How long is your dc journey to school and how?

[Unoriginal43]

I’m looking at the independent sector in South London and wondering what your dc journey time is (so I can see if I’m being silly when looking at a new home)

So if you could help that would be great!

Age - Prep or senior
Journey time and what mode of transport
With or against traffic
Location

Obviously in cities and towns journey would be longer but distance might be shorter and the opposite in rural areas!

Thanks for the help!

Senior.
20 minutes, car (no alternative option).
Generally very little traffic.
Rural/market town location.

Most of the journeys tie in with work commute, so very convenient.

Senior, rural, 40 minutes, dedicated school bus. Plus 5 minute walk to bus stop

Senior, village, 10 minutes walk.
We bought in a village with both primary and secondary schools within walking distance luckily!

Junior school- 8 min walk. We also are in South London.

I think a short commute has a lot of value at both senior and junior school. It might be the difference between being able to fit in a passion / activity or not

Senior, tube 50(ish - it varies) minutes (also S London). With commuters in the morning, quieter coming home.

Primary - I allowed 40 mins by car against most of the traffic, journey time traffic free 25/30 mins.

Secondary - 1 hour 10 mins by school bus, journey time by car is 20 mins

DC have always done this, it’s been fine. Would have been better to be closer for home for primary but this school had what DC1 needed and we couldn’t afford to move at the time. Both primary and secondary are state schools.

Senior 40 mins public transport.

We made decision travel time had to be less than 1 hour so school day wasn't too long.

Junior, DC in two different schools, 15 minutes to get to school 1 by car, 5 minutes from there by car to school 2. Easily doable.

I'd say if you are looking at a car journey, also consider how hard or easy it's likely to be to park.

Juniors (run through to seniors) in south London

• 25 min by car or
• 10 min by train with 20min walk
• school coach option also available

Primary 1 - 30 mins by school bus
Primary 2 - 10 mins car
Secondary - 15 minutes by school bus
In September DS2 will start at a different school / 40 mins away by school bus.

Primary school - 5 minute walk
SEN school - 20 minute walk
Secondary school - 25 minute walk

Prep - city. No traffic 15 mins, most mornings 40 mins.

Primary - 5 min car ride, 15 min bike ride, 30 min walk
Secondary - DS1 3 minute walk, DS2 same as primary

Large town
Traffic is going both ways

How do you manage when there are multiple school drop offs?

Dd (year 12), car to station (8 mins), train 45 mins, walk less than 10 mins. For reverse journey Dd sometimes has to walk home from the station (20 mins) if we can’t pick her up.

Ds (year 10), car to bus stop (15 mins), bus 45 mins, 5 min walk. Sometimes has to get a second bus on the return journey if we can’t collect - 20 mins, then 5 min walk.

Generally a 45 minute journey has been fine. Ds found doing the two buses every day on the way home quite tiring, hence we now try to collect after the longer journey.

Their drop off and pick up times are now different due to covid. However if they change next year, I’d be able to drop Dd at a later train station which is near to Ds’ bus stop.

Flexibility is key - different options, not relying on one school bus for example.

DD age 12, 10 minute bus ride drops right outside the school, rush hour traffic. Bus stop about 3 minutes wall from our house.

19 dd goes to University on the tube about 30 mins. 16 dd has school transport 20 mins . 14 ds takes the bus with his mates 20 mins. They organise themselves as I'm on shift before they're even awake.

5 mins walk. Junior, I can’t imagine being 40m from school - where’s the community? And what a massive waste of commuting time

Primary age, semi-rural - about 3 mins in the car. I'd love to walk / bike but it's a smidge too far for my youngest and down a country lane so not ideal with their dyspraxia!

Primary - 10 minute walk
Secondary - 30 minute walk or 10 minutes by car, usually car in morning and walk back.
College - will be an hour by bus, no alternative, so they'd better not miss it!

Prep - 20 mins by car, town centre so parking and traffic is dreadful.

4 mile drove to nearest bus pick up point then it’s about 15 miles, we leave home at 7.30 they get to school, at about 8.30, home by 4

Dds - walk, 10 minutes
Ds - at the moment, walk, 5 minutes. In September taxi/minibus around 45 minutes.

At the moment:
Junior
7 minute drive, no traffic
From September:
Junior now (but will stay there)
15 minutes if no traffic, 30 if traffic.
Car
However it’s for 2 years as once he’s 11 he will get the train.

Prep. Rural. 50mins. School mini bus door to door.