Is it too much to let a child travel 50 minutes to school?

[mehesdfds753]

May I ask this question?

We are looking for a new house. The purpose is preparing for my oldest son's potential secondary school next year.

If things go according to our plan, the child is expected to study at an independent school at Year 7.

However, due to the housing budget, it is most likely my child will need to use public transport to go to school. It looks like he will spend at least 45-50 minutes to travel from home to school.

Subject to the actual location, he may need to use the rail station and then use the bus to go to school.

And we know that in real life, many children will simply walk to their secondary school.

So is it too much and cruel to ask my child to travel that far?

My sincere thanks,

Before we moved, the Primary school children had up to 45 minutes each way on the school bus, and Secondary children up to 90 minutes to the school bus (Catchment schools, not Private). That length of journey is pretty normal in a lot of areas.

Doesn't sound excessive to me. Lots of children get public transport to school.

I went to an independent school and my journey was usually over an hour, although it was on a school coach not public transport (is this an option?). The majority of people had similar commutes, with some significantly longer. We used to chat/read/sing/do homework on the bus!

DS has the same - takes the train and the bus. He loves it. He has his bus/train group of friends and is closer to them that others in his class.

If there are a lot of children doing the same/similar then he'll be fine.

No. My secondary school commute was this long using a bus then about 20 min walk. Don’t think my parents even considered it when I was Young it was just want we did!

I think the time is fine, I'd be more concerned about the reliability of the train. Could you take him if there are problems/strikes etc?

Lots of people do this so your child won't be the only one, but personally I think it's much nicer for them if they don't have that in their lives from age 11. That's why we have chosen a secondary school that is a short walk away, but it's a personal choice really.

No, that's quite a decent time.

Seems pretty normal. DD walks 5 mins to train, 5 min on a train, changes to another 5 min train, 15 mins walk to school the other end. So half an hour, in theory. With connections, cancellations, and delays, she often has to wait 20 mins somewhere, so she regularly has an elapsed 1hr + journey.

It's not too long. Is there's a solid back-up plan? What about cycling for any of the journey? Lift share with other parents?

What are the connections like? If the train is 5-10 mins late, are there still bus connections? What are the connections like if he stays late for clubs/detentions? Are there alternatives?

Time isn’t the only thing to consider, a 50 minute journey with no changes, regular services and sensible alternatives in case of delay/cancellation is a different prospect tk say a 30 minute journey that relies on one particular connection and which falls apart with the slightest delay or change.

45-50 minutes will be fine. He won't be the only one and will probably get to know others on the same route. If trains and buses are delayed are cancelled, the school will understand that, it happens. I probably spent about 45 minutes going to school after age eleven and never thought anything of it.

So 2 hours a day commuting. That’s a lot. Even an adult would find that tiring. Also you have to remember that’s two hours a day he won’t be studying/doing extra curricular stuff. I wouldn’t personally make that choice.

If things go according to our plan, the child is expected to study at an independent school at Year 7

The child is an odd way to refer to your son

So 2 hours a day commuting. That’s a lot. Even an adult would find that tiring. Also you have to remember that’s two hours a day he won’t be studying/doing extra curricular stuff. I wouldn’t personally make that choice.

I totally agree. Far too long.

My DD does this to sixth form and it is a pain, though she's only ever lived 5 mins from a school before, so it's quite a difference. Also can be an issue about having local friends. I lived a distance away from my secondary school and feeling left out when people met up because they all lived in the town and I was out in a village was crap.

having had dc do this - I wouldn't choose it if you had options....

1. its tiring - dc now get school bus which is less stressful - but trains unreliable and even earlier start to make sure on time! - if was a london tube journey tehn not an issue but see point 2...
2. they get up hideously early- this is getting harder as get older

3.they are back later - which impacts on afterschool stuff locally - independent schools usually finish later as well so DC not back til 5 so a 7.10-5pm day..

even though love school we are probably not going to stay for a level partly due to this...luckily we have quite a few schools that werent an option at 11 that maybe possible for 6th form...

I woudl try and move closer -

Think that's pretty normal for independent schools. I know at mine people had to travel an hour on the train alone into the city and then walk up to the school. My journey was about 20 minutes on the bus and a 10 minute walk, that was pretty standard.

I take it you don’t live rurally?
Where I live, it’s incredibly common for an hours commute to school both ways.
My son is in college now, but at secondary school he left on the bus at 7.15am and arrived at 8.20am. Then on the way home he left school at 3.20pm and got to our town bus stop at 4.30pm.

The majority of kids here do the same.

Dh had an hour commute to school.
He hated it.
Both of ours had a maximum 15 minute walk. Luckily the schools are excellent. If they weren’t a commute would have been necessary.

I have bubble yoghurts

Oh god wrong thread ffs

It is pretty usual here in London it appears. DD in year 7 had an hour on the bus this year. This being said, it has been source of anxiety, especially during the first term. It was tiresome for her. I can see the massive difference now in lockdown.
Then I suppose students gradually get used to it over the months and years. Good luck.

I used to do an hour each way to school but it was pretty much door to door by bus, so not unbearable. I think it's the get to the train station, then the train, then the bus - too many stages to the journey and opportunity for delays. I wouldn't want to do it myself and I wouldn't want my child doing it. I would live closer.

Lots of people on here will tell you their children do it and it's fine.

I also had a similar commute as a child. I hated it. My parents would have said it was fine. But it would have massively improved my life in every way, if I hadn't had to do it.

Are the perceived benefits of the school really worth your child spending so much time on travel (compared to going to a local school)? Or would that time be better spent doing something else (even if the something else is just being less tired all the time).

Is the school worth it?