Choosing school based on distance from home?

[apric0t]

We are moving out of London to a seaside town. Our new house backs onto a primary school. It would take less than 1 minute to walk there for the school run. There is a much better school (parent satisfaction, grades etc) a 22 min walk from the house. I'd much prefer LO to go to this school but is it madness to choose that school as I'll be kicking myself every school run that I didn't choose the one on our doorstep for ease of travel?

I'm self employed and work from home so it's not like I would drop kids off on the commute or something. Although I suppose we could drive there if the weather was horrible.

What do you think?

No. You can’t make a better choice for your child than a decent school. We moved DS from an all smoke and mirrors supposedly outstanding local school to a genuinely outstanding school which is a 15 minute drive away and it’s been the best decision we’ve ever made. He’s gone from being a quiet, hiding in the background child that his year 1 teacher described as ‘average’ to a confident, outgoing year 6 who is about to go to a really good Grammar school.

We chose a school about 4 miles away from home (it was oversubscribed and we were very lucky to get a place at rhe last minute!). We have a school two minute walk from home. We are now without a car (and won't be using public transport for the near future) and you know what? I wouldn't change the school at all!

A good school, with a good feeling, nurturing, caring when you walk in is priceless. We also have the added bonus that the school is Ofsted outstanding, children who attend achieve well above the national average all whilst being looked after so well by the teachers.

My husband was dead set against travelling for school and even he has come to the conclusion that we picked the best school (the nearest school has a lot of children from the very rough local council estate - where I live before anyone blows a gasket! - and it would have been a poor choice.

Go and look at both schools. Take it from there. There is stuff the paperwork doesn't tell you.

Depends. Is the school actually better or is it just a nicer catchment?

I reckon a lot of the benefit of school is social, and I would almost always choose a local primary so that my dc can have friends round easily, walk to school, take themselves off to play with friends etc. I think you miss out on a lot of social experiences if you live out of catchment.

Also, can you find out how many kids go to the school from a distance away (either out of catchment or rural catchment area). It’s quite tough being a 10yo and being the only one who can’t go out with their friends after school.

How much better is better? Look round both. 22min walk will be an hours round trip by the time you dropped off/picked up, trailer book bags etc. So two hours a day. That’s not to say it’s the not right choice, but is it two hours a day of your life for years better?

Make sure you see both schools (if possible) and compare and contrast everything (clubs, extracurriculars etc.).

We found distance was better after years of going to a school really far we had an exhausted child who spent far too long travelling daily (and had car sickness so it was a nightmare)
The local school (a 10 min walk) was amazing the difference was immense and the time we got back was worth it

I had the option of a school that was a 10 minutes drive away or a 5 minute walk. Academically the school further away was extensively better than the local school.
I opted for the local school as I believe that having friends within the local area is incredibly important. Being able to walk to and from school with them is an important part of school life.
Socially this has helped my child and I believe that this was the right decision for us.

I wouldn't choose a school just based on distance from home but I would consider it to be a HUGE plus point.

Go and visit them.
OFSTED can be very deceiving, as can raw data.

The government web site has lots of data and you can compare all sorts of things. Ofsted use this data and you can see how Sats results compare with other schools regarding whether they are above average, below average for example. Intake does affect results. No doubt about that. Also consider where you “fit in”. Which school has better clubs, a more interesting curriculum etc. Look at the newsletters from the head teachers. They should be on line. What impression of the schools do you get from these?

Go to the best school. If it’s obvious, you won’t be alone in going there from your area. You can always drive part way and walk part way. We live on an unsafe walking route to school so driving or school taxi was the only solution. My DDs didn’t lose out. After school clubs replaced the walking to school experience. So look to see what each school offers and ignore distance right now. Use it as a tie break if all else is equal.

Would you get a place at the further school?
Most good Primary schools (and even some not so good ones) are very oversubscribed, you don’t really get to choose a just get a preference.
We preferred a school a 10 minute drive away over the one a 5 minute walk away and at the time the further one wasn’t very popular so DD got a place and then the sibling link helped Ds get a place, we have been very happy with the school but sometimes I do think that it would have been nice for the Dc to have friends living closer and it would have been nice to be able to walk to school and/or let the DC make their own way home once they were old enough

The idea that you should be a short walk away is really weird to me. I grew up where it was normal to travel up to an hour for school. Obviously it’s convenient to be able to walk to wherever it is that you need to go in under a minute but you wouldn’t deny your child the best education available to them to make your life slightly easier.

22 mins is a perfectly ok walk to school though. I used to do 25 mins when I was little. Gathered friends on the way. Older DC can bike. Op works from home so it’s doable.

Forgot to say, you must check if you can get into the further school. The LA will have admission stats for the school including distance furthest pupil admitted.

My dm (headteacher) says the best school is always the nearest, as long as it's not performing very badly I would send kids there.

it does seem crazy to ignore the school on your very doorstep imo. how bad can it be?
you need to go and look and judge from the Feel of the place.

Is your child already at school (so this would be an in-year transfer) or would you be applying for a place in Reception for September? As well as visiting the schools, check out the data for the most recent round of admissions? It may be that the distance to the other school is too great for you to stand a chance of getting a place. Even if it's an in-year transfer, if this is a popular, oversubscribed school you could find you're very low on the waiting list.

Should have explained better: if you're applying for Reception for this September, it'll be treated as a late application and you'll most likely be placed on the waiting list for either school, unless it is under-subscribed and has a vacancy. If you're applying for Reception in subsequent years, you may find that you're unlikely to get a place in the more distant school but are offered a place in the one nearby.

Yes but that can be checked out by via the LA admissions web page. If the further school never takes from your address then you probably won’t get in. You can still apply though. Always name your local/catchment school and always name a school you will get into. Some CofE schools are choosy and some have tiny catchments and next to no Places due to sibling and religious affiliation coming above all else. You will need to familiarise yourself with what’s possible.

If it’s late application or mid year you normally have to take what’s offered. Lots of schools are full.

I'd go local as the benefits of all their mates living on doorstep are massive. Never have a childcare crisis. They can just go play out when they like, post age 8 ish. They can walk round to friends houses..the list goes on. Makes a huge difference emotionally

What is the local school like?

Umm! You don’t normally stick a child outside and get rid of a child care problem that’s arisen. Other families are busy and most people don’t presume like this. I wouldn’t accept a poor school just because it’s local. I would use local as a tie breaker. Working from home means you can facilitate playing with dc who live a bit further away. It’s only a relatively short walk - not the far side of the moon!

We’ve turned down a good grammar on our doorstep, for a 50 minute bus ride. If it feels right, then distance really should not matter.

It’s only a relatively short walk - not the far side of the moon!

The best part of an hour x twice a day (potentially more if there is a sibling, and then they start staying for after school clubs etc.)
A child at a school 2 mins away can trot home on their own from about 8 or 9, but over a mile away is likely to be a more challenging journey.
When you do need help - and who doesn't over 7 years of Primary school? - It is also much easier to ask when everyone is passing your door anyway, rather than asking another parent to walk that far out of their way to deliver your child.

As I said before, it wouldn't be the one point I'd decide a school on, but it is a big point.