To preference a school 35 minutes away?

[Sallyh87]

Going through the process of filling out school selection forms. The best one is a 35 minute walk away and my DDs best friend from nursery is going to select this one. I can’t drive (disability) but DH can. DH can likely drive her 3 - 4 times a week due to WFH.

So my question

• is a 35 minute walk too much for a four year old
• would a closer but not as highly rated school be better
• Is there any kind of older child pushchair I could use???

Granted, I am sure there is a bus service but I find buses so unreliable.

Op choose a closer school.
School ratings are over rated, all teachers have the same training.

As previous poster said you'll be going this for 7 years. And it's entering a community you want her to have friends close by so as they get to the later years they can walk to from school without you.

There is also the issue of other stuff, school discos, parents nights, out of school parties, play dates so many things to think about. She'll meet new friends anyway.

It would be a hard no from me.

Why would it be dark? School finishes at 3.15

Mumsnet is great, thanks all.

I really appreciate it. In my head we would be walking in the sunshine and I could quite do with a big walk every day. I neglected to think of the potential pouring rain and trying to get home to log on at the correct time.

The closest school looks nice and isn’t terrible. A 12 minute walk is very manageable.

Thanks x

Not worth the effort just for a friendship that might not last. But maybe worth it if you love the school.

You need to take into account how long it takes with an exhausted 4 year old in driving rain and decided if it's still worth it.

And you could consider cycling if your disability allows you to do that, including with a trailer or a cargo bike and with electric assist.

My tall 5 year old just still fits in our running buggy. It's a godsend if we have a two mile walk coming home from something late at night - even though lots of MNers would tut at a 5 year old in a pram (whilst putting theirs in a car seat😁)

You can get some bike trailers that double as running prams, if you want both options but have limited storage.

Also, you could consider your child using their own bike (or scooter) if there's a place to lock it up at school.

You are making the right decision OP. Definitely go with the nearest school

My 6 year old finds the walk home from school very tiring and keeps asking why we live so far away.
We live within 200 m of the school…

I think you've made the right decision OP. There's so much value in being close to school in the primary years, for all the reasons everyone has said (and the various sports day/assembly/plays etc you have to go to).

Have you actually visited schools OP? Forget ofsted, actually go and look around your nearest couple of schools and see what you think. But I highly recommend local, we have a five minute walk and I’m grateful for it over and over again!

And ignore what friends are doing - my oldest child was completely inseparable from one friend at nursery. They went to different primary schools. By midway through reception he’d forgotten the boy ever existed. Friends might come into my thinking at secondary but not at age four.

Our ten minute walk home used to take over half an hour at age 4/5/6 when they dawdle/pick up sticks/stroke cats/climb walls

😂 this one made me laugh

Honestly for primary school I would not do this. People may disagree, but for me Primary School is about having a safe, nurturing environment preparing them for secondary school. I found by the time I got to my second it was much more important for him to have a school that was a comfortable, safe environment to build his confidence and nurture him, knowing his secondary school will be the one to really push him academically.

Secondary school yes I'd absolutely do as you describe, but not primary no. And I say that as someone who drives 5 miles to primary school, but if there was a good enough option close to home I wouldn't be doing it I assure you!

35 min adult walk for a 35 min with tired 5 year old in tow? I can walk toy child’s slow
in 10 mins but it takes my just 4 year old between 20 min cycling to 40 mins if tired and walking.

this advice is spot on op

Probably not so much dark in the evening but it could well be dark in the mornings depending on where posters are.

And take into account the fact that every year the argument comes up about not changing clocks. No guarantee you'll have daylight at 8.15 for walking to school.

“Preference” is not a verb. Stop verbing nouns. (See what I did there?)

Our school is 20mins walk and that is enough. It's quicker with a bus and we're in London so schools a plenty but the closest ones had no wraparound care and weren't that great so we suck it up. But 20mins is long enough.

Is it an adult 35 min walk? If so definitely not. We live right on the edge of catchment and took us 45 mins this morning (partly as youngest tired and in a mood) and it is more like 20-25 mins walk for adult. If a child 35 mins maybe more ok and bike or scooter could help if that would be OK for you

Is 35 mins an adult or even worse a Google maps pace?
If it is, you will need to assume that it will take your dd at least twice as long and even by year 6, unlikely to match the Google maps pace. Scooters and bikes will help but cajoling a child in all weathers is pretty shit.
Are the roads well lit with actual pavements ? You will be doing the walk at least 1/2 times a week and you can guarantee that your h won't change jobs in the next 7 years.
Is the primary a feeder school for a specific secondary ?

35 minutes is far too much especially if you have a decent option 12 minutes away. Stamina doesn’t come into it as even kids who can do miles at the weekend in the sunshine don’t want to do it when they’re tired, cold and wet at the end of the day. We’re 10 minutes away and still rely heavily on scooters- if you don’t have one already I’d really recommend it and also get a pull leash for it so you can pull her along when she’s tired.

It's not just the drop off and pick up though, is it? Parents evenings, concerts, sports day, all of those will be causing issues for you. There's also the small matter of making friends. Your dd will get invited to parties and most of those will be some distance away as well. What about play dates and seeing friends after school - and who would you use to collect your dd in an emergency? That sort of thing is easy to arrange if the other kids in the class live near you, but far more difficult if they are the other side of town.

If I were you, I'd look at the longer-term picture and which school is best for your dd, not at where her little friend might be going.

I think expecting a 4 or 5yo to walk for over an hour a day plus school on top is massively unreasonable. She's going to be shattered just from school. Primary is way less important academically than secondary. As long as the pastoral side is good your dd will be fine.

To give a different perspective, we went with the primary school closer to our house (10 mins Vs 30 mins walk) and I regret it every day. I knew the school wasn't as good but I prioritised ease of pick up / drop off, almost forgetting that my child would be in that environment for six hours a day and that was more important. Plus I realised too late we could have taken the bus anyway. The result is a school we're unhappy with and the experience my friends are having at the other school is vastly different from ours. The difference in demographic and community feel between the schools is stark. I knew it at the back of my mind but I think unfortunately my laziness took over! However, if there isn't a huge difference between your two choices, the closer one is probably better for you.

Don't underestimate the value of primary school being on your doorstep. You will sometimes need to drop off in the morning then pop two hours later to be in the audience for a special assembly. It makes a huge difference to have local networks of nearby classmates. I wouldn't go for a school that far unless the nearby ones are utterly awful and you'd rather home-educate than send a child there. If it seems basically ok then stick with local. Don't let ofsted reports overide gut feeling.

Not for primary no it will be far too stressful.

I would actually base your decision on what the catchment is for the secondary school. If going to the school further means she is in a feeder school for a better secondary school then I would totally play the long game.