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.

You can see walking as positive and fun while understanding there are potential drawbacks to committing to a long walk daily.

You are obviously using a bike which Op hasn't mentioned.
It may not be a safe road to cycle.
Nor are you comparing like with like your child is getting a lift home 4 days a week. Getting a tired 4 or 5 yo to walk is not fun, that 35min could easily end up 50mins by the time you take into account short legs and a tired child.

Yeah I could say my kids primary school is a 35min walk doesn't bother me.
Really I've never walked it. There is a school bus or I drive.

One of the local mums thought she'd give the bike a go did it once and decided it was far too frightening and dangerous so never again!

Op if you can get your kid into a more local school then do it.

Exactly walking is fun and positive on a nice dry day when your out for a stroll.

It's not fun or positive when you have a tired child who doesn't want to walk. Isn't particularly liking school for whatever reason so no urgency from them to get there. Your constantly saying 'come on, hurry-up, your going to be late, I need to get to work, keep walking' all while constantly checking the time.

And repeat day after day for 7 long years. No thank-you!

There may be good reasons to choose a further away school, but Ofsted rating good vs excellent definitely isn't one. It doesn't mean there is any real difference between schools. Especially if the inspections were more than a few years ago. What your friend is doing is not relevant either

Have you looked round both schools, talked to the head, talked to parents whose children are higher up the school about behaviour and bullying and the quality of teaching?

If you like walking yourself and aren't going to be pressed for time, a 35 minute walk might be ok, your child could ride their bike which would make it easier for them. It would be good for yours and their fitness. Especially if there's a bus that could be used sometimes. But if you don't like walking or are trying to rush home for something it could get very tedious. I would do the walk if I much preferred the other school.

Ours is a 30ish min walk and my 5 year old twins have been fine. Scooters have made it easier.

No I am not cycling, my DC cycles on the pavement. As I flagged, my situation is a bit different, but as OP says they can also use the car for part of the week at least.

I would also add that until recently it would have been pretty common for kids to walk to school and back - this could easily be 30 minutes from one end of a village to another.

I can give you a golden piece of advice op

You have 7 years or more of primary school and you will massively regret a 35 min walk

Your cardiovascular health and health and life expectancy won't regret it at all, in fact the opposite this is one of the healthiest habits you could cultivate. Any NT 4 yr old can walk 35 minutes, they will get used to it.

I enjoy walking but I'd resent the 1hr10 out of my day twice over. It would also be miserable in sleet, wind where you can't keep a hood or umbrella up, etc. Also, in reception they only usually take a book bag. In a few years they might have a big sports bag and an instrument too. Imagine doing the journey with a cello in tow.

For secondary this sort of journey is fine. For primary I would say it is a chore.

I think there’s so much to be said for picking your local school. Ease of school runs, local friends etc. Go and view all the schools, don’t just go based on ofsted or other people’s opinions, go by how you feel about the school when you’re looking round and take your child. Also don’t pick a school based on where your daughter’s current best friend goes. I guarantee even if they go to the same school they will have new best friends within a few weeks, 4 year olds are fickle like that! It’s not worth walking 35 minutes for trust me. It ALWAYS rains during a school run!

I would agree with this! My eldest started school in September and we live round the corner and the logistics are such a dream compared to having to drive for nursery. A school a nearby walk makes life so much easier.

It was a half hour walk to school when I was at primary and lots of people living near me still walk 30-40 mins to primary depending on which school they’ve chosen. Most primary schools in our town are on estates and in villages so no direct buses

Thats more than 2 hours out of your day.
yes your child could walk this but you can’t carry them that far when they are sick. And yes it’s too far in the snow and rain. Choose close by. 15 to 20 mins max or get the bus!

I think you've already made your decision. The 35 min away school would also mean you would have to get there for sports days and plays and parents evenings which would also prove awkward as that could mean returning to the school in the evening for example.

Your cardiovascular health and health and life expectancy won't regret it at all, in fact the opposite this is one of the healthiest habits you could cultivate. Any NT 4 yr old can walk 35 minutes, they will get used to it.

Of course they can walk 35 minutes but are they going to be happily trotting along next to you after a full day of school in the pissing down rain for weeks on end in winter?

Are they going to want to/be able to walk to school quickly enough in the morning? 35 minute at adult pace can easily be over an hour at a 4yo's pace.

You're not going to be power walking the school run accompanied by a four year old!

Have you looked around both schools?
My advice would be to view them both - expensive and shiny is not always best.

My son goes to a school about 30 mins bus/walk away without any issue and his baby brother will eventually go there. My husband doesn't drive but takes the bus half way and walks the rest and has been the past 3 years. I only drive on the days I have off.
It was my old school and I walked the entire route which took about 45 minutes.
There are closer schools but it is a far better school with a bigger intake.
Those saying it isn't possible have never done it but loads of kids live more than 30 minites away from their school.

When my ds was younger he went to a school with the same distance the walk was absolutely fine in summer but once winter hit it was awful, I swapped schools to a local one and it was the best thing I did.

Based on my own experience, 35 min walk is waaay to long for a 4 Yr old.
In future they'll be wanting to go to clubs etc so you'll have to walk her home after a long day in all weathers or you'll always be asking for favours from other parents.

Unless the other school is terrible there's very little good reason to take her to a school much further away.

Those saying it isn't possible have never done it but loads of kids live more than 30 minites away from their school.

I don't think anyone has said it isn't possible, just that it would be time consuming and miserable in the winter months.

In the long run this will not be viable and remember you’ll have to do it for yours. You’ll probably get rejected anyway due to being out of the school zone

We do a 20 min walk to primary school, I found a scooter the fastest mode of transport for my then 5 year old. However, if it rains or snows we bus or uber. I think the school setting is the most important factor for me.

Good idea on the closer school. And get a scooter not a big kid pushchair

What is the actual distance?

My school is just over a mile away and we manage

Our closest school is 49 minutes walk. So I’m probably biased but I think it’s fine. There’s no bus and because of access you can’t park nearby.

I agree with all of this.
My dc are in Y7 and Y10 now, and walking then to school is a thing of the past. I can not tell you the number of times I’ve thanked the world that their primary school was 5 mins walk away - when I’ve been unwell, when they’re a bit run down, when we’re late, when it’s dark and raining, when it’s snowing, when I’ve needed to pick them up early for any reason, for parents evenings, assemblies, school concerts, sports days; and all their friends are local too. Go local, join the community.