20-25 min walk to school

[Mycuppatea]

Trying to decide on primary schools for reception next Sept. My preference is a 20 min walk away, does anyone do similar? There is no parking and standstill traffic so driving isn’t an option, just worried about the heavy rain days and the knackered 4 year old (August born so one of the youngest). The schools we mostly like the sound of are all 20, 25, 30 min walk.

There is a school closer, just over 10 mins walk but I’m not as keen. It’ll go on as one of our six options but not very high up.

I understand that I may not get either (application is a preference, not a choice etc.) so just trying to get opinions on the walk.

We have that long a walk - we scooted for the first two years and she was fine, and since then have been cycling, it’s great - 15 min cycle to or from school at her pace max and then it’s a very quick 10 mins home for me. Just get some waterproofs etc. It’s a lovely way to start the day and we always have a good chat about how school was as we cycle home. It’s a nice walk too, wellies if really wet is fine :)

My sons primary school is about a 15-20 minute walk for me alone, and a 20-25 minute walk with him, depending on how fast or slow we walk. But I don't see the point of rushing so we allow enough time to walk at a nice average pace.
We cross one main road then it's all down residential side streets so it's a nice walk.

It was by far the best school and the only one we were happy for him to go to. (We viewed all three near us. There was another school roughly the same distance but straight down a main road instead of down side streets but we didn't like it. And there is one literally on the next street to us, about 5 minutes walk if that. But we hated it. I'm not saying either of the other two are bad, they just weren't right for our son at all).

He is used to the walk now and quite likes it. (At times I do wish we lived where my dad lives, which is about 5 minutes from the school my son goes to. But we don't so never mind).

Hi op! I moved last year and kept my dc in the same school which is now a 25 min walk! We manage fine, my dc are 5 and 9, some days are harder than others, if it's raining ect or after lockdown their legs were tired to start with but on a whole we are fine, sometimes we scooter/bike, I always bring snacks for the walk home as that seems to mentally seem longer! I also got a job a 2 min walk from their school which means I don't have too far to walk back every day

Also echo what pp says, we leave extra early just so we don't ever feel like we are rushing and can take our time, we enjoy our chats in the morning

Thanks so much everyone, really great to hear different stories on how it works for you - love the snacks idea, definitely keeping that one! 😊 My little one does like to walk usually so I’m hoping it’ll be a nice time for us to stroll back each day.

The choice is the 20 min school which I think is the right fit or a 12 min school which is twice the size, and I’m just not as keen for various reasons. For the sake of losing 8 mins on my return trips I’m leaning to the 20 min school. Also... I’m hoping by junior school we would be able to move, but Covid has ruined that for the time being (redundancy and no hope of work anytime soon) so not fixating on it.

BackForGood - appreciate your points, something to think about for sure. Driving even part way isn’t an option unfortunately, it can take 10 mins to get out of my road, which is half the walking time, then it’s solid traffic. Then parking is... well other parents may be happy to park illegally but it’s not for me. There are no spaces, so it’s either double yellow lines, on someone’s drive, on the pavement (which is amazing now with everyone queueing up alongside for social distanced pick up) or my favourite, diagonally across the pavement and the road. And that’s the whole way, not just outside schools. It’s a very built up area with very little parking, I am often amazed when people talk about driving to school (maybe a bit jealous 😂).

I am often amazed when people talk about driving to school (maybe a bit jealous 😂).

This is often about people needing to get to work on time. They just don't have a spare 20 mins to walk back and get the car between school drop off and the very latest time they need to leave for work. Just make sure this long walk without the possibility of driving doesn't make the difference between whether you can get another job or not, if that is something you are looking to do. Though in practice, even at schools with no parking people do find ways if they have to.

Ah I see, I’ve never driven to work (or had to do the school run) so hadn’t thought about others doing that.

Work would be WFH or tube so no driving to work in my future.

Our school is a 30 minute walk away and all mine did it from age 4 in nursery. It's all up hill and down dale too so not a straight forward flat walk. It's miserable in driving rain but waterproofs are great and it sets them up well for the day and they sleep well too.

We have always had a bit of a walk. 25mins on a good day. 45mins when blackberries are in season! We walk regardless of the weather. Rain isn’t terrible. My boys enjoy wearing their wellies. The only school run that I find too much is when it is sleety.

Scooters are great for tired four year olds as you can hold the handlebar to help them along when they run out of oomph. Bikes are a pain when your child decides they are too tired though. Carrying a toddler and balance bike is hard! Also remember if they have wheels and you don’t they will need to be very reliable at waiting for you. We are rural, so my boys have the instruction to wait at each field gate. The alternative to to sacrifice your dignity and buy yourself a scooter!

I would second having a bike + trailer.

As pp said it it a big chunk out of your day. I’d consider either a bike, a scooter that is big enough for you (if you have no dignity!) or using the trip back as your daily run.

Also what will happen as your child gets older? Will they be able to walk part of it alone or will you still be walking 1.5 hours a day?

Hard at the start - you should be prepared to stop and having a scooter could help. But totally doable - great for gitnessy

Fitness!

Some great tips, thanks everyone! It’s really helpful to get ideas from those that do a similar journey.

I’m not really concerned with the time it’ll take out of my day, but appreciate it may be useful for others looking at this thread.

Ours is a mile one way uphill. My 3 year old (who starts school next September) does it there and back with me on his balance bike so he does 2 miles. His balance bike is much faster and lighter than his Micro scooter, I find with the scooter I end up pulling him or carrying it, whereas the balance bike is half the weight of the scooter so I'm happy to carry it across roads and if he wants to walk along a wall. It's light enough to hold with one finger. My advice is invest in a super lightweight balance bike (ours is a Vitus nippy-we did used to have a much heavier one that was no good).

I am having the same consideration as you too though OP, as my son is very unlikely to get the same school. Our choice is between one that 1.6 miles away, mostly through a leafy village area then downhill (so very steep uphill back) or 0.6 a mile away also uphill through a very urban area.

There is also a school 0.2 miles away that I just don't like, my teenager went there and I withdrew him for various issues. And I know it's completely different leadership now, but it's just big and dark and the prospectus/results/curriculum doesn't appeal to me. If we do wind up with it, the easy school run will at least soften the blow.

Preference wise I'm left choosing between the long or the medium walk. We are actually more likely to get the further away one. If we put that first choice and get it, I think I will invest in an electric bike, and a trailer. I'll use the trailer to carry my son's bike in, and he can sit in the trailer up the steep hill and when it rains. Decent electric bikes are around 2k though.

I really can't decide between the two though. I kind of think, the worst bit about the school run on foot in all weathers is actually getting out the door. Once we've got going outside we're over the hardest bit, the distance isn't the hardest, iyswim.

So we’ve done some test walks... I’m even more confused now. The walks have been pretty painful, with bakery stops to sweeten the deal. So much whining, dragging feet...

So my choices are:

School A - 30 min walk, Good ofsted, part of great Academy group. 2 form entry, set off a residential road, helpful when I’ve called to enquire.

School B - 20 min walk, Good ofsted, community school, 4 form entry. Set on a side road, more traffic passing than School A but still quite quiet.

School C - 20 min walk, Outstanding ofsted, 3 form entry. Set on main road, lots of traffic/congestion. They are the only one not doing a virtual tour or providing any visuals of the inside of the school. On the Heads welcome video she states we can email any questions but as they’re so popular, they’re too busy to answer all queries. I emailed 3 weeks ago and have been ignored so far.

School D - 10 min walk, Inadequate / special measures ofsted. Was made an academy 2 years ago, still Inadequate. Another academy trust is taking over this term and seem to be moving quickly but not sure if they’ll be able to make enough difference by Sept. It’s my closest and will be my default if I don’t get any others as it’s always under subscribed. 2 form entry.

Urgh, I didn’t realise I’d get this confused. What would you do? I’m planning on sticking my head in the sand until Christmas I think and then panic apply in Jan

Meant to say the academy taking over School D is very well respected, has multiple schools locally that are all Good or Outstanding, I like two of them but the walk is prohibitive (40 mins+ down dual carriageway)

My DC's junior school was a 30 min walk, and we did it there and back every day rain or shine. It was fine. In fact, it was a great way to build exercise into the day, and it's a really good habit for them to get into.

That said, one of mine (now adult) would gladly drive to the end of the drive if it saved her from having to walk three feet.

On the basis of your most recent posts, I'd go for School A.

Ours is a 20-25 min walk at child pace, about 15 minutes my pace.

We used the scooter all the time in reception. That was faster and I could pull if tired. Walking would have taken aaaages.

We now walk but it’s slower and I do spend a lot of my time on the way there saying “Come ON DC” as they stop to look at an interesting leaf... Scooter also helps avoid that

In short it is fine but definitely get her using the scooter!

We do similar. 25 mins walk but now DD is a bit older we've got it down to 20. It doesn't rain as much as we think. But when it does wellies, brollie a good waterproof n she changes into her shoes at school.

Don't rule out the larger schools just on the grounds of size.

Bigger schools can have advantages - they can often afford specialist facilities and equipment through economies of scale eg my DCs 3 form entry primary had a specialist music teacher and PE teacher which none of the smaller schools had.

They are usually set up so that the smaller children have separate play areas, split lunch times etc.

I also think it prepares the children better for secondary school which are often huge.

Do not underestimate the difficulties of walking an exhausted only-just 4yo home at the end of the week near the end of term.

The day they start school, the walk halves for the child. The trickiest bit of a school run is not getting the school child in, it's wrangling younger sons who are having to walk twice as far. A 30 min walk twice a day is much easier than a 60 min walk.

That said, school B sounds like the pick from what you've said. I think you're underestimating the impact on your day of spending 2 hours a day doing the same walk day in, day out though.

Just to add to the confusion, we went for a school which presented itself like school C (it was our catchment school) and it turned out to be the loveliest school. But you can only go with the info you have available.

*younger sibs not sons.