Parents' organised Transport from Reading, Berks to Royal Grammar School, Guildford

[samade]

Hello everyone. I would like to know if there is any parent(s) whose son attends Royal Grammar School (RGS), Guildford and live in the Reading, Berkshire area. Is there a collective transportation organised by parents to take the boys from Reading to Guildford and back everyday? I am asking so I know if I would save myself some 90 minutes drive (to/fro) RGS. From Reading, it is 45 minutes drive to RGS. I believe it will be helpful to avoid that aspect of "school-run". Thank you.

cant he get a train?

@bruffin. Thanks. He can. I want a controlled/safe transportation for him in Year 7. From higher class he will do the train. Alternative, is if there are a few of them, they can roll together. I won't want him to be on the train on his own in Year 7.

I believe the train across is pretty busy and quicker than 45 minutes plus a walk the other end, could you accompany him initially?

Have you spoken to the school? Some independents offer buses themselves (though, I guess, with several good independents within Reading itself, it might be a bit unusual to choose to send your son 45 minutes away, so they might not have one on that route).

I can imagine. If the option is to accompany him, i might as well drive him down there. 😀

@Curioushorse. Yes, i contacted the school. My contact there told me she isn't aware if there was a privately arranged parent's transportation. Hence my recourse here, just in case there is one, or start one if the interest is there.

Per the 45mins away. Don't mind me..... I can be too finicky/choosy sometimes. 😀😀

Have you tried asking on the eleven plus forum?
Also are you sure it would be a 45 minute drive? At a quiet time maybe but not sure about rush hour.

Depending on where you are in Reading, it’s going to be significantly more than 45 minutes from Reading to Guildford. It generally takes around an hour in the middle of the day - I’ve do it frequently. Rush hour in Guildford is dreadful unless you are going to leave really early, I would say you are going to have to allow 1 1/2 hours. Train at least you can read, do homework, watch a film and you don’t have to worry about traffic.

The huge majority of boys use the train from the beginning of year 7. He won't be alone and pretty soon he'll be more than keen to be on the train with friends. Do a few practices in the summer holidays.
Driving from Reading to Guildford and back twice a day sounds like an absolute nightmare.

I used to get the train from Reading to Guildford when I worked there. RGS is about 15 mins easy walk from the station and gently downhill to go home, loads of boys on the train, quite noisy with them all, I used to prefer an earlier train to avoid them! The train itself is 45 minutes. Depending where you live you can also pick up the train at Wokingham which is obviously cheaper as it's nearer and often easier to get to and to drop off at (depends which side of Reading you live)

Can you ask Mrs Sweet to send a note from you to any parents of new YR7 RGS boys from Reading?

@User27aw. I haven't enquired from eleven plus forum. I will give that a go.

TBH. I got 45minutes from Google direction. I haven't taken a drive there in rush hour. Rush hour is relative now because many people WFH. No thanks to CV-19.

@Ionacat. 1.5hours is impossible!!! It cannot work! Like I mentioned in another response. Rush hour may not as dreadful now because many corporate businesses WFH now. So, it might not be as we used to know it. But good point there to be factored into planning. Worst case scenario kinda planning. Thx.

@IvySquirrel. Good idea about summer practices. Taken.

@Ariela. I won't blame you. The noise can be through the roof . I live in Spencers Wood.

Traffic in Guildford is hideous. I would get the train!

@samade Maybe you can also become a member of Nextdoor which is a neighbourhood forum to try and get in touch with other parents in your area.

@Hopeful201. I initially thought you were teasing when I read "ask Mrs Sweet" . But I checked on RGS website and I found a Mrs KL Sweet. She is the Head of Admissions. Thanks for that headsup. I reckon you know the school very well. Thanks.

@BovrilonToast. I think it is becoming clearer what my option will be... Thanks.

@tomorrowisanother. Another great suggestion. I will check Nextdoor. Are you able to provide their URL here please? There might be a million and one Nextdoor that will come up in searches in Google. If you help provide the link, it makes it easier for me. Apologies for the inconvenience. Thanks.

It took me 45 minutes to get across Guildford last week, from only 10 miles away.... Gford is notorious. Regardless of less traffic, if something/anything happens, or they have 5 sets of roadworks, this week, then it will take you forever.

Coming from Reading is really unusual, never heard of anyone come from that far...... so, definitely take the train. Lots get on the train from East Guildford via Ash/Aldershot/Farnham, so he will have others to chat to.

Also factor in after school activities, you will often get caught in rush hour too, if your son does music or sport etc

Hi OP, sorry to be blunt but you are crazy to think about driving your son to and from RGS every day from where you are. There is no way that will only take you 45 mins - Guildford traffic is dreadful!
Honestly, if you aren't comfortable with your son taking the train, I'd have a hard think about whether you're signing yourselves up to a really gruelling school drive and whether any school is worth that.

Very few RGS boys will come from Reading. A small number might come from Wokingham and it's surprisingly quick on the train. Even if there aren't many boys on the train that far down the line, they will join in much larger numbers by places like Farnborough. There will then be loads of them walking up from Guildford mainline station.
The school doesn't do any organised transport and I doubt you'll find many (if any..........) parents wanting to do a car/taxi share with you as the train is so much quicker.

In terms of having friends over/friends back to yours and meeting up at weekends/holidays, you're always going to be a bit of an outlier in terms of where you are.

That should be West Guildford, not East....... I don't even know where I live .

My DS2 (left RGS last year) has a couple of friends travelling from Wokingham and lots of others join further down the line.

@BigWoollyJumpers. OK. Good advice. It is obvious train is it.