Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Flip

Original poster

Best way for a secondary school only child to get to school

23 replies

Healthfirst · 18/05/2019 10:24

Hi My DD has a health condition that makes her get ill when physically stressed.

She commutes to school via train - 3 stops and walks the rest of the way (30 mins uphill). she could take the bus , when she gets off the train... but its always full. She could also share a taxi when she gets off the train..£2 pound each kid) for a 7 min journey, but she chooses to walk with her friends .. !

I am thinking of moving to live right beside the school but she will then have to walk home alone - which is a worry as she doesn't have any siblings to walk with . My question is how do i strike a balance between health and safety. should i let her carry on as is... and get her to boldly say she wants her friends to take the taxi on some of the days. Or should i move closer to the school and get her some GPS device so i know she is safe walking home alone.

She could have had a bus drive from where we are at the moment that will take her straight to school in 50 mins.. but the bus is always late and she gets in trouble. Also going home she doesn't take the bus as the kids misbehave. Properties to rent or buy near the school and not that great ... but its an option i would consider.

OP posts:

malmontar · 18/05/2019 10:28

I don’t really understand, is the current situation effecting her health? It sounds like you’re the one that is stressed and maybe is putting that onto her? Sorry if that’s not the case it just sounds like quite a fun and social route so not sure why you’d want to change it?

Original poster

Healthfirst · 18/05/2019 10:42

Thanks for the reply. The journey could make her ill... but its not at the moment as the weather is warm. she has sickle cell anemia.

I am renting at moment and have the option to rent or maybe buy .. so thinking.. should i move closer to school ... then the worry about her walking alone or should i keep renting or buying where we are. you are right i do stress a lot... it would be helpful to see things from another persons perspective

OP posts:

Todaythiscouldbe · 18/05/2019 10:48

I think you are overthinking it a bit. Has she been doing this journey since September?
Is a bus the whole way an option?
The 30 minute uphill walk is presumably taken at a fairly leisurely pace, senior school kids round here tend to stroll along chatting.

stucknoue · 18/05/2019 10:49

Most kids walk with friends not siblings, by secondary kids travel alone. Only you can balance the health issues but she doesn't need tracking!

LIZS · 18/05/2019 10:51

Can you live somewhere along the walk so she still meets friends partway.

flowery · 18/05/2019 10:56

If you move to live right beside the school why will her walking alone be a problem? There will presumably be hundreds of kids leaving at the same time and her walk will be virtually non- existent anyway.

Would her friends not walk with her even if the house you’re thinking of living in isn’t in their direction?

LL83 · 18/05/2019 10:57

If you live beside the school other children will be walking the same way.

I would not move home instead of making her take taxi or bus. Both seem much easier options.

nwybhs · 18/05/2019 10:57

I don't understand. If you live beside the school surely that would lessen the worry of her getting home after school?

Bunnybigears · 18/05/2019 11:01

I'm not sure why the living near school and her walking home is concerning you. Surely a short walk home alone would be fine? Why would she need tracking? If you can easily move nearer the school I would do that as it would be cheaper (no train fare) and easier (no 30 min up hill walk).

springgreensunshine · 18/05/2019 11:06

How long would the walk be if you lived near the school? Even if she doesn't have particular people to walk with the streets are usually always busy with school kids and parents at that time.
I would move nearer to the school if I could I think. Make life easier for her.

pikapikachu · 18/05/2019 12:00

Can you live somewhere near the 30 minute walk so she can meet friends doing the walk? My DD's friend stops off twice walking to school - once for dd and second time for some other girls.

crimsonlake · 18/05/2019 12:13

I'm confused.

SnuggyBuggy · 18/05/2019 12:15

Is she under a specialist for her condition? What would they recommend?

Mirali · 18/05/2019 14:56

Moving near the school is a good idea. If it's my children's school the walk uphill is pretty steep for much of it!

Original poster

Healthfirst · 18/05/2019 15:53

Thanks so much for the responses. A lot for me to think about and brain storm a bit more. Yes she is under a specialist for her care, the specialist have said she can do the walk but not everyday: not only because of the impact on the oxygen level but also the weight of the school bag on her muscles. Yeah .. the tracking think is me over thinking it !. Walking from school might not be with the kids she knows plus its 20 to 25 mins walk. Thanks all. i appreciate your input

OP posts:

GeoffreyEatsPancakes · 20/05/2019 11:58

Ds1 had to walk home alone as I was collecting Ds2 from primary.

Usually there are other children around so safety in numbers and all that, thousands of children make their own way home every day from secondary school.

Just give her information on how to stay safe, our main one was to take the key out of the door before you open it, lock the door before you turn the alarm off, always look over your shoulder when you are going up the drive (our house doesn't face the road and the front door is not visible from the street.)

I would definitely consider moving closer to the school to reduce her walk time. We have a ring doorbell so it triggers the camera when someone walks up the drive, that way you know she is home. You can also live feed it and watch. It doesn't need the doorbell to be pushed.

It is completely normal to worry, I think yours in exacerbated by her medical condition and rightly so.

MyThirdBestWig · 20/05/2019 13:26

I think you are overthinking the only child bit. Most eldest children will have a couple of years of being the only child in their family at secondary. An element of walking alone is inevitable unless you happen to know friends whose route home goes directly past your door.

I would make the most of the flexibility you have and look to move. Somewhere closer to the main walking route will minimise the amount your DD has to do alone. You will probably find she falls in with someone going her way.

Also the closer you live to her school, the faster you can get there if you need to. Sickle cell can be painful can't it? I think I would want to minimise the walk for her. Also you could pre-book a solo taxi to take her from home on the odd bad day. It would be much easier logistically than organising with friends and the station taxi queue.

EduCated · 20/05/2019 13:30

You/she can’t insist on her friends getting a taxi with her. How many need to share to make it that cheap?

Original poster

Healthfirst · 22/05/2019 03:15

thanks so much for the tips and advice.

much appreciated

OP posts:

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 23/05/2019 06:04

Have you spoken to school about the weight of the bag? Our school has provided duplicate text books for home and rather than carry books home, most homework she does on paper and then sticks it in her book in morning registration. PE kit is left in school- only shirt bought home regularly to wash. They should be providing a locker for her.

I would though consider moving closer.

SureTry · 23/05/2019 06:52

You are not overthinking this! A family member of mine had sickle cell, I also knew young adults who have sadly passed away due to the illness. As you have the option, I would move, don't leave it until the weather turns colder. When my family member was at their worst through the condition, they were hospitalised multiple times due to the pain.

Mistigri · 23/05/2019 08:15

I'm a big fan of living close to school if you can.

But as an interim measure given your DD's health problems then I would speak to the school about the weight of her bag and ask for appropriate support eg a locker or somewhere secure she can leave her stuff at school, and homework done on computer and submitted by email to reduce the number of books she has to carry home.

MyThirdBestWig · 23/05/2019 10:35

Re the tracking device, one option is to install an app such as Familylink on her phone and yours. You need to take it with a pinch of salt, it's not infallible.

Flip