Near the station or schools?

[beggingforsleep]

Our house purchase has fallen through due to Covid so now we're back on Rightmove searching. We can't decide on location though and hoping someone with primary school children can help. Are we better off being a five minute walk to station but this would be at least a 20 minute walk to school or a 5 minute walk to school which would be a half hour walk to the station?

My DH would be commuting four days a week and WFH one day a week and I'd be commuting two days a week and WFH two days a week. Although it's likely I'll lose my job if a recession hits and it would take me a while to find another one I think.

We can afford a bigger garden near the station and probably a bigger house too. Plus we'll be doing six commutes between us a week and the journey is long. Around an hour door to door for DH but at least 90mins for me.

But then I have two DC, the oldest will be starting primary in 2021 and the second in 2023 so that's a lot of walking to school coming up. And if I'm out of work will I resent my DH for being so close to the station when I'm doing two hour round trips a day with whinging kids?

The houses nearer the schools are much more expensive though. Garden would be tiny, more like a yard, and we were leaving London to get more space. Lots of nice countryside around though.

Any advice? We've got bikes for getting to the station if we're further away.

Just on a small-child basis, I would pick closer to the school. Adults walking to and from the station will complain far less about the walk that children! Xx

How big is the school's catchment area? Would your dc definitely get in from the further away location?

@beggingforsleep have you looked at catchment areas? The reason the houses by the schools may be more expensive is that they may be in catchment for certain schools and near the railway aren’t. Also check on allocation, because you may find even in catchment it goes to distance from house.

We moved from a 6 minute walk to school to a 15 minute walk to school and oh boy is it a slog! We go by bike so there is no complaining but walking a tired child home is hard going...

Another one asking about catchment area - sounds as if you'll struggle to get the kids into the school from further away.
Plus - it's much easier for an adult to cycle to and from the station than for children to cycle to school.

I think I'd be nearer the school.

If your kids had been older, and able to go out independently I'd have said station. Just so they can hook up with friends easier.

Hmm but I love a big garden..I can see your dilemma!

Yes I'd agree, is the house near the station in the catchment area for the school? If it is I don't think that it particularly matters, choose the house you like! Otherwise, definitely close to the school.

Cycling to the station would cut down on that time substantially and it’s probably easier for your dh to cycle than you to take small children by bike.

I would go nearer the school. Most importantly to get into the school. If you live further away and dont get in, how close is the next school you're likely to be allocated?

Also, its usually quite active socially in Reception / Infant end of school. If its a large catchment area (i.e. you'd still get in 20mins away) arguably children from 20mins away in the other direction might get in too. So when playdates and parties kick in (and they will - in the early years you'll be at a birthday party most weekends) you'll potentially be having to do much more than the 20min walk to school.

Also having lived near a station with babies, traffic and parking was a bit of a nightmare. Always felt busy and I'd have been nervous with scooting/cycling children.

Definitely nearer the school - big bonus to live close to school friends/childcare and be know that you’ll get into the school if it’s popular/a bumper year. We have opted for the 5 min school and 25 min station version and I cycle to the station. Houses are a good size in both locations here though - if it meant a big compromise on space/a garden that’s a factor I would also consider.

When you say a 20 minute walk to school how far is it? If its just over a mile I'd go for closer to the station as its good exercise for the kids. The trade off of more space in the house is worth it.

Thanks everyone. Wasn't expecting so many replies. Near the schools seems to be winning!

In terms of catchment... the houses near the station would give us a choice of two schools - one RC which would be 25 minute walk and one non-religious good rated school which would be 20 mins in a different direction but would def get in to it.

The other part of town which we're looking at would be 5 mins to the RC school and 5 mins to a non-religious outstanding school.

I haven't been to see any of these schools so not sure which one we'd go for and who knows what will happen with open days this year.

All the walk timings are at adult pace so guess I'd need to add at least 10 minutes on to the longer ones.

But oh... I always imagined a nice garden. Not anything huge but some flower beds and a bbq and a climbing frame.

@SheldonSaysSo1 0.9 miles but as the crow flies so longer when actually doing it on roads

@Africa2go yes, this bothers me too - being so close to the station means being very close to 2 a-roads, one being a dual carriageway so traffic will be heavier

Personally I’d go for the bigger house and garden nearer the station, but then there are other factors than just distance - if you’ve not actually seen the schools yet it’s hard to say whether to go for 5 minutes walk to one or 20 minutes to another when you may turn out to prefer the 20 minute school either way iyswim? (I read it as there are 3 separate schools is that right?)

We were in a similar situation last year and chose a bigger house 20 minutes away from the school. It’s exactly a mile walking door to door. My daughter doesn’t find the school run a hassle (she’s reception so almost 5) but she rides her bike and only has to do it twice a day - it’s more annoying for me doing it 4 times pushing a buggy but I walk a lot anyway so I’d still make the same choice again. Also I’d prefer for my husband to get home 20 minutes earlier - every minute counts in those after school but pre bedtime hours!

Ah I was going to say I would choose station but then not if it's close to busy roads. No way would I want to be breathing the fumes in from that.

@Crabbo yes, I'm currently at the stage where I'm messaging him at 5:30 every day to make sure he leaves work on time for bedtime. Living further from a station makes me scared but at some point they'll put themselves to bed right?!

And yes, without seeing the schools it's so unknown. I flip between thinking we should make sure we're in catchment for the outstanding one but then think that we can get a bigger garden if we're not and the other schools are supposed to be great anyway.

Our choice of houses in the catchment for the outstanding will be so limited. We thought we had a healthy budget but turns out not if we want to live near it.

Paralysed by indecision. But we've sold our flat and are with my mum so something has to give.

@Cuddling57 yep, the road is a major worry. Getting away from them was a main reason for leaving London. But even near the schools we'd be ending up near a busy road because we can't afford the fancy houses further away from it. Just not a dual carriageway.

Having just gone out in my mum's garden for a game of it with my toddler, I think the garden might win

So if the road isn't putting you off I would choose near the station if you can get a better house.
It's a wonderful feeling coming home everyday to a lovely house. Even better if you are coming home from work earlier and getting home quicker.
The children have lots of time off school, more so than adults working.
Also how well a child does at school depends more on the child, so I wouldn't put so much emphasis on the school if all local ones are decent.
You spend more time at home than school too!
If it was your forever house the kids will soon grow up and potentially use the station too!

We live 5 mins from the station/20 mins from school. We chose the school over another one on our doorstep - I thought we’d forever be regretting setting ourselves up with the inconvenience of the long school run but I don’t even think of it - it’s just the norm for us now.

Kids usually scoot. We take the car if weather is bad. It’s a nice walk which helps and we appreciate the exercise (we’re all missing it at the moment!) - though I know other kids who leave school more knackered and moody for whom the trip home can be more of an ordeal and tend to rely on the car more.

The school is a bit out on a limb so we don’t have an issue with being further away from the school than other pupils (we do happen to have school friends on the same street and I will admit that is really nice).

Personally I think the option of a bigger house and garden would easily swing it for me.

Depends: school catchment area is important as it can get quite competitive, in my experience. However, just because a school is ofsted 'outstanding' right now doesn't mean it will remain that way forever. Sounds like it would be better to have 2 school options than 1, so the 'near station' seems to make more sense as it also means bigger house/garden (better investment with the house for the long-run too).

You said the other school was RC. Are you RC? From what I understand, the RC schools tend to be very oversubscribed and preferential placement goes to practicing RC (baptised, attended mass, had a letter from the priest etc.). Things may have changed and it may vary from area to area though.

I'll go against the grain here and say go for the big garden and 5 mins to the station. When we bought our current house the station location was the biggest factor, didn't even think about schools (DD was 18 months at the time of moving & now is 3 years old).

Between us we commute to London 3 days and 4 days.

Our school walk will be (depending on which school) either 15 mins, 30 mins or something ridiculous so basically will be car journeys to actually fit it all in!).

Our old house was 3 mins walk to a school and even if we stayed there with DD, I never thought living near a school was that great. Much prefer living away from one.

Go for the house you love, space and garden are non negotiables for me though.

We live near the school and not so near the station. I'd like to live nearer the station, but on balance, its better to be able to walk to school. And I'd be going back in myself every day if we lived nearer the station.
Sounds like all the schools are fine. Go for the house you liken best!