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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is 2mile walknto school too far for junior school?

30 replies

086ttyipp · 02/09/2025 11:40

We have just been offered a place at a lovely junior school, 2 miles away. Best way to get there is walk one way and get bus back after school. DC is 8 and it's a bit too hilly to cycle. Currently bullied at his existing school so considering a change.

OP posts:
MiddleAgedDread · 02/09/2025 11:44

it's a decent walk for a kid that age and if you had to do it in every weather......that said, it's possibly preferrable to being bullied

Seawolves · 02/09/2025 11:44

My kids primary was 2.4 miles away, we walked from nursery age as there was no public transport and we couldn't afford a second car. Would a scooter work better than cycling?

Original poster
086ttyipp · 02/09/2025 12:00

I would be happy for him to use a scooter, he is less keen though. We don't have a car and the bus in the mornings is very unreliable though very doable after school when it's less time sensitive.

OP posts:
JoWawa · 02/09/2025 12:02

At 6 I was trvelling 12 miles to school and back by bus on my own with a mile walk to the bus stop.

Anywherebuthere · 02/09/2025 12:13

Very easy for an active healthy child to do in the morning. Most are often well rested and have more energy at that time.

As long as you are not stressed and rushing out the door and wear the right clothes for the weather, it shouldn't be a problem .

Morning walk and chats can be lovely.

verycloakanddaggers · 02/09/2025 12:16

It's actually very healthy and gives great time to chat each day. Just leave in good time!

Hallaballa · 02/09/2025 12:18

No. My 2yo walks 1.5 miles to nursery and back with no issues. I love the walk and the chats.

Indicateyourintentions · 02/09/2025 12:21

It’s 40-45 minutes and a brilliant start to the day. Go for it. My 6 year granddaughter lives in a very hilly part of the country with no car, and she doesn’t bat an eyelid at daily hour long walks.

Original poster
086ttyipp · 02/09/2025 12:27

Has anyone done it in bad weather at all? Ds is reluctant to move so trying to weight up all the options.

OP posts:
MiddleAgedDread · 02/09/2025 12:31

I've walked to work (just over 2 miles) in bad weather BUT I have a waterproof backpack, and showers / towels / drying room at work which makes a huge difference!

Mossstitch · 02/09/2025 12:36

086ttyipp · 02/09/2025 12:27

Has anyone done it in bad weather at all? Ds is reluctant to move so trying to weight up all the options.

I'd be more concerned that he is reluctant to move than the walk. Surely he needs to want to move.
I was moved at 7 yrs old (due to house move) and it was horrible, everybody already had their friends and i got bullied, however, I moved a 9 Yr old due to bullying and he came out of school chatting and like a different child but he was happy to move🤷‍♀️

Original poster
086ttyipp · 02/09/2025 12:38

Am definitely taking his reluctance into consideration. I am also trying to figure out whether it's feasible at all distance wise. All the other schools around us are currently full.

OP posts:
BengalBangle · 02/09/2025 12:40

It's absolutely fine. My twin DC have been doing 1.5 miles to and from school since they started.
We have have an evil hill on the way home, so when the weather gets awful - high winds and/or heavy rain - we absolutely use the (fairly crappy and unreliable) bus service.
I'm sorry to hear your DC has been bullied. Wishing them luck in their new school.

NeatKoala · 02/09/2025 12:41

086ttyipp · 02/09/2025 12:27

Has anyone done it in bad weather at all? Ds is reluctant to move so trying to weight up all the options.

yes, rain coat and wellies!

It's not that long - its' just more time consuming for you because you have to do it 4 times a day, not twice like him

I don't understand why people are so allergic to the idea of walking more than 35seconds to the school gate. Plenty of children walk, it's a life skill.

People are just lazy. I used to jog back - quicker to walk, and that was one of my exercise of the day done. Sometimes I jog there too in the afternoon, walk back with them. Just shower when you are home if you are wet, no waterproof needed for a run.

MizzeryGuts · 02/09/2025 12:42

My dd did 1.4 miles each way, it was no problem. Usually she did prefer to scooter.

She now walks 2.5 miles each way to secondary school.

When I was a child no one would bat an eyelid at a walk of this length, it’s absolutely fine and a GOOD thing!

NeatKoala · 02/09/2025 12:43

MiddleAgedDread · 02/09/2025 12:31

I've walked to work (just over 2 miles) in bad weather BUT I have a waterproof backpack, and showers / towels / drying room at work which makes a huge difference!

Absolutely the waterproof backpack, that's the one thing to not forget.

Also be aware that other school parents are dick, the number of cars who like to splash kids when it's raining, teach him to walk as far from the road as possible.
What comes into someone's head to splash a child on purpose, when they have their own children in the back is a mystery, but I have seen it so often.

Mrsttcno1 · 02/09/2025 12:44

If you don’t have a car so there is no option of a lift I’d say no. Mainly because if he wanted to move, had friends to walk with etc then 2 miles would be fine if you were walking & chatting on a nice dry day. But when he is already reluctant, realistically for the next 6 months he’s likely to be having to do that walk in the rain, snow, hail, ice etc, it will be awful. Plus he could be walking in the dark over the winter & bad weather- I wouldn’t.

MonsterasEverywhere · 02/09/2025 13:05

My primary school was just under 2 miles away when I was little and we walked it there and back every day from the age of 4. We had raincoats, wellies, and waterproof bags.

clarrylove · 02/09/2025 13:10

Can you spare the time walking there and back and then there again with bus back? About 3hrs or so just doing the school run every day. .

dcsp · 02/09/2025 13:22

When I was in 4th and 5th year of high school, I actually walked just over 2 miles to school quite often - by choice! (because I could leave home later for walking, than catching the school bus, and still not miss the first real class, only registration)

But there's a world of difference between doing it on a nice day, and doing it when there's rain being blown into you almost horizontal, so the trousers you've got to wear all day in class get soaked, or when it's snow, or indeed when it's the the middle of a heatwave.

If it's OK to walk 80% of the time when weather is OK, can you budget for a taxi the remaining 20%?

Have you a plan in the medium-term to get a car? In a few years time, the recent crop of really tiny electric ones only intended for really short distances (such as the Citroen Ami) are presumably going to be on the used market for pennies.

Original poster
086ttyipp · 02/09/2025 15:44

The time it takes for me to get him there and back is definitely also a consideration. It's really not ideal but I am also keen for DC to go to a nice and happy school.

OP posts:
Original poster
086ttyipp · 02/09/2025 15:45

Unfortunately, I do not drive and therefore won't be able to drive him.

OP posts:
SleepyLabrador · 21/02/2026 13:19

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Flamingojune · 21/02/2026 13:42

Electric cargo bike?

usernam31 · 21/02/2026 14:11

Have you moved him, op? How is it going for him?

I did have a similar dilemma and decided to keep dc at his current school for now but he isn’t actively bullied.

With regards to the DC’s reluctance - I think that’s normal simply because they haven’t experienced the new school yet and have some worries that it might be as bad or worse. It’s hard to choose the unknown but I think it’s worth trying to give him a bully- free environment.
The weather is making it difficult as you don’t want them starting the school day with soaking wet trousers. May be you can afford a taxi for particularly bad mornings?

Good luck.