Travel options to Parliament Hill School

10 replies

Tan12316 · 02/04/2018 20:01

Hello Mums!
My daughter has just been offered a place at Parliament hill School. The only thing that is keeping me from accepting is the commute to the school from Swiss Cottage. I don’t want her to travel on her own by bus and I cannot drop her or pick her up due to my work timings. Are there any private drop off pick up service? Any other suggestions? Any of your daughters travelling from Swiss Cottage to the school that can advise me?
Thank you so much!

OP posts:

Tuareg · 02/04/2018 20:49

Only 1 bus needed.... the C11. Shouldn’t be any problems.

How about cycling? 10 minutes depending on where in Swiss Cottage you are.

Davros · 02/04/2018 23:47

C11 is perfect

Littlelambpeep · 02/04/2018 23:50

Totally agree - bus shouldn't be an issue
She will find people to befriend on the journey on her first day

TammyWhyNot · 02/04/2018 23:55

It is completely normal for secondary school children to take the bus to school. What are your worries?

What will you do if you don’t accepts the place? Do you have other options?

Original poster

Tan12316 · 03/04/2018 07:18

Thank you Mums. @ TammyWhyNot- the other option is UCL Academy! I’m confused!

OP posts:

EmmaGrundyForPM · 03/04/2018 07:19

Why can't your daughter take the bus?

HPFA · 03/04/2018 08:54

I don't know these schools personally but I know Parliament Hill has a fantastic reputation and their Progress 8 is substantially better than UCL's. Is there a particular reason why you think your daughter won't cope with the bus? Which school does she prefer?

Papermover · 03/04/2018 14:58

She'll only be 11 and a bus journey a novelty for a short while. If she does get the C11 it might be frightening ( for you?) to begin with but I'm sure it will be fine.

Maybe ask the school if there's likely to be any other girls coming from SC and if they'd consider a buddy scheme- two year 7 travelling together or some older girls travelling with the y7.Their pastoral care is supposed to be good.

Is imagine there may be WilliamEllis boys on the bus too? Or are there staggered start and finishing times for the school.

My suggestion would be to accept the place. Then when the induction days arrive she can see if there is anyone else coming from your way. The last initial distance offered was 1.52 miles, does that go near to Swiss Cottage? I'm assuming it does and that some other girls will be travelling on that bus too.
I suppose you could get her an Uber everyday but it would get very expensive and I'd worry about my DD being alone in a car with a stranger.

Notcontent · 03/04/2018 18:57

I echo what the other posters have said - travelling by bus is really straightforward and safe! I am a very protective parent and my dd is quite an anxious child, yet she has managed the bus in year 7!

TammyWhyNot · 03/04/2018 19:45

Kids grow up a lot in six months and very quickly get used to public transport. All over London Yr 7s and up are taking a bus and then a train, tube journeys with 2 or more changes, and getting to grips with the fantastic and safe public transport that London has.

Accept the place if the comments here chime with your own feelings about the school. Then start practicing with buses. Has she got a Zip Card? Get one straight away. Do the route once, then again a few days later, but get her to be in charge. Over the summer let her and a friend get the bus to somewhere they know Well, and home again.

Just practice. How to look for the buses coming, how to put out her hand, how to watch for her stop coming up, and when to press the bell. It is so much easier now the names of the bus stops come up , and with a Zip card just to hop on and off for free.

Flip