To miss school to try out secondary school commutes?

[NameChanging20]

Would you do this? DS is in Yr 6 and we need to complete the CAF this month. There are 3 schools in the running

1. local good comp (walking distance- 20mins)
2. 2 grammar schools which we have just done 11+ for. If we put on form we won’t know outcome until March as they admit based on ranked test results. The grammars are in opposite directions a mix of bus and/or train and walk - about 45 mins I think but not exactly sure at the time.

im thinking to help make decisions I would do the actual journeys with DS at the exact time. This would mean missing his morning attendance mark for 2-3 mornings (there are 2 options for travelling to one of the grammars and would like to try both). So 3 unauthorised absences.

IABU to do this?

Why don't you do it without him?

Do it yourself in the week for timings / practicalities and do it with them on a weekend so they can assess the route.

Just do it without him

Just do it at the weekend. You’ll never get a representative commute just doing one journey. There could be an accident, you might forget something and have to go back. Walking won’t change whatever time of day you do it, so you definitely don’t need a day off for that.

That’s an option but would like to involve DS as much as possible in the decision

We did it without DC. They are young in y6 and it can change your perception I.e. you might think the journey is too hard - but a year+ down the line it won’t be. So best you try it out for CAF and then you do it in the summer once you know where you have a place

Do it with him at the weekend. Even if it's not at the same exact time, if the timetables are different, just do it at the time which is the closest duration of commute to the commute time on a weekday morning.
If you are really worried, do it by yourself on a weekday morning to see if it's any different, if you live in a big city with loads of traffic for example.

Isn't the half term holidays coming up? Do it without him this week then do it with him in the holidays or at weekends.

Yanbu. But maybe do it by yourself. Or his inset day when the other schools are in.
I did the same to get a feel for one potential school.

Its a great idea to see exactly how the commute is at the time your child will be travelling. I cannot see a problem with missing two mornings at school

Why not do the journeys after school finishes and ask your DC which one they prefer .It would be best not to disrupt attendance at the school. Will they have to do detentions if late for school. If so don't be the parent who lets that happen.

YANBU. It’s a few mornings where he’ll be a bit late.

If you let his school know then they will likely be fine.
Missing school time for researching schools in Year 6 is normal and expected.

I think any yr6 would feel very daunted on the first test run! I wouldn’t take him and just do it yourself for now. You know what you think he’ll be capable of in a years time. I think it would put him off if he uses these test runs to form his opinion about which school he wants to go to.

This.