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Original poster

Would you buy on a school road?

109 replies

RHOFLDN · 09/03/2024 15:53

It’s our dream house, size, location, decoration, layout etc BUT there is a secondary school on the road. My partner is not fussed by this but I have concerns. The noise, parking (there are restrictions but I know how inconsiderate drivers can be doing drop off/pick up) so my questions are, would you buy on a school road? Those who do live on a road with a school is it as bad as I imagine?!

OP posts:
Original poster
RHOFLDN · 09/03/2024 16:43

InTheRainOnATrain · 09/03/2024 16:33

My mum lives not that close to a school (think round the corner so it’s the full length of her garden and the width of another from the playground) and the sound really carries. I would definitely call it screaming and find it absolutely unbearable but like you she thinks it’s a lovely sound of children playing. I always thought it’s because she has a far higher tolerance now she doesn’t have small kids at home but perhaps it is more subjective than that! OP’s best bet is definitely to do a couple of walk-bys at playtime and see if it bothers her. If it’s resale she’s worried about though, if it’s an oversubscribed outstanding school then I can’t imagine she’ll have any issues as there will always be families wanting to get into the catchment.

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It’s definitely not an oversubscribed outstanding school and sadly not one we would consider for our children

OP posts:
Original poster
RHOFLDN · 09/03/2024 16:44

CandidHedgehog · 09/03/2024 16:16

A lot depends on your job and that of any other adults in the household. My previous job where I left for work at 8 and got back at 6, no issue at all.

My current job - full time WFH - never. It’s not just the parking, it’s the noise of the students playing on breaks, particularly in warmer months (although of course not in the holidays).

Other things to bear in mind are litter / trespassing. Some streets outside schools look like someone has thrown the contents of several bin bags on the floor.

By trespassing, I don’t mean anything major but if it’s a corner property and / or it’s quicker to get somewhere by cutting through your garden, the chances are multiple children will do so.

I work from home my partner doesn’t so yes it would have a bigger impact on me..

OP posts:
Original poster
RHOFLDN · 09/03/2024 16:46

KeenAnt · 09/03/2024 16:37

how many pupils?

1,000 pupils 😬

OP posts:
KeenAnt · 09/03/2024 16:46

RHOFLDN · 09/03/2024 16:46

1,000 pupils 😬

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no

no

and no

KeenAnt · 09/03/2024 16:47

so your children won’t go there

think of them op too

quite intimidating i imagine if they go to a different school

OhItsOnlyCynthia · 09/03/2024 16:47

Yes, I used to live on a cul-de-sac with a footpath to the primary school at the end. I loved it because it was brilliantly convenient for us, and not once did the parents parking on the road cause any bother. Obviously don't do it if you're the sort of person who doesn't like people parking on the road immediately outside your house.

Fallenangelofthenorth · 09/03/2024 16:47

I think you'd need to check it out as it will vary a lot. I wouldn't mind living on the same road as my daughter's school as there are parking restrictions and all the houses have drives - most pretty long. Vast majority of kids either walk or get the bus there so not mega busy as far as I know. Plus the school and grounds are pretty set back so I don't think it would be too noisy at break times.

But the primary school would be a nightmare - awful parking, really noisy at break times, and very congested in the mornings.

Drive past in the morning and see what you think

Original poster
RHOFLDN · 09/03/2024 16:48

KeenAnt · 09/03/2024 16:36

after school

hundreds upon hundreds of teenagers strolling past your door. Joyous school is over

what do you think?

Edited
Show quote history

I’m not sure I could ever get used to it! But I’ll need to scope out the road like others have suggested especially during lunchtime…

OP posts:
Original poster
RHOFLDN · 09/03/2024 16:48

KeenAnt · 09/03/2024 16:46

no

no

and no

Show quote history

😂I know right?!

OP posts:
Original poster
RHOFLDN · 09/03/2024 16:50

KeenAnt · 09/03/2024 16:47

so your children won’t go there

think of them op too

quite intimidating i imagine if they go to a different school

Yes you are right I didn’t think of this

OP posts:
Dewdilly · 09/03/2024 16:50

Definitely. I’d prefer it. No noise at weekends and evenings. Just brief periods in the day at breaks. Kids travel by themselves, so won’t be many cars. For our primary school, you can’t park anywhere near the school, so the school streets are particularly quiet as regards vehicles.

Aviee · 09/03/2024 16:54

Not a chance.

BCBird · 09/03/2024 17:03

I wouldn't no. I'm a teacher who regularly gets to work very early but the once i had an appointment which meant I was arriving at the same time as the pupils. Cars everywhere, parking in considerately etc. Also think of the noise and the litter

Haribosweets · 09/03/2024 17:35

The secondary schools in my area are worse than primary for parents dropping and parking about an hour before the bell going home. Its a nightmare with parents parking on double yellows, on bends, across driveways and even parallel on both sides of the road. I would recommend going from 2.30pm onwards and seeing what it's like. A lot of secondaries have a catchment of at least 8 miles hence the traffic

dottiedodah · 09/03/2024 17:59

I wouldnt No ,there are always issues with parking and its difficult I think

InTheUpsideDownToday · 09/03/2024 18:09

Live near a primary school and in the winter and summer you get arseholes waiting with their engines running for 20 odd minutes sometimes.

Sometimes your drive may be blocked in. General irresponsible parking and speeding.
I wouldn't again!

TheNoodlesIncident · 09/03/2024 18:18

Obviously don't do it if you're the sort of person who doesn't like people parking on the road immediately outside your house.

Or on your drive, which seems to have happened to multiple people I know who live on roads near schools. One chap set off for work, had to return unexpectedly and found a school parent had parked on his drive. She was very very arsey to return to her car to find an irate householder's car blocking her in...

For me it would be a no. Increased littering, rowdiness and school parents... no thank you. There's a few primary schools near us, I can only hear them if the wind is blowing from their direction (and the noise does seem to consist of screaming, probably just the only part that carries). There's always been lots of complaints to the schools from local residents about the parents' parking.

MrsMoastyToasty · 09/03/2024 18:19

I live next door to a secondary school. The school entrance is in an adjoining street and we are in a cul de sac off that street. So our back boundary is the school's side boundary.

There's about 750 pupils. A lot of the students walk to school and don't actually need to come into the cul de sac so we're not bothered by them. A lot of the other children are brought into school by bus. The buses pull into the main staff car park so they are corralled before they leave site. There's just a small number who are collected by their twattish parents , who park without consideration for us residents.
I like the fact that we know exactly when it will be noisy and busy, unlike when you have a housing estate behind your house.

Ariela · 09/03/2024 18:22

If you've children at the school - bonus to walk there. If not, then it's fine if you are going to leave before the critical hour for parking and be home after it's finished. DOn't forget there's no school at Easter, Christmas or the summer holdays

HanaJane · 09/03/2024 18:29

It depends how fussed you're going to be about the road getting busy at school drop off and pick up times. My parents live a couple of streets away from a secondary school, it does get busy for 15 mins each morning and afternoon but they're retired so just never plan to have to leave the house at those times, if it's unavoidable they just leave extra time. They have a double driveway so parking isn't an issue. They're more concerned about the kids that skive in the playground at the end of their street smoking and throwing litter!
We used to live next door to a primary school, didn't really notice the traffic because we were at work anyway so made no difference

WestendVBroadway · 09/03/2024 18:41

I used to live in a street with a primary school. When I bought the house 30 odd years ago it was a 5 class school with about 15 pupils per class. Now it has 7 classes of about 30 children. Parking was horrendous, though we had a driveway. I used to work shifts, and if trying to sleep during the day after a night shift was difficult due to the noise before school and at break times.
Funnily enough when we were selling the house, the family who eventually bought it came on a Saturday during the school summer fayre. We were apologising about the parked cars, but they loved the 'community' feel and made an immediate offer.not sure how they feel now after 2 years of parking drama 😆

MujeresLibres · 09/03/2024 18:42

We lived on one with a linked primary and secondary. It was annoying, with people parking over our drive, blocking people in etc. Bit of a nightmare for those really close. Saving grace was it's a private school so not so many weeks and a state school. And it did keep a local shop going that might not otherwise have had enough customers.

Donthideyourlight · 09/03/2024 18:44

I live next to a secondary school. It really doesn't bother me. The only time there's a lot of noise is maybe sports day but it's only once a year.

MumMumMumMumMumMumMum · 09/03/2024 18:44

You need to go check it out for your self. I'm in cul de sac off a road with a primary one end and secondary the other end. Yes it's busy at school drop off and pick up time but that's it. Doesn't bother me remotely.

TheYoungestSibling · 09/03/2024 18:44

We live so close to the junior school that the playground is visible from our bedroom.

The road is really busy for about half an hour in the morning and about another half an hour at picking up time. I'm generally not going out or coming in at those times.

To be honest it's almost as busy after the level crossing a mile along the road has been down for a while and then lets a lot of traffic through.