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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:
Tarantella6 · 09/03/2024 18:44

We can see 3 schools from various windows in our house. We have a driveway so parking doesn't impact me. Yes there are inconsiderate drivers at school run time but I'm either already at work or walking dc to school myself.

The secondary school kids who walk aren't a problem. The problems come from the kids on bikes who go down the road in a pack, and they do cut corners across drives etc. However, I'm not trying to drive anywhere myself at that time (either at work or walking to school) so it doesn't bother me.

DistinguishedSocialCommentator · 09/03/2024 18:51

I would if its a least hlaf a mile away, otherwise, no, its a nightmare. The number of iforant parasites that speed up and down to drop off, pick up kids put the lives of others at risk. The same jesters can also park on the yellow marking and don't give a toss about blocking people drives. Whe we go to pick up our grandchildren at times, we have to often park on a single yellow line, roads wide but one of us stays in the car - one household has allowed us to park outside their drive if its not taken up as they know we will move the car ASAP

I've actually reported 2 vehicles for parking on the yellow markings as have a few other people.

Then you get the idiots that can barely drive and most likely bought their licence and they try to make a 3 point turn with a car parked on the other side of the road and hold up traffic for over a minute as it should take not more than a few seconds to turn.

You also get the dangerous imbeciles that have no child seats when they should and kids roaming in moving cars

Steer clear if its near a school. With secondary schools you can also get the wise cracks and they are ready to fight you.

Take your husband to view the school start and finish times on rainy days and he'' soon changes his mind when he sees the clowns in action

LindaDawn · 09/03/2024 19:18

I would buy on a road with a primary and a secondary. It’s only for a few minutes a day and if they are good schools then your house would always sell easily.

HoldingTheDoor · 09/03/2024 19:19

God no. I’d sooner shit in my hands and clap!

The noise, the litter, the inconsiderate parking and the additional traffic. Not a chance.

BreakfastAtMimis · 09/03/2024 19:25

I live near a primary school, and it's fine. However, parking isn't an issue on our bit of the street, if it was I would not be so tolerant. Worst we get is the odd bit of litter and once some kid rang the doorbell and ran away.
I quite like hearing them all playing outside at break times. It's a happy noise!

Boopear · 09/03/2024 19:29

Redglitter · 09/03/2024 16:04

I live a few hundred yards from a school. This was my perfect house & it didn't put me off at all.

The street is busy from about 0845 til 0905 and from 1435 til 1505

I've never had problems getting in and out my drive & at most it's a slight inconvenience for less than an hour a day. Factor in weekends, holidays & inset days & it's not bad

Parents evenings & concerts etc have no impact because they park in the school grounds

I can honestly say it's never bothered me BUT if I didn't have a driveway I wouldn't be so tolerant

Same. Street parking with one school at end of road/another 5 mins walk. I really don't have any problems at all. Although we may be lucky here as most parents walk to school, so that may also be a factor you'd like to consider.

hennybeans · 09/03/2024 19:30

I have a friend who lives three doors down from the local high school. In addition to all the issues mentioned like parking and noisy children during school hours, she complains about the evening and weekend noise too. The high school rents out its hall every evening for Zumba, doors and windows wide open and music at full volume plus people parking. Then at the weekends the grounds are rented out for local rugby sessions for kids. Again, noise all day and lots of parents coming and going.

TeaPleaseX · 09/03/2024 19:34

I live on one and it's fine. I have a big enough drive way with a dropped kerb so never any issues getting out. Never ever an issue.
Don't really hear any noise and kids go to the school too. I tell you what is noisy and when it's a pain to get in and out though.
When the boot sale is on across the road on the field. So many people just park outside the house block us in. And then return and say oh we was only just grabbing something sorry! And drive off.
Roads been permitted now though so will be better this year.

MinnesotaMuffin · 09/03/2024 19:35

1000 pupils is quite average for a secondary. It might not feel too bad in terms of numbers. I remember that there are 13 weeks welhen kids won’t be in school but holidays are often busy with construction and site improvements. Does the school hire our facilities like the sports ground in the evenings or on weekends?

I think you need to stake out some viewings around the area of the property around the start and end of the day and in the evening. Are there any members of staff visible at the gate in the morning and after school to promote safe behaviour?

Clearinguptheclutter · 09/03/2024 19:37

I wouldn’t rule it out
I’d rock up and loiter at 8.45 and 3.15pm

we live almost next door to a primary, though not a very big one. Neighbours get annoyed about people parking where they shouldn’t but we have a driveway and it’s honestly fine

obviously very convenient for school runs

Crazycat53 · 09/03/2024 19:38

Our house is on the same road as the local high school. The road is manic for about 15 minutes in the afternoon. (We do have a drive) No other problems though as it's the last place the local teens want to hang out near.

cariadlet · 09/03/2024 19:42

I live opposite a primary school and it's great.

I leave for work long before the school run and get home long afterwards so that doesn't affect me.
When I am home, the school is always empty so it reduces the number of potentially noisy neighbours.

I also live in a road with older houses and little off road parking so it's helpful not having neighbours opposite us trying to fit their cars into the limited space available.

JustBloodyWellSayNo · 09/03/2024 19:44

I'd never buy a house on a road with a school on. We did that, years ago, and got sick of all the cars

Guavafish1 · 09/03/2024 19:45

Yes I did.

it's fine

GettingStuffed · 09/03/2024 19:47

We used to live on a road with a primary school on it was only bust for short periods and the school run was dead easy.

peppermintcrisp · 09/03/2024 19:52

I like a shortish road away from both a primary and secondary school. It doesn't bother me at all. The DC love it as they are never late and no lifts in traffic etc.

I would buy again without a second thought.

OldTinHat · 09/03/2024 20:01

My parents did. It was so handy because I only had a 3min walk to school. They had a drive and the school was next to a leisure centre so plenty of parking for parents.

My first flat was opposite a primary school. They had a public car park next door that parents were allowed to use for dropping/picking up.

My DC ended up going to both of these schools funnily enough.

The house my DC grew up in, and the house I currently live in, are both two streets away from schools. Where I am now, there are no drives, it's all on street parking.

I've never had an issue with living so close to schools. Parking is a problem wherever if you don't have a drive. I have a marked disabled bay and blue badge, but I still struggle to park. I do love hearing the children in the summer when the windows are open and they're playing outside. And I love seeing them all in a crocodile, like last week, heading off to the library for World Book Day.

It's what you make of it, OP.

teachermummyme · 09/03/2024 20:51

I live on a school road (it's a long road and actually has two primary schools and one secondary!)

It doesn't bother me at all. Between 8:20 and 8:50 and 2:50 and 3:30 it's very busy, yes, but outside of these times it's very peaceful. We have a driveway so don't have to worry about parking and have never had anyone park in front of our drive. If I left for work (or arrived home) during the above busy windows I might find it more frustrating, but as it is, I leave way before it gets busy and am home after it's quietened down, so it doesn't affect me at all.

Devilshands · 09/03/2024 21:14

No.

Grew up on one and parents lived there until 2021. Primary and secondary school next to each other at the end of the road.

Grass verges churned up by parents parking on them (precious darlings can’t possibly walk to school in London!).
Lots of yelling and noise in the morning.
Lots of litter (apparently precious darlings don’t use bins either) left in the road/shoved into hedges.
Cars keyed (see above on said previous darlings)
Parents evening = people parking across driveways.
Also loads of noise on the weekend with football matches/rugby etc.
School hall/pool was rented out in the evenings so a shit tonne of noise (and parked cars on the road) then too.

Parents only bought it as it was the best they could afford on their budget. The second they could afford to move (aka post Covid and people buying any dump they could) they did.

SpringLambForDinner · 09/03/2024 21:51

Those saying parking problems are exclusive to primary schools are wrong. I know lots of high schoolers who get their parents to drop them off despite there being a free bus. Plus all those who live 2 to 3 miles away and aren’t offered a bus. My dc go to different high schools and both are manic with pupils walking and being dropped off in the morning.
If you do buy near a school please don’t be THAT person who runs out and screams at parents who turn around in the top of your drive. We ended up with the police involved when this happened repeatedly at one of my DCs primary schools. Imagine a huge meat head screaming obscenities whilst primary age pupils are walking past.

whoscoatsthatjacket2012 · 09/03/2024 22:04

We have a primary next door.
We have a drive so it doesn't affect us.
It's nice hearing the kids out playing and means we only have one neighbour.

Ecnerual · 09/03/2024 22:10

We live about 100m from a primary school. Old village with mostly on street parking so arriving home at school pick up often means not being able to park.

However, I love where I live and wouldn't change it. And having a good school so close is great now I have kids.

MizzMarple · 09/03/2024 22:14

I live very very near a secondary school and it’s no issue at all. I suppose it’s a bit noisy when they leave and I can hear (excellent) music lessons in the summer when the windows are open, but I actually like hearing it.

Yes parking gets chaotic in the mornings and afternoons but it’s for max 20 mins each time. Sometimes people park across my drive but unless I happen to be going in or out I don’t care and they always move immediately if I need them to.

If you hate teenagers, want to live somewhere very quiet or are proprietary about people parking on public roads then don’t do it but otherwise it’s fine.

OhMyChickenDinner · 09/03/2024 22:19

I live on a road with a primary school and it’s absolutely fine. As others have said it’s busy for 20 mins twice a day and not even that 13 weeks a year. Doesn’t bother me in the slightest.

MigGirl · 09/03/2024 22:23

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.

Do you only have primary school kids? A lot of high school kids get dropped off now and if it has a 6th form you will have the issue of lots of teenage drivers. I'm amazed at how many drive now despite the cost.

It'd be a no from me, I don't think the noise from the school would bother me so much as I'm used to it at work. It would be the parking issues and yes it may only be at certain times but it really can be a pain.