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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Is 20 minutes each way too far to travel?

72 replies

mckenzie · 10/05/2011 20:23

DD is currently in the local state primary (year 1) which is a 5 minute walk away. DS is at the local prep school (year 5), 5 minutes drive away.

I've been today to look at a new school for DD and it is fabulous. Faultless really except that it will take me 15/20 minutes to get there every morning, slightly longer to get back and then 15/20 minutes again each way in the afternoon.
DH takes DS currently and even if DH was away it should be doable because of the different start times. The different finishing times mean home time is doable too.

But is it madness to spend that much time driving too and from school? Or does the quality of the school justify it?

Your thoughts gratefully received.

TIA

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ChickFlit · 10/05/2011 20:28

I have a 15 minute drive each way to school every day and have been doing it for four years now. It's not the drive that bothers me and I quite enjoy listening to the radio on a morning, but at the moment it's the cost in petrol that I'm noticing, the school run is making a financial hole in our pockets every month.

However, I wouldn't change to a school more locally as my DC's are at an excellent school - so I guess I'd say it was worth it.

Hulababy · 10/05/2011 20:30

I think that is fine. Our drive is 10-15 minutes. Many of DD's school fiends travel up to half an hour or more each way.

seeker · 10/05/2011 20:32

Don't do it. I do, and I wish, wish, wish I didn;t. There are so many downsides and no upsides at all.

edoli · 10/05/2011 20:32

I would think it totally depends on whether the school really is that fabulous and what you have to do during the day.

I have just made the decision to move to a school which is driving rather than walking because I think it's the right place for my kids. Not happy about the drive but it's only one factor to consider.

CarGirl · 10/05/2011 20:34

It means you are even less likely to go back to work with that sort of commitment, is that a consideration?

madwomanintheattic · 10/05/2011 20:40

round these parts it's not unusual for primary children to spend up to 2 hours on the bus to get to school. they had to change the 'snow day' school cancellation announcement time from 7am to 6.30 am becasue some children were already en route to the bus stop or actually riding the bus by 7am.

i think even asking the 15-20 minutes question is really funny tbh - anyone who doesn't live in a large town or city is automatically taking that or longer to get to school anyway.

i had three in different settings - one at each end of town and one over the county line in the next county. it took about 40 minutes to do the drop-offs and collects, and yep. it really buggers up your job prospects. at one point i had two after school clubs in different towns and two childminders (in different towns) on the go.

but, hey, most things are possible if you are flexible enough.

AbigailS · 10/05/2011 20:41

If it was a brilliant school I'd happily drive that far. My current school is nearly a twenty five minute walk each way, so I don't see much difference (except the impact on the environment?)

SagaciousCloud · 10/05/2011 20:43

It takes 35 minutes to get DD to school and nursery before that. We've never had any issues with length of the journey except boredom sometimes! In fact we chat quite a lot and she practices times tables and learn poems. She's going to a closer school in September, only 10 minutes drive, and I shall miss our long chats.

seeker · 10/05/2011 20:45

Where in the country do primary children spend 2 hours on the bus to get to school? And on what planet are the peopel who think that 4 hours travelling time a day for a 6 year old is anything but insane?

Original poster

mckenzie · 10/05/2011 20:45

thanks very much for the replies. At the moment I don't 'have' to do anything else during the day so I can afford to give the time to the journey. However, I hadn't thought about the work issue cargirl - thanks for bringing that up. I have been thinking recently that I need to try and get myself a part-time job of some sort as I am stagnating and I need some brain work.

I was told before I went that i would fall in love with the school when I saw it and it's true - I did just that. It helped that i saw the building and the grounds on a glorious sunny morning but the facilities, the feel of the school, the pupils and staff that I met - everything just made me feel like I wanted DD to start there tomorrow . I'm going to see another school that is closer before we make our decision but i really appreciate your input - thank you.

OP posts:

Jojocat · 10/05/2011 21:06

I would consider the cost of petrol, having to sometimes drive there more than twice a day if there is a sports day or parents evening, what would the drive be like on icy roads in winter, would you mind driving 20 miles further on to take your DD on play dates with friends who live beyond the school?

I can see it is a hard decision if the school seemed so lovely. I suppose it depends how things are going at the current school. If your DD has a really good set of friends I'd be tempted not to move her for the time being. However if you have really fallen in love with the other school maybe it will be worth the drive.

seeker · 10/05/2011 21:08

Right.

You are 20 minutes away. That's 40 minutes there and back for you in the morning and 40 minutes in the evening. Every day.

Then there's the days when you have to go back in the evening for parents evening or a performance - that's another 40 minutes. Or the days when you forget the ukelele or the pe kit or the lunch.

What if you car doesn't start? Or you're ill? Unless you're very lucky there won;t be another parent passing your door to take your child for you.

What about friends home for tea? You'll ahve to do all the driving - that's another 40 minutes! And think about when your child gets older. No popping round to a friend, no impromptu trips to the park, no playing out. And never ever being abot to walk home alone to spread their wings a bit before Secondary school.

madwomanintheattic · 10/05/2011 21:09

seeker - in canada at the mo. southern alberta, and these ranch kids in the middle of the prairies will insist on getting an education. insane or not, it's fairly common. they take pillows on the bus and kip on the way home. you want to hear the current uproar about slashing the budgets - the solution being to lengthen the school day and have less days in school per annum (transport budget is in the hundreds of thousands per day). understandably parents are even more freaked out that this will lengthen the day even more for the farm kids. they'll have to bring the snow day cancellation point forward to 5.30 and the townies (who all have day jobs) are all freaked out about needing childcare for additional days when school is closed and they are supposed to be at work...

but 15-20 minutes has to be low average for anyone outside of a large UK town, surely? my other timings (40) were all UK based...

TimeWasting · 10/05/2011 21:09

It's going to take me longer than that to walk to school.

seeker · 10/05/2011 21:13

madwoman - that's not fair!

A 15/20 minute walk to school is typical in the small country town which is the nearest to where I live - but that's walking, not driving.

gruber · 10/05/2011 21:16

Well I do a 15-20 min drive every day. If the school is worth it, go for it. However, at the moment I do school-home-school (kindergarten pick up)-home-school(end of day)-home. Bear in mind the petrol costs.

And don't underestimate snow days or if there's a traffic jam? But, if you like the school, you like the school.

Jojocat · 10/05/2011 21:18

Abigail - There is a difference. If your school is 25 mins walk it is probably 5 mins drive (if you forget something) and your child would have friends within walking distance. It is surely better for children to walk to school if possible as they benefit from the excercise. Obviously if the school 20 mins drive away is better in lots of ways then it may be worth the drive and excercise will be fitted in elsewhere - at least most private schools have a decent amount of PE.

DiscoDaisy · 10/05/2011 21:18

2 of my children go to schools that are a 15 minute drive away. They go on a school bus that takes 40 minutes to get there.
We chose to send our DC to these schools because they are brilliant schools and better than the schools for this age in our town.
Because other children from our town go to these schools as well we share the trips out to the schools if clubs are on.

CarGirl · 10/05/2011 21:22

I would seriously do the school run for a week in poor weather to get a feel for the reality.

The fight for a parking space would put me off, the fact your child is not getting that in built exercise of walking to school. Also how bad is the traffic at that time of day - around here it's hideous at that time of day.

cheesesarnie · 10/05/2011 21:27

i do 15 minutes each way for ds1 and ds2.ds1 used to go to a crappier school.the difference in him and the amazing school is well worth the drive.
dd goes to a different school-about to go to secondary so stayed at crapola school.on days when clubs clash etc its bit akward.and when one ds wants to do a club and the other doesnt and were back and forth its a bit argh!
but soooo worth it!

cece · 10/05/2011 22:17

I agree with seeker and cargirl

Preggersplayspop · 10/05/2011 22:21

Definitely try the run at the times you would be driving. I timed my nursery run at 6 mins before I started work, but at the times I drive it's a min of 15 mins. If the roads are snarled for any reason it can take half an hour, not good.

MadamDeathstare · 10/05/2011 22:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CarGirl · 10/05/2011 22:28

Ours is 15 mins on foot with scooters and it's fine, at "rush" hour it's only about 5 mins tops quicker by car. My eldest started at a different school, takes 10 mins usually but sometimes it takes half an hour.

Also the fuel usage. It's about a 3 mile drive home-school-work, I worked out that cycling would save me £300 in 6 months

cat64 · 10/05/2011 23:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

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