Is four miles far away for a DC's school?

[Ruralorsuburb]

We're looking at moving but DS is settled at his school.

Is it feasible, do you think, to keep him there.

It's on the way into work etc so logistically fine. Thinking more about proximity to friends etc.

A suck it and see approach perhaps?

I think it's feasible if he is settled and the logistics work for you.

I lived 3 miles from school and some friends lived another 2 miles out. But it was a catholic school so we all went to church together to.

I don't think it is that much of a problem personally.

What you might need to think about though, is the move to secondary. Is he likely to get into the same school as his friends? would that bother him?

Would you be better moving him to one near you now to make friends with the kids he will be going to secondary with?

If he's settled, give it a try and see how it goes? What's there to loose?

Yes good shout re. the secondary school...

There are two and no, he wouldn't be in the same catchment as the one his friends will go to.

He only starts FT in Sept, so maybe worth moving him now.

Yes the catholic thing - there is a catholic school on our area and the kids travel from all over to it. Stupidly never thought about them all going to church together!

We are 4 miles from school (nothing closer when we moved) and it is do-able - especially if it is on the way to work. It is a bit of a PITA. Playdates can make you think "Urgh...another schlep in the car." However my DC are in a primary that feeds into the local secondary where they all will be going - so all the same cohort.

However, sharing lifts, school discos (juniors and infants at different times) etc etc are not as easy to deal with.

We moved school when DCs were end of YR and end of Y2. They adapted brilliantly. The odd "I miss the old school/friends" but very rarely from the younger one.

If you can get a space at a nearer/catchment/feeder into your secondary I would - unless the school close by is utter shite and the one 4 miles away is outstanding.

We're very rural, and 11 miles from school. I decided to leave DC there for the last 18mths after we moved (changing to senior school this year).

Previous to that we were 3.5 miles from school, but it was the closest one.

It's never been a problem.

We lived just over 3.2 mile away from DD's primary school, and 3.7 miles from her secondary.

It was always fine. She still had/has a varied and active social life with friends. We just had to be prepared to help facilitate play dates, etc. Most of her friends were the same anyway so majority of parents were on board helping one another.

Ds starts in full time in September. We were worried he wouldn't get into the primary there, but he did. But there is a school closer, had he got in there we would have been ok with it, I think at that age a move is ok rather than later or having to leave their friends when 11.

Dd goes to secondary school this year and she didn't get into the same secondary as her friends. She was devastated, luckily we won the appeal. It was this situation that made me think of your ds going to secondary

Our school has kids from a 10 mile radius. It is catholic, but 70 of the kids attending aren't, so they don't see each other in church. As many of us travel, no-one sees it as a problem.

Many travel 3/4/5 miles for the state primary of their choice too, but we are a semi-rural area so lots of people are used to travelling, (for work, supermarkets etc)
Might be harder in a big city.

Primary I'd say on the limit, secondary fine.

How old is he? If he's Y5/6 might be tempted to leave him where he is. If only in first few years of school would move so he can make local friends.

How much of a pain it will be will also depend on how local everyone else is. If they all live very close to the school and to each other it is worse. I notice and we are only 1.5 miles to most people's 0.5. or far under. Especially if there are any siblings in the mix.

Prep schools take from miles away. 4 miles would be nothing. You just have to work harder on friendships.

My ds used to go to a school four miles away. We'd chosen to send him to a village school outside the large town we lived in. It was do-able but difficult. It would have been fine with a car though, so as long as you drive I don't think it's any problem at all.