Commuting from So Ken to Kensington Prep- too far? Others doing the commute?

[sokenmum]

Hi we are very excited as we have received an offer from Kensington Prep today. My only reservation is the commute (20 minutes on the tube). Does anyone else do this? Is there a mum carpool or school bus service? Will this commute eventually become too cumbersome? Also my son has been offered a place at Wetherby- so in a few years I will have to do Notting Hill as well!! I have a possible choice of Glendower closer to me, should I choose proximity over school preference?

20 min commute to school is not long in itself. Where it may affect you/your DD is when they do play dates. But, again, it's not impossible - and Uber is great!

It is a great school. So is Glendower. However, facilities do make a difference - abity to do sports on-site, and to run around is important, especially given that they spend such a big part of their day at school.

There are probably 5-7 girls from South Ken / Chelsea in DD's year group at KP, plus a few from Pimlico / St James Park area even. The ones in South Ken / Chelsea can just hop on the 14 / 414 bus which stops right in front of the door. You have to trade off the inconvenience of the commute with the fact that your DD will have far more space and better facilities throughout the school day. It's so close that I don't think playdates are a problem, it's just a short bus ride, and the South Ken kids can obviously do playdates with each other :-).

Thank you so much for your great feedback-makes it seem much more doable.. quick add to the scenario- my son starts attending Wetherby in 2019 in Notting Hill. Am I going to survive a Fulham to Notting Hill commute over many years?

Do you enjoy riding buses or taking the tube or sitting in traffic? If so, then you'll be fine. Otherwise I think you're mad to "commute" to 2 schools in different directions. If you have help you can of course outsource the travelling for one child.

Sokenmum - I would seriously just go for it!! If you love the school, logistics alawys have a way of working themselves out. Car pools will form! Mums will help each other out. Fulham is not far from Kensington. And having your son in Wetherby is still 3 years away - your DD will be well settled and in a routine by then!!

I was one given this advice by a mum who chose a school she loved in Kensington whilst being based in Barnes. She tells me in hindsight she was so glad that she went with her gut and didn't let logistics get in the way of her school choice (her son thrived at the school and just got an offer from Westminster).

They do loads of after school stuff too. I imagine wetherby is the same, so factor the juggling in.