed to pay for a privilege pass.

Thankfully he qualified due to distance for a free pass to secondary school.

Anoher stupid comment, do you really think that everyone can live within 3 miles of a school? Is it townies day on here or something

Most MNers don’t live in the real world.

I’m surprised no one’s told her to just move closer yet.

This thread just illustrates how many factors there are and the fact that you just need to appeal on your particular route. Are there crossings on the dual carriageway? When does school finish and how far north are you? How far into the journey is the unlit area? Are there pavements on the busy road? Are the unlit areas deserted waste ground or areas busy with people? Are there any accident blackspots on the route? At the end of the day, there is going to be a big grey area that some people will consider safe and others not safe.

I don’t disagree with you entirely but there is an element of choice with where people choose to live and services their household needs. Schools are a consideration for people with dc and where they consider locating themselves.

There is a massive over reliance on cars these days and people rarely seem to consider how they’d get about if they suddenly couldn’t drive for whatever reason (a BIG problem for the elderly) or how teenagers will manage a degree of independence before being able to drive and finance a car.

I can't speak for the OP but I live in a county with a lot of rural areas where 1000s if not 10000s of children have to get a bus to school. It's simply impossible for everyone to live near the schools or on bus routes

Maybe we're just not trying hard enough to able to afford town centre properties or maybe people in villages shouldn't have children

The cut off is a bit mad. I qualified for a bus pass but my friends just a few streets away didn't so I used to walk with them every day. Their little sister was (and still is) a tiny little blonde thing. It was a long walk around a dodgy industrial estate and then along a fast flowing river. I wouldn't have wanted her doing that walk alone, in the dark.

I was offered a LA taxi to get DC to school as no safe walking route and no bus, after doing some thinking, I declined it as with some juggling we can get her to a point it is safe to walk from and it would cost them hundreds if not thousands to lay it on. The number of friends who on hearing this said why didn't you just say yes as you are entitled to it, astounded me ! No wonder the budgets are shot... if there was no other way than I would obviously have had to accept it. But it should surely be an last resort ??