Secondary school commute? Sensible or not?

[dddddiva]

Hi,

My daughter has received an offer from City of London School for Girls for 11+ entry. We live about a 10–15 minute drive from Woolwich Arsenal. She could take the Elizabeth line to Farringdon station (took around 15 mins) and then walk to the school (7mins walk).

Do you think this would be a tiring commute for secondary school? In the first years I can drive her to Woolwich Arsenal, and later she could also take a bus there independently or overground train (5mins). Would this be considered a reasonable daily journey?

The journey should be fine. All she needs to know is alternative routes, how to use TfL and Citymapper. Don’t talk to anyone apart from women, have iPod or kindle or books to amuse you. It isn’t a long journey at all and will do her good in terms of maturing. The one thing I’d probably do with her or get more info on is darker nights. Woolwich I didn’t think was the safest station area when SIL was looking at houses round there. Happy to be proved wrong though!

I know boys in my son's class who travelled down from Greenwich to secondary school in Tunbridge Wells. Every day. It must've taken a good 1hr and 45, if not 2 hours each way. Mad.
Your DD's journey will be fine.

I used to walk a mile or so down a country lane to get a bus which took an hour. She'll be fine.

A very average commute for secondary school. Its a great school, you should do it.

Seems perfectly normal to me. My DDs did a commute of 2 buses across South London that averaged 45 minutes each way. Sometimes more if traffic was heavy.

They loved it, not the early starts so much but the afternoon journey was the absolute social high spot of their day.

We practiced the journey a couple of times with the eldest in the school holidays and I went in with her on the first day but after that they travelled solo. There were a couple of issues over the years - one time a stranger tried to pick my daughter up at the bus stop, another time there was some friction with another local school and my daughter was hit (we involved the police) but by then they were so sensible and confident about travelling they shrugged these off much quicker than I did.

The journey is ok - many do longer (I did, and had both good and bad experiences). Only watch the slippery tiles when walking to the school, they are lethal in the rain! God knows whose idea it was to use something so unsuitable.

Still mates with some of my school commuting pals from years ago. Best friends I've ever had really.

City will arrange a school buddy for your child. An older pupil will pop by your home, pick up your DC, and they'll go to school together.

i walked 45 minutes each way to secondary school from aged 11, rain or shine, with my school bag and sometimes my huge cooker basket and PE kit. i survived just fine.

Sounds fine to me. I thought I was going to read a two hour commute. My DC left home at 7am by car to get the bus at 7.10 usually arriving at school by about 8.20.

Are you taking the offer for CLSG? I live in Bexley and was thinking the same thing. school is in the london city centre, which is a bit concerning. The trains are also quite full in the morning. Other than that, it’s a lovely school.