6th form - how far is it reasonable for pupils to commute?

[newhouseplans]

There isn't a 6th form where we live.

Two 6th forms DS is interested in are a train ride away, one is a 35 mins on the train, the other 20 mins.

But once you add on the bus to the train station, a short walk either end etc, it's more like 1.5 hours for the further one (with 2 trains every hour) and 1 hour for the nearer one (with 3 trains every hour).

So, both are a fair distance.

Do you think the extra half hour each way makes much difference?

There are lots of other factors involved with the decision, but just wondering what others think?

If the further one suited DS better, could it be worth the extra hour's commute every day?

My son is in a similar boat but it will be dead commuting time as it's the underground for the 30 min journey! It's also notoriously unreliable. However, offers the subjects he really wants.

30 minutes is nothing much in rural areas. Might feel a long way in London! I don’t think 3 hours a day travel is a great use of time in the 6th form. Lots of secondary schools don’t like excessive travel to and from school.

I had a long commute to a very good school, it was miserable. I was constantly really tired and it was very hard to have a social life or do after school activities/play on teams. The commute itself was also quite stressful. As an adult I chose to live in a city so that our family is close to work, schools and everything we need!
I think it depends on your child though how much it will bother them.

check if there is a college bus, I went to sixth form about 10 miles away but there were no direct public transport links I would need to get two buses with a walk either end and it took at least 90 minutes because the connections weren't good, or you could pay for a pass on the college bus, it took about 45 minutes because it used to go to various other villages and towns to pick up but no changes. I used to get reading type homework done on there or prep for languages Tests. It was like a coach. It also worked out a bit cheaper than the public busses.
I and others used to get public busses back once or twice a week because most of us had part time jobs at the shopping centre between home and college, it was open until 10 so you could do 5-10 or 6-10 shifts. In second year several of my local friends learned to drive (including now DH) and would give lifts and we'd chip in for petrol , I didn't drive until my last year at uni (Durham no need for a car). My brother went to a different college he didn't do A levels he's in a trade and did his CBT and got a moped to get there more easily.

The extra half hour will make a huge difference as will the train frequency.

From the age of 11 I walked over a mile to the station, had to take 2 trains and another mile walk the other end. It was fine. I’m sure your children will be fine too.

Will he have a travel card that covers all the journeys, or will there be a difference in costs for the two different routes?

There isn't a college bus, he'd have to get the train. He much prefers trains to buses though, e.g. when we were visiting my mother recently he chose to stay an extra night and come home by train on his own the next day rather than get a rail replacement witn DD and me!

He'll have a season ticket and a 16-17 railcard so it'll be half price.

The longer journey does cost a little more but I'm not factoring that into the decision. It's not a huge difference.

I think it’s fine for them to do a commute as long as someone is available to take him/pick up if the bus or train is cancelled which is my experience happened at least once a month especially in winter months.

my dd had one day where she spent longer commuting than in college as she only had to go in for one lesson which was annoying, technically they can do homework in college but both of mine preferred to do at home and socialise in college.

Fine for Btech, impossible for alevels.

It isn’t. I did it.

However, I didn’t do an hour exercise (no need as I walked to and from the station at each end), spend two hours eating and washing, or ten hours sleeping. There was plenty of time to get homework done.

DD has done 90 minutes each way since Y1... 6th form is 85 minutes.

5 mins to station, 50 minutes on first train, change platform, 20 minutes on second and another 5 minute walk. Now switching to tube instead of second train which reduces wait time.

Length of commute is less important than ease of commute. Lots of changes is a faff. Warm train with tables, power sockets and WIFI is easy. DD got her homework done, or watch films on Netflix on her iPad during the commute. Never found it a problem.

Our nearest 6th form college as the crow flies is over 2 hours each way as it's 2 trains and 2 buses and a long walk, so she's opted to continue going into London for a specialist college.

Talking to the other kids at the college at the open day, 90 minutes was pretty standard for those living outside London and 40-60 minutes for those in London. Most seemed to live outside.

they tend to do assignments and catch up on social life during the commute.

Where I live, many kids want to attend an agricultural college which is min. 90 minutes on public transport, each way. they make it work.

Having done exactly that commute for over 10 years it is totally possible.

And why are you spending 2 hours eating and having a shower?

10 hours sleep is also far more than any teens I know have outside weekends/holidays. DD (16) goes to bed around midnight and is out the door at 7am, has done since she was 11.

Manages homework, after school sports and clubs, 3 musical instruments, drama classes, at least 2 hours music practice a day and a social life.

When i was at colage, It depended on If i had a lift to the bus stop or not on how long my journey was:

If i had a lift then it was 10 minutes drive to closest bust stop, then if i got the collage bus it was 45 minutes. If i had a later bus, it was 50 minutes to the town center then a 15 minute walk to the collage.

If I had to walk to the bus stop it was about 45 mintes - then the 45 minute bus etc.

My friend chose to come to our town's collage rather than hers as it had a better science department - and commuted 2hrs each way!

I think its totally reasonable on both travelling times to be honest!!

My dd spent less time doing homework at A Level than at GCSE as she had 2 hours a day at sixth form timetabled as study periods /free periods. She usually used one of those for study and then came home for the other, if it was last lesson, which meant that despite the long journey she was usually home by 3.30/4.

I doubt she ever worked on the train, as she travelled with friends and viewed it as social time. I can appreciate that's a less desirable proposition if they're likely to be travelling alone. I don't think my dd would have liked that, although my ds used to choose a different morning bus to his friends so he could sleep!

There’d have to be a hell of a difference in quality/ “fit” for it to be worth getting up an hour earlier each day for me, with a longer commute. What a levels is he interested in? Some have courses that vary quite a lot (eg what periods they study in history, what the art / design courses are like) but some are pretty much the same course everywhere.