living right next to a secondary school? pros & cons?

[miso]

Ok - I'm about to look at renting a ground floor flat which is directly opposite the entrance to a school.
On the plus side, I guess we won't have a problem getting a school place - but what are the downsides?
For context its an inner city area, but supposedly quite a strict school...
DD does fairly OK at school - but I wouldn't want to live bang opposite my workplace!

If you lived next to your school - did you hate it? Did you bunk off loads? Bring your dodgy mates round while your mum was at work?

I always lived a good bus ride away from school so I really can't imagine what it would be like.

From knowing lots of people who did live next to school they were always late getting to school! and yes we use to go round and eat piles of toast at who ever lived nearest's house without a parent being there.

Pros:
Close for your DD, which means no buses/driving to school, saving money in petrol and avoiding problems if she does after school clubs etc after the buses have left.
She can get up later in the mornings (but not too late! As pm said often when you live nearby you get complacent)
She could come home for lunch. Also useful when she does exams etc (I know that's a long way off!)
Not an issue if she forgets work, PE kit etc.
I don't think it's the same as living opposite your workplace as once a school is closed, it's closed whereas work can be open all the time when you are not there.
Yes, she might bring all her mates round after school/at breaktimes/(bunking off?? Hopefully not) - but at least you'll know where they are.

Cons:
If you move your car at school picking up/dropping off time, you will not be able to get a parking space.

• Related road rage issues at these times! Any potential bullying problems could be worse if the perpetrators know she lives nearby. Huge crowds of kids hanging around smoking, noisy, etc at end/start of school. (You can see how bad this is if you find out what time the school closes and insist on a viewing at that time)

Another pro is that it will be really quiet and peaceful at the weekend / school holidays.

Thank you! All good points.
The lateness is a good point... we are already terrible for that but have only ourselves to blame.

The bullying thing is a good point - not that its been an issue so far but you never know - i guess if that ever happened it would be bad wherever you lived - and one of the (very few) plus points of being a private tenant is that you can move on if you really have to, so maybe we'll cross that bridge if you need to.

I'm much more about the popping round to make toast - I always envied my friends who lived close to school, but now I see it from the other side!

I don't drive so access isn't a prob - I do think it would be shame if dd didn't have a nice healthy walk / bike ride to school every day though! She's a good walker (like me) but loathes P.E. so being late for school and racing down the road is her main exercise.

Off to view in an hour or so!

Am trying not to be alarmist & think of running battles & stabbings outside the school gates - I'm sure when things like that happen it rare enough that it makes the news IKSIM.

I'm sure there won't be running battles and stabbings But smokers are common - it's only half an hour twice a day though, and if you work FT you probably won't even be there to see it.

I live opposite a secondary school, but my children are younger.

Cons

• crisp packets in the garden. LOADS of them.

-Parking during term time

-Noise, during term time we need to close the windows to make a telephone call

Have to time deliveries carefully

-Swearing (I have younger children)

Pros
-Can see what people are up to (I am nosey)

-Quiet during holidays

-School building is used for fun evening classes which I enjoy

-Suppose you might get to know your daughters friends better

Hope the viewing goes well.

I have just put a deposit down I am on a bit of a high now...

The landlord was great, I can live with crisp packets (or i can be one of the neighbourhood busybodies who phone's the school to say "I saw a child in xxxx school uniform dropping crisp packets inthe road" .

Think the pros outweigh the cons on the whole.

Getting to know friends is an interesting point - probably one of those things where you get out what you put in... at least if we live near school I would have the opportunity to do that.

Deliveries is a good point btw - never thought of that.

We live a block from school. Big advantages are no driving to and from school for anyone-especially teens, leisurely breakfasts, home sometimes with friends for lunch. Often friends over after school.

I live a hundred yards from our secondary school.
Pros
DD1 doesn't have to leave the house until 10 mins before school starts.
If she forgets something REALLY IMPORTANT I can pop it up to her.
Her friends call for her on the way to school.

Cons
Her friends call for her on the way to school. No matter how wet it is they walk in my back door and out my front door.
They also come home after school and eat all the biscuits.