Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

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

Flip

Original poster

Anyone do a drive to primary school of about 30 minutes (each way)?

17 replies

HiawathaDidntBotherTooMuch · 07/05/2014 20:11

We are considering moving DS1 from his current independent school, which is within 10 minutes walking distance, to another school which is 25-30 minutes' drive each way. So obviously, we would have to do that drive twice a day. There is a bus for back up, but it takes far longer.

We feel that the other school would be a much better fit for DS, and it has much more individualised learning and support for him, as we think he may be dyslexic.

We are also seeing other schools which are within walking distance, but I don't think they are going to be as impressive as this school which is a longer drive. I am hopeful though.

What are your experiences of driving this kind of time to primary? We have a younger child, who would probably go to the same school, so i could be doing this drive for the next 9 years

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

pyrrah · 07/05/2014 20:55

I don't drive DD to school but we do have a 30 minute bus ride (in good traffic, can be MUCH longer in bad).

DD was at a school 5 minutes walk away, but I really wanted her to go to the current school and when a place came up during the Autumn term I grabbed it!

No regrets at all over the decision - even better, if we move out of London as we are planning to do, we can easily keep her at the school as it's on a direct tube line from the station we would come into London at, whereas the first school would be much too far away.

hackneywonderer · 07/05/2014 21:00

forty five minute round trip
listen to radio four and kids audio tapes
would prefer not to do it, but it's doable.
any longer would be a real PIA.

EmilyMortimer · 07/05/2014 21:07

What kind of drive is it (stop/start traffic or a drive in the country)?
I thought I read once that a 30 minute drive home from work was the optimum length of journey. Enough to unwind etc, but not enough to be frustrating. I know you 'll be doing it twice, which isn't great, but it might be just right for the DC's, especially when they're older
There's a bit of a danger of them falling asleep when they're younger.
If you think it's a much better fit for your child then there's no choice, in my book, but it will take a bit of getting used to cause you've been a bit 'spoiled' having had a 10minute walk to school
Is there any danger of it increasi g? A new housing estate or whatever?

EmilyMortimer · 07/05/2014 21:13

What was it about the school that really grabbed you?

It's just that I don't have a great deal of choice (it is a pleasant drive though) but if you're seei g more schools within walking distance could you not be convinced by those?
If you're frustrated & worn out by a PIA drive your dc 's will pick up on it & it won't be the best start to their school day, I think
Apologies for typos - on phone

Original poster

HiawathaDidntBotherTooMuch · 07/05/2014 21:47

It is a drive in traffic, so very stop, start. Its actually only about 3 or 4 miles.

It may be that DS1 has dyslexia. He is too young to diagnose, but the 30 minutes away school has a very individualised approach to teaching each child, an amazing SENCO, lots of support using different types of resources and materials, it was recommended to me by a friend, there was a very nurturing and family feel to it etc.

I also think that it would be a very good school for my youngest. Actually, I think it is an amazing school for any child.

They also have fantastic facilities - grounds, forest, swimming pool, gym, and lots of extra curricular activities to suit everyone. Communication between school and parent is excellent, which is something his current school is severely lacking in, imo.

Seeing two schools tomorrow which are within walking distance, so we can weigh it up after that.

OP posts:

MillyMollyMama · 07/05/2014 22:24

I used to do 30 minutes plus to prep school and about 20 to get home. A bit shorter at collection time as DD often stayed for activities after school but it could be 30 minutes to get home in rush hour. It was still miles better than the local school and I am glad I did it. Plenty of other parents were doing the same, or more!

duchesse · 07/05/2014 22:50

Yep, and my DD's only in reception. The school she goes to is a free school 11 miles away.

In fairness her school is in the city where the older DC are at school, and I am self-employed and frequently work from town, so having DD3 based in town actually suits our family and what we do.

duchesse · 07/05/2014 22:51

Oh, usually takes 25-30 mn door to door. Although I have done it in 23 mn before (no traffic).

redskyatnight · 08/05/2014 09:49

Can you move closer to the school? Although the journey is obviously doable, I think it's likely to be a case of you'll just get used to it rather than actively like it!

My SIL drives a similar distance to school and based on her experience I'd say that things to consider are:

you (and presumably your younger DC?) have to do the journey 4 times. Soul destroying.

if anything is forgotten you are not going to want to nip back

there will be extra journeys for parents evenings/school plays/sports days etc. Or if the DC are ill and need picking up.

if you have 2 DC at the school, what do you do if one has an after school activity but not the other?

is the route prone to delays (so could take you longer)?

if you are not well, what is your back up plan to get the DC to school. Are there other school parents nearby?

play dates/parties etc are inevitably going to be half an hour the other way :)

Your DC (when they get to Y5/Y6) are still going to be reliant on you for school transport when their peer group are starting to be more independent.

Blu · 08/05/2014 10:07

I wouldn't want to do a total of 2 hours driving every day for the school run - that's a lot of time in your day and life - and a lot of petrol.

But I can see why you wnat to find just the right school.

susiey · 08/05/2014 10:11

We did it while we were waiting for local school places to come up 45 mins on a bus there and back twice a day....

We prefer their old school to be honest but now we have 3 hours a day back in our lives . We had 2 under 2 at the time as well.

Local school every time for me unless the schools are awful. They get so tired by the commute that their education suffers.

doodledotmum · 08/05/2014 10:25

Life is too short for me to spend 4 hours a day in the car - some very good points have been made here

Picturesinthefirelight · 08/05/2014 10:37

Yes ds (& dd before him) goes to a private primary school 9 miles away. Journey time is 25-35 mins each way.

However I then carry on in the same direction for another 10 mins to get to work 3 days per week so is bw doing the drive anyway.

If they went to a closer school I'd have to leave work much earlier to pick them up, as it is I can be at school in 10 mins

He'll carry on to the secondary next door.

noramum · 08/05/2014 10:48

We did this with nursery for 1 year as we moved and couldn't find adequate childcare in our new area.

I found it hell and I only did the morning run, DH did the pick-up.

It was okisch from April-September. Then you had bad weather, frost and snow plus every couple of weeks we had traffic work, I had to go via 2 main junctions so the traffic lights could take ages.

I was so glad I am able to walk to school.

Saying that, school is obvious important and school and child need to fit together. But it is something which will take a lot of time out of your day needs to be considered very carefully.

iseenodust · 08/05/2014 11:28

I do 30mins each way for DS age9. We've always had a short car journey because we had to drive to his last school too (none in our village). We're not great talkers in the morning so tend to listen to radio2 or a story cd but on the way home we chat about what we've been up to. DS stays late a couple of afternoons for sports clubs and then DH will pick him up. DS will use a school bus at least one way when he's in the senior school.

Original poster

HiawathaDidntBotherTooMuch · 12/05/2014 09:16

Thanks for the feedback. We have decided to keep DS1 at his current school for at least another year, so the decision has been postopned until then! We did also really like the look of another school within 5 minutes' drive, so problem solved.

OP posts:

nonicknameseemsavailable · 12/05/2014 10:55

I see you have made a decision for the moment but just to say that from the age of 5 my school was 12 miles away so involved about a 30min car journey every day to the city. I don't remember ever minding it to be honest, pain for my parents I am sure but they used to share journeys with another family so that must have helped. If my mum was driving then we didn't even listen to music as she hated having the radio on and I am not sure we had such a modern car as to be able to have tapes.... we used to just play a lot of 'spot the coloured car' type games and chatter (and fight).

Flip