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.

@bumblebee1987 it doesn't work like that in England... schools cannot prioritise people that list them first for places, its purely how well they fit je admission criteria. You have nothing to lose by listing a wildcard school at number 1 if you really want it, as long you have a back up choice on your form

@PuttingDownRoots - But if everyone else who put it as a first choice meets the criteria, they surely they would be offered first, even if you live slightly closer or meet more criteria? Otherwise what is the point in even having preferences?

The point of preferences is if you meet the criteria for more than one school, you get an offer from your highest preference. Not the schools picking the families that like it most.

I had a similar choice and put down a school around 30 minutes walk away according to google maps, we walk past 2 closer schools on the way. My DDs are 7 and 4. I don’t regret it at all as the school is great. We now only have to walk once or twice a week, DC scoot and I power walk so we can do it in 20 mins. If it’s forecast very heavy rain I pre book a taxi which costs around £6 one way.

When my eldest was in reception and DD2 was 1 we had to walk most days, I bought a joovy caboose pushchair second hand from eBay and it was an absolute lifesaver. It has an older child seat on the back of the pushchair and the rain cover went over both of them. She used it pretty much every day in reception and only when raining in year 1. I would have found it pretty miserable without it that first year, I don’t mind rain at all but didn’t like the thought of DD in school all day in wet clothes.

Would you want to walk in the rain for 35min each way? What if its gales or super heavy rain. Phoning the school and saying youu can't come because its raining isn't acceptable and would still go down as unauthorised absence.
Also, children often make new friends and change groups constantly. Just because her bf is going doesn't mean they will be friends 2 weeks later (I teach reception)
Think I'd apply for a school that is closer for many reasons.

We are about a 25 min walk away and PLENTY of people live further away. I consider our 1 mile from school as very close.

We walk / scoot most days but use the bus when the weather is bad. Lots of children come from roads near us. A handful drive but the vast majority don’t given it’s just not worth it for 1 mile. I guess you are a bit further but not terrible.

My DC get less tired when they use the scooter. I’ll help pull them for a while when they need a break.

Could be a nightmare if we ever have a petrol shortage again too.

Its too far for a 4 yo to walk - I wouldn’t want to put them through that when you don’t have too - minus degree weather, snow, rain, unreliable buses!

How are you going to do this for 7 years? What if DH is ill or you are? what if school calls and says your child is ill can you come now?

That school may have a good reputation now but ofstead grades can change in 7 years and so can the leadership team - it maybe awful in 3 years time! How do you know the nearer schools are not as good - and also there is no guarantee your DC would get in a school 35 mins away - where we are you have to stick to the catchment area.

Just thinking about after school when you invite friends back to yours or your daughter goes to a friends house - potentially her friendship group will be 35 mins walk away - how will see join in when she is older and all her school mates are meeting in a park that far away!!

absolutely too far! We live the same distance from our school (catchment is probably still 25min walk) and I absolutely only manage this because I drive. It would soon become really tedious having to walk that far everyday

@margotrose It's more the people saying "they won't have any local friends"!

I am surprised, that's all. Maybe I'm overthinking it - but I was really looking forward to having school and friends in walking distance. I never had that growing up, I suppose.

I guess it depends how you're defining local and I guess that will vary depending location etc.

I was never within walking distance to school and did struggle with having friends nearby - for me 35 minutes is a fair way to walk to facilitate play dates etc which is what would put me off if there was another option.

@margotrose Yes, fair enough. I guess most people are travelling similar distances here, so that affects my view. (Not much housing right next to the schools in some cases.)

“The school run” twice a day is a big commitment/undertaking, almost regardless of the journey time.

My journey is also 35mins by foot to school. My 4yo rides on a buggy board and the nearly 3yo is in the pram. This is our catchment school, it’s not the one I wanted, but we didn’t get the geographically nearer one because of the postcode.

It’s not impossible, of course. Id say there are a few things to consider though - it’s not just the 35mins getting there, you’ve got to get back too. So that’s realistically approaching 1.5hrs morning and 1.5hrs evening round trips (including faff and natter time at school gate). If you’ve got that time every day for 6-7years and you like a walk then of course it’s fine. Wet weather is grim, also when it’s cold and dark, but that’s just stating the obvious. You should consider also that you might not get into this school - absolutely wise to think ahead, and if it is your preferred choice then put it first and you’ll be on a waiting list if you don’t get it.

i would definitely do a few test walks to get a feel for it. And remember you’ll have kids to shepherd too, every day! Good luck!

Yeah I think if everyone is doing the same thing it doesn't matter as much - it's when your child is the only one travelling 35 minutes while everyone is keeping us travelling five that it becomes an issue.

Primary schools will allocate SEN, cared for children, siblings THEN distance so you might not even get in. Then the school nearest to you will be full. You could potentially end up with a school nobody else wants. Do not take the risk. Your DD will make new friends and walking 35mins in the snow and rain will be a nightmare

Also it will be embarrasing for your child turning upto school in a push chair

We're further away than that from primary school now - but it's because we've moved further out of catchment and have our youngest child in year 6 so moving them for just over one academic year when they're finally in a good place in terms of schooling (SEN and a previous school was a fucking disaster for them) would have been unfair on the kids.

It's a pain - even as us both driving and having cars - school run time takes up the best part of an hour at pick up (since every utility has decided it's hole digging time so there are roadworks everywhere). Plus you have to factor in you are going there AND back each time so it's not just 35 minutes for you.

I think you are doing the right thing going for the closer one in your circumstances. That said our primary was a 30ish minute walk and was actually our closest school! We didn’t walk it all that often due to work commitments, but it was doable with scooters for the dc when they were small, thankfully we can both drive.

Generally by not taking a 4 year old with me!

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

And they are far more likely to need accompanied for, if not 7 years, far longer than a child at a local school who’ll be able to walk independently at a much younger age.

Op it was on my mind that you might have another child, so really you'd be signing up to do this for the next decade at least, maybe longer if you have a 3rd child

A heck of a lot can change in a decade, you might decide to get a job, DH might change jobs. Illness, injury, car off road for any reason,

I'm in Scotland the legally the max distance primary kids can be asked to walk is 2mile, reality councils provide transport at a mile.
My primary was just under a mile so no transport, it was OK but as kids it took 20-30mins, a smart adult would probably walk it in 15-20. So I'm agreeing your 35min with small kids could be an hour.

If your LO decides for have a poop 💩 that's going to be an uncomfortable baby by the time you get back.

You also need to take into account the nursery run, DC1 to school, then nursery DC2 and the same in reverse.

I wonder how many posters really walk 35-60mins with a small child daily, come on, hurry-up, quickly, keep going, it just sounds tedious.

Ridiculous. Don't do it.

Looks like you’ve already decided to go for the closer one, but just to counter most of what others have said… We live in a rural village where our nearest school is 0.9 miles away which is approx a 20/25 min walk which I do with my daughter everyday. It’s approx a 40 min round trip for me. She walks there no problem and I love spending that quality time with her. She went up to school with all of her nursery friends and absolutely loves it. Also if your husband can take her most of the time or help out if the weather’s awful then that’s great. It also eases the burden on you slightly as it is quite a commitment doing that walk everyday

I wouldn't go by any ratings at all and go and see the closer school. Highly rated schools are often just good at box ticking.

I used to walk further in all weather's at that age because we didn't have cars and buses and if the roads were blocked with snow we'd go cross country instead.

When was that exactly? If your gran’s 90, you surely can’t be more than about 55. If in the U.K., you’d have been entitled to free transport for journeys over 2 miles.