Move 3 doors down from a primary school?

[gemloving]

Hiya, I thought I'll ask Mumsnet.

We found a house we like & it turns out the house is 3 doors down from a primary school which means we would never be late It's only about a 20 minute walk from where we live now but much bigger and has an extra bedroom.

None of my kids are at school yet and Ibe never done a drop off, or pick up so:

Would this be a deal breaker for you? Is it too noisy? It it too busy in the morning? Anything else that would make you think don't move there?

We like the school as it's one of the ones that would have been on the list anyway for the kids.

One of us is always home in the week as we're wfh and one does 2 days, the other 3 days.

Would be nice to hear your thoughts.

We used to back onto a primary school- it was noisy at break times but I liked the noise.

Best way to tell how busy it is at drop off and pick up is to be there on multiple days.

I avoided houses near schools due to parking/traffic. If you have a driveway, it'll probably be blocked every morning

Absolutely would be a deal breaker for me,my friend recently moved further away from a primary school as she was fed up of the inconsiderate arsehole parents parking any where including across their drive sorry but I wouldn't

Years ago I lived right by a school. Yes it’s busy at drop off and pick but not really the rest of the time. Usually it’s also noisy at break times and lunchtime. Otherwise it’s quiet, especially over Christmas and the summer holidays.

I’d check about after school clubs though in case they will be right by your boundary (assuming you have a school field or land behind your garden).

Most jobs mean you leave home before school and return afterwards. If wfh, for most of the time the children are in the school rather than screaming outside.

I live over the road from a school and it's fine can't say I even notice tbh. On occasion if am in the garden at playtime I can hear the kids playing but it certainly doesn't put me of living near it.

In terms of the walking, and noise it wouldn't be a problem. The noise levels would be limited to between 9 and 3 (roundabout depending on hours) min-fri. However parking is atrocious around our local primary schools. Parents park in front of drives, take up the whole road, park on junctions etc. that for me would be a huge question mark. Not sure a deal breaker, but something I'd have to really think about in terms of getting in and out during the day.

I live next door to a primary school. We are not by the entrance through so don't get any extra traffic or people.

We can hear them at break and lunch but it's not very noisy.

Neither of our children will go to that school though, which is a slight shame as it would be a very easy school run lol.

I live near the village school and love hearing the children at playtime. I think it's a lovely noise, children laughing and playing.
Parking would be an assur for you though. If you don't mind likely being blocked in or out twice a day then not a problem.

I live about 15 metres from one school gate. The houses right next to gate have long line of parents and kids from around 8.15 am no idea why since gate does not open till 8.45. It’s the rear entrance but main is long walk around the block.

If you have decent height wall you be ok but if it’s waist high you will have people sitting on it. Found here cars park all over zig zags and double yellows but the madness is only about 15min at closing time.

Do you work from home? Might want to see what noise level is like at break down or if they do drumming on a Tuesday afternoon.

I live next door but one. It's less than a minutes walk to the gate.

It its quite busy and drop off and pick up time. But we never need to to take the car out at that time. If I am in the office I am gone at 7.30 and home at 5pm.

There's a bit of noise as we overlook the play ground, but I genuinely don't notice it anymore.

Ds is in year 6. So he walks himself there and back now.

I have to be honest, I will move when he leaves. But that's mainly encase this house is too small for us now. But I love living near a school for ds. Makes life so much easier and outweighs and negatives so I will probably move near his secondary.

You might want to check if it’s a new school with an outside tannoy. The school I work in is a bit tannoy-happy and have had numerous complaints from neighbouring houses about the “first aider to the medical room” constant tannoying which gets blasted across the playground.

Mine is right next to a primary school. Like a pp I quite like the break-time noise. Parking/traffic is a bit of a pain but it's only for about 30 mins twice a day so unless you expect to be regularly trying to leave or park around school pickup and drop-off times it may not effect you much. You'd be surprised how often I can manage to be late for school with a 2 min school run though!

To be fair if your children end up going there then it doesn't matter if it's busy at drop offs and picks up because you will be part of the busyness and if they don't you won't always be the one there to hear the busyness because on the days it's your day to drop and pick up the children you will be at their school and again miss the busyness

Pros and cons to every house, you just have to weigh it up x

If you have a private drive and you weren’t wfh, I think it would be fine as you’d not be there during school hours, but I wouldn’t want to wfh next to one. It’s noisy with PE and playtime and lunch and sports. There’s a lot of screaming.

I live opposite to the playing fields of a primary school, no parking issues on my road, but the side roads get busier on drop off/pick up times, but not for long. I can hear the children playing when I am in the garden, I think it’s lovely to hear them. I would go for it, if you like the house.

Thanks everyone.

I'll check it out at drop off and pick up. We have large drive and two cars for on there.

Our children are very likely to go there and having compared the schools, it would have been first choice even if our of catchment right now.

@doodlejump1980 it's not a new school.

@AlDanvers I wouldn't move before both boys are leaving but that's about 10-11 years away. It's a 4 bed, 2 reception rooms, study downstairs, conservatory etc exactly what I want to be honest.

I was thinking about moving away before to the countryside but decided to stay in London.

We live 6 houses down from a primary school. I work from home in the bedroom closest to the school and the noise isn't an issue at all, I can hear the kids at break times (totally fine amount of noise) if I have the windows open but not at all if they are closed. It's a bit chaotic for 15 minutes around 9am and again for 5-10 mins each at 2pm and 3pm. My DP walks to the train station so traffic not an issue for him at all and if I ever do need to go to the office I leave at 7:30am and arrive home at 4:30pm so well away from busy times. I've only ever seen someone block our drive once, and I wasn't going anywhere anyway so 🤷‍♀️

We lived opposite a primary for a while. It was chaos from 8.15-9am and 3pm-3.45pm but the rest of the time it was pretty quiet. And there were 13 weeks a year where it wasn’t a problem at all. Like pp’s I also used to like listening to the kids play at break times. It just seemed such a happy sound.

All good points here. I live opposite a primary and quite like not having neighbours. Weekends and school holidays are great!

A couple of things to look out for are: parents evening, increased litter, and any use of the school outside of school hours.

Patents evening means we might not be able to park near our house that evening. Infrequent so not a big deal.

Litter isn't as bad as a secondary. It is usually gloves, jumpers, coats! Occasional sweet wrappers and broken scooters that get dumped!

The weekly choir is a PITA though because they park atrociously, on single yellow lines but both sides on the corner and turning hammerhead so block the road. They often talk when they come out in the street at 1030, loud. And slam car doors. Yes, the choir people need ASBOs.

Go and visit at 8.30-9.30, 12.-1.30 and 3-4pm. Then see what its like.

How big is the school? I would be tempted to drive past around pick up/ drop off times especially if no drive. We are 2 doors down from a small school, occasional parking issue ( easily sorted and have got better recently) minimal noise actually. Before covid parents evenings could be a bit of a pain but not frequent so a minor irritation

I live a few doors up from a London primary school. Personally, we don't have parking issues as in people blocking our driveway, partly because many London primaries have very small catchments so hardly anyone drives. The school has 400 pupils but usually only about 20 cars park for drop off /pick up so barely noticeable on our road and those nearby.

I live in a London borough and they have brought in school streets around most of the primaries. Cuts down parking issues for residents but also means you cannot have visitors arrive / leave for 1.5 hours morning and afternoon or they get a ticket and also deliveries are affected.

@BlackberrySky the catchment is tiny and a second car would fit on to the driveway.

@Gizlotsmum Around 400 children

It doesn't bother me. It's busy for 20 mins twice a day but quiet the rest of the time / weekends / school hols.