St Paul's Girls - Distance from home

[Squakle]

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who currently has DDs at SPGS or who has applied recently ...

We went to the open day today, absolutely loved it. However, it would be a long journey from home, around 70-75 minutes.

Does anyone know:
a) How strictly they apply the 50 minute rule? Would we even be allowed to apply?

b) What it a long commute actually like, for anyone whose dd does it? How late are they typically getting home? Is there time for homework? How often do they actually have late nights? Do you feel isolated from the other parents? Do they have to travel a lot to fit in with any social life/friends? Basically, is it worth the journey?

To answer questions in advance:
No, there is zero chance of us being able to move closer.
Yes, we have also looked at closer schools and will apply, it's just that SPGS is our favourite.

Thanks for any advice.

@Puffty did you have a child with weird hair showing you round? If so, that was probably DD. She has made a note of your daughter's name as she thinks she sounds like a Paulina and is going to check in the almanac in a couple of years time to see if she decided to give it a go. Sorry if that sounds a bit odd. DD is a little strange but that is why St Paul's suits her, I think. It's a place where the slightly weird are celebrated rather than being pushed into the ordinary box.

DD actually really enjoyed doing the tours and was half really happy to help and half appalled at some of the mad questions. Was v funny to hear her assessments of the people she showed round. If it was you, then she thought your daughter sounded like a potential Paulina in the sense that she sounded like the type of person who would be happy at the school.

@Epanoui Yes!!! I loved your daughter. She gave me such a different insight into SPGS than the one I was expecting from a standard Saturday opening morning. She was passionate, articulate and so helpful. I couldn't have asked for a better guide. Her reading project was outstanding - the thing in the attic made of all the bits of broken models just appealed massively to me. Tim Burton eat your heart out.
And her hair is beautiful - such depth of colour!

My DD is left of centre. She's bright but self conscious whilst inwardly robust. It's an odd mix and one I'm not sure how will pan out down the line. I wasn't sure about even applying to SPGS based on all the opinions everyone feels so happy to give me (mostly 'too much pressure') but I feel very differently after my visit.

Please do thank your daughter again for me. She was a superstar

How lovely to hear! She thought you were great, too. You were her favourite out of the parents she showed round!

It's meant to be!
The girls who went to SPGS in my time that I'm still in contact with have all led such interesting lives and your dd sounds perfect for it. Good luck!

Cor I seem to be in a minority but I think travelling from Hainault (or thereabouts) to Brook Green is nuts. I wouldn't want to do it for a job let alone a school, where ideally you have friends who live reasonably near.

Parents always say their child doesn't mind the long commute, but I had a long bus ride (countryside, 10 miles, went very indirect route so took an hour) and I absolutely hated it. I promptly made friends with a girl who lived next door and spent one or two nights a week at hers. I love her parents to this day and had a much closer relationship to them than to mine during my teens.

As a consequence we had a strict rule about the distances we were prepared for our child to travel. Their primary school was state on our doorstep and their secondaries are one 12-minute overground with 5-10 mins walk either end. They're still knackered and envious of all their friends living nearby.

I know people love St Pauls but honestly I can't see how any school is worth that.

I have just also had a look at SPGS and loved it - I did get a feeling that most of the girls are very local (we are in SW London) and even for us I think the commute will be too long (about 45 minutes). I am going to be completely honest. There is no way a 75 minute commute is doable ! Its way too long. I have 2 older DC and one commutes 15 minutes and one 50 minutes and there is a huge difference ! Even 50 minutes commute is long especially when he has matches / clubs / training after school. Its a long long day and a very early start. I cant imagine him starting a whole 25 minutes earlier and arriving home 25 minutes later....don't forget that also all her friends will be a long way away and that commute is likely to be 6 days a week (matches on Saturday / seeing friends that are local to the school etc). Sorry just an opinion !

Volpemum They’re not all very local - there are definitely some coming from SW London, my dd knows quite a lot who travel together to Earls Court and then on down the Wimbledon branch of the District line to various different places, plus there’s a coach service that goes that way. She also has friends who come in from North London (again on the coach). But it’s very much a personal decision about what is too long.

No need to be sorry! I am genuinely open to opinions either way, I want to know what it's really like.

We are in SW London and DD has quite a lot of friends within about 15 minutes walk. There are some girls who are quite local to the school but also plenty from further out. Not really East, though, presumably on account of the journey.

Re long commutes, I did a slightly longer journey than DD every day for 7 years of school and honestly did not mind it. I had lots of friends to travel with, though, which did make it a lot more fun.

Thank you for the advice on SW commute ! Its not bad to be fair I was just worried about not having many local friends - but sounds like there are a few so now its just a decision of whether academically its doable ! I did think the school was amazing. But then again if she ends up at her older sisters school I would also be delighted !

My DD travels 50 minutes to her school & we find it just about bearable. She goes with friends & listens to music so she seems to enjoy it. Vehemently refuses any offers to be dropped by car (25 min drive).
However in winter the mornings are dark & we worry, we drop her to her transport and pick her up (only 5 min walk from our house). Also she avoids after school stuff in winter as we worry it will be too dark/late.

However a big difference I see between us & you OP is that she has a 30 min bus journey which is more unpredictable than the tube. Buses get late, held up in traffic, too crowded so can't get on, rerouted due to roadworks etc. Tube is more consistent barring the odd hold up. So I think if there isn't any road travel/ too much walking, it could be do-able.

We will consider moving DD closer for 6th form to avoid the travel though.

What does your dd think? Some people enjoy commuting, some hate it. Would you be able to get to the school to watch dd in fixtures/performances etc? Could you drive her to early morning sport or pick her up after late rehearsals/after school meetings with friends, to make it all a bit more bearable?

DD is up for it, but I don't think I should let her decide because she's too young to really understand what it would mean for the next 7 years.

I could get there to watch performances, but not by driving. There's no point driving through central London. I'd cycle or take the tube.

I'm in the bonkers idea camp. City is BY FAR a better option. What happens on the many days the tube has signal failures etc? What happens, as it will, when she wants to go to parties in Twickenham on a Saturday night. Honestly, no school is worth this

We've looked at Forest, Bancroft's, and Chigwell. Annoyingly, all are a much longer and more convoluted journey by public transport than the relatively short as the crow flies distance would make you think

There may be school buses to and from those, which are more direct than public transport?

I know you've said zero chance of moving closer so this will be a very annoying point to make, but if you and dd really love the school is there no way that could work, maybe for the first two years? I think what seems a huge travel hurdle at 11 is much easier at 13. (Sorry, I know you've said there isn't!)

I am on the fence about the travel time - if your dd absolutely loves the school and she is very energetic, I think it is just about doable - for many dc it would not be though - they would be exhausted! As another pp has said, delays have to be factored in. Have your 'test journeys' been at school travel time - that can make a huge difference to whether the journey's bearable or not?

To be honest, I'm more on the side of it being too far as well.

But no, there's no chance that we'll move. I don't want to say too much as I feel I've already given quite a bit of potentially outing info, but one of the factors is caring responsibility for extended family members.

Ah I see. - well I suppose also if there's a 50 minute rule, that may decide it for you anyway, if you aren't allowed to apply? (I know that was another of your questions!)

They have a 50 minute rule for a good reason, why would they allow you to be an exception?

I know how it feels if you think you found the perfect school, so I have a lot of sympathy. DS, much younger than your dd, is at a school that is about 35min away but in the morning it's more 55 to 60 min. If he gets into our preferred senior option, it will be another extra 5 to 10 minutes, so will bring him close to your dd in rush hour. It's in the car though, so we can chat, do homework, ge has breakfast/afternoon snack and watch/play games on iPad, so it has never been a problem. I am not sure how life would be on public transport. DC also doesn't need much sleep so is naturally up early and we try and beat the traffic by leaving before 7am to be in school before 8am for breakfast club/early morning activities, and for me to get back home to work. I am looking at a 3 -4 hour daily school run for the next 10plus years, and have been doing it now for 4 years. We think it's the best possible option, as we, too, can't move.

But there are parents at DS school who commute from China (one parent rents near school, other parent flies in for weekends/whenever they can come). People go to extreme lengths for the perfect school.

ForeverbyJudyBlume, I wasn't really asking if we could be an exception, I was more interested to know whether the 'rule' is actually applied. For example, the printed literature says 50 minutes, the high mistress said 1 hour, so already it seems that it's not an absolute 50 minute cut off. The paperwork asks you to detail the route and timings if it's over 50 minutes, which again indicates that it's not a hard and fast rule. That's what I wanted advice on, from the school's pov. Then I wanted parents' actual experience as to whether it was doable from the child's pov. I'm 100% not expecting to somehow be above the law, I just wanted to know how they usually apply it in practice.

I take it you asked about this at the open day, or are planning to ring the school and ask directly. I'm not saying you think you're above the rules, but the fact the rule theoretically exists should make you very strongly question if a 75 minute commute is a remotely good idea

No, it is not an absolute 50 minute cut off but the school does not encourage parents and children to apply for a place if the journey is too long.
Our journey is on border line of this cut off and my DD is doing 45 minutes on train - straight line/no change and 7-10 minutes walk from station to school each way. It has been fine to her and no complaint so far. Tube line is very reliable, much better than bus/school bus and overground. However, she used to have 25 minute travelling by car to her primary school for the past 6 years as that school closed to our workplace. Hence physically and mentally she was prepared for a long journey anyway.

We do not feel isolated from other parents as they are coming from all over London and we keep in touch with each other on WhatsApp group chat daily. Same to the girls, they face-time and/or text to each other as well.
DD is doing sleepover in South West London and/or going out and about with friends in Westfield White City with no issue. She is very happy and loves her school.

Yes, I asked about it at the open day and got 3 different responses from 3 different members of staff. I wasn't asking repeatedly to try to get the answer I wanted, by the way. I asked once; I was part of a group where another parent asked someone else; and I brought it up while I was chatting to a third teacher whilst waiting to speak to a different one about a different matter and she asked what we'd thought of the school.

Dd's also been leaving home early since Reception. Her current school is relatively close to home (40 min walk/15 min car in average traffic) but she has to be dropped off early so I can get to work. So it's been breakfast in the car, get dressed while it's still dark, shower the night before etc. for years.

I'm still on the side of it probably being too far, on balance, but I'm just saying that it wouldn't be a complete culture shock for dd to have an early start every morning.