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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

Walking to primary School

40 replies

bellaprincess · 08/10/2007 15:17

My daughter will be starting primary school next sept (2008). It is walkable and she already goes to the pre-school associated with it.
There is another primary school in the next village which is slightly better but is a good 45min walk. I don't drive so it would be a walk or a bus ride (getting to school 45min before school starts)
I am happy to send my daughter to the local village school but my husband seems to be set on the other school.
I don't think my daughter is up for walking 45min to school having a day at school and then walking another 45min back. Plus rain, snow etc.
How can I put this accross to my husband who thinks she is up to this walk. As he puts it "it will do you both good" wtf
Am I being a prissy mother or do I have a point.

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wheresthehamster · 08/10/2007 16:39

Firstly your DH only does it twice a day on his own and it's probably quite enjoyable for him. You will be doing it four times a day, twice with children in tow.

Also, imagine getting back home one wet, windy morning and seeing DD's lunchbox on the kitchen table......

Original poster

bellaprincess · 08/10/2007 17:15

Thank you all for your support in this matter. At least I know I am not being prissy and thinking a 4yr old could not realistically walk 45min, do a day at school, 45min walk home and actually be happy at the end of it!
I am going to sit down with my DH tonight and talk about this. Half the problem is that we haven't actually sat down and fully talked about it other than in little snippits where neither side gets much to say.
Plus in the time I have first posted and now my DH has decided to take tomorrow off and come with me to the village school open day so hopefully he can see that it has improved and is a lovely little school.
Wish me luck

OP posts:

samanthar · 08/10/2007 17:23

my two are so tired after a full day at not yet four and a half that they can hardly walk the 100 metre to a car park am thinking we will try to walk maybe half the way next year. also all the pta and macmillan coffee mornings etc will be very near to the school also we have already been to 3 or 4 evening weekend things/governor's meetings etc so you wd miss these or he wd need to drive you to them and load the dcs in and put of the car

chopchopbusybusy · 08/10/2007 17:31

Also, don't forget that when they first start it is usually only half days, so by the time you walk home, it'll be time to leave again! Agree with the others - unless the local school is very bad, I wouldn't consider it. I'd go along to both open evenings with your DH, if you haven't already done so.

pooka · 08/10/2007 17:41

She's going to be tired enough as it is when she starts school full time. You'd be getting home as it gets dark and leaving when it's still fairly murky during the winter months. If there is a closer viable alternative, then grasp it with both hands. Plus would be ideal for your dd2 going to the pre-school.
Daft unless you have no choice.

jellybeans · 08/10/2007 21:47

I did this and ended up changing to the nearer school within about 6 months. It was so hard all that walking, I did it 6 times a day (or 3 times there and back) when I had Ds's at nursery and DD's at school. Ds's used to cry and get so fed up walking all that way so often, they hated it. In the cold/rain it was terrible. What should have been a pleasure walking with them on nice days chatting, it became a chore.

I sometimes had to pick them up quickly if they were ill or drop things off (eg forgotton lunch box etc or nip in to see a school play) and had to jog there quickly. Then i would have to take the ill one all that way to collect the others later!

The nearer school we swapped to had a worse reputation and I was worried but I really prefer it now, much friendlier and less competetive. It's a joy to walk to school now and they settled so quick. It's great knowing that I can be there quick if i need to be and the kids are quite happy walking home in all weathers!

Clary · 09/10/2007 00:14

45-min walk is a long way.

Why is DH so set against local school? That's always IMHO (and as others say - playdates, parties etc) the best choice unless major bad-news factor (the kids carry knives, serial bulliers or similar - not that I know any like this, I hasten to add).

MummyPenguin · 09/10/2007 12:47

I don't drive either. Our primary is 20 minutes walk away. We sent our DC there as it's better than the two other nearer ones. In our case, quite a lot better, so it was worth it. When DD first started, my two DS's were babies in a double buggy. The walk was hard work. As I discovered, as they get older, the pushchairs get much harder to push. Your DD will really stuggle with the long walk, as will you. It was murder when they were half days. It used to make me quite depressed. As others have said, I think if the further school is only 'a bit' better than the nearer one, it's not worth it. Definitely send DH out one day with both children to try it himself. If he still insists he goes there, tell him that you're only going to agree if he pays for taxis each day. He'll change his mind.

MummyPenguin · 09/10/2007 12:48

Sorry, if he still insists she goes there.

UnquietDad · 09/10/2007 12:56

When DD first started at school the Reception class in the local village school was already full (we moved late in the year), so while we were waiting to get in (we appealed twice) she had to go to another school 2 miles away.

Doesn't sound much, but on the bus on a cold, dark winter morning (buses hourly so we either had to leave really early or be late) in slow-moving city traffic - it was no fun. Wouldn't have liked to try walking it!! Thankfully by the first term of y1 we had won our appeal and got in, and we now walk - two minutes up the hill.

I'm amazed more parents don't walk. Some of them live just round the corner and yet pile their massive bull-bar-equipped bulldozing mummy-wagons right to the school gate. By the look of some of their fat arses, a five-minute walk each day would do them good.

MummyPenguin · 10/10/2007 11:47

Like it, UnquietDad. Very true too.

dinny · 10/10/2007 11:50

we walk to ours - about 15 mins

ds goes in buggy and dd usually goes on scooter

MerlinsBeard · 10/10/2007 12:00

you may not get in the village school as could be that you are out of catchment anyway

Original poster

bellaprincess · 10/10/2007 12:59

Well DH and I went to the village school open day yesterday and loved it. Whatever the ofsted report said in 2004 it has improved in leaps and bounds. It had a lovely atmosphere and the teachers were great.
DH was impressed and we are certain (95%) that DD1 will go to the village school. However he still wants to go to the other school open day to compare. One of the teachers at the village school quite rightly said primary school is the foundations of a good education so we want to be sure.

I thinks DH just had to see the school for himself and not just go on what I have seen and heard. And before any say anything yes he does listen to me but sometimes it is just better to see for yourself.

Thank you all for your contributions they were a great help in getting my point accross.

OP posts:

Hulababy · 10/10/2007 14:16

That's great. Glad Dh liked it!

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