Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

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

Original poster

How long does it take your DC to get to school?

120 replies

evtheria · 07/03/2025 15:19

How long does it take your DC to get to their secondary school? And how - walking, by car, by bus...

Anyone whose child has a long commute eg over 30mins one way? Do they regret it? Does it really affect their social life, or how tired they are on average?

The teens I know walk to theirs in about 10-20mins, but being nearby was a huge factor for the parents in choosing the high school, no matter how good/bad the school was.

I'm just wondering if that is basically the norm in other areas (and therefore we'd probably be terrible for considering a longer commute for our kid).

OP posts:
twistyizzy · 07/03/2025 15:31

45 mins each way via school bus but we chose school over journey and are rural.

mumonthehill · 07/03/2025 15:33

30 minutes by car but we are also rural. That is our closest secondary school.

TickingAlongNicely · 07/03/2025 15:35

5 mins walk.
Village secondary... but it covers about 6 villages and the farms etc in between. The catchment is over 5 miles in some directions, and has buses for the outlying parts of the catchment.

Meecrowahvey · 07/03/2025 15:36

30 min walk. The other school wouldn't been a 1.5 hour journey involving two buses.

abnerbrownsdressinggown · 07/03/2025 15:39

About 25 minutes door to door - 10 minutes from the station, then train, then school is around the corner from the station.

Other DC is around 25 mins - walk to bus stop, bus then walk from there.

HeadFairy · 07/03/2025 15:40

Two school, two very different journeys. DD has a 10 minute walk (15 if she's dragging her feet) DS has an hour on public transport, driven to station with husband who gets the same train, then bus/tram to school.

I was daunted by my son's journey at first but it's made him incredibly savvy and streetwise and able to get himself around easily now. He could easily find his way across London, he's taken himself up to Birmingham to meet friends (he's 17). DD 15 has never been on a bus alone

Ionut · 07/03/2025 15:41

Primary 25 mins walk

Fitzcarraldo353 · 07/03/2025 15:43

In the morning about 45 mins door to door. Closer to an hour coming home. We're in SE London and DS is in a grammar school in a neighbouring borough. It's a 15 min walk to/from the bus stop to school. He meets friends on the bus and comes home with them though and they're actually his best friends from school now (year 7).

He doesn't seem to mind it. DH walked him up to the bus when it was dark in the mornings and we will drive him if it's heavily raining.

Not affected social life yet as he's only year 7 and there's not huge amounts of hanging out after school in these parts.

Beamur · 07/03/2025 15:44

About an hour. Drop off at bus stop, 30/45 minutes bus ride, 10/15 minute walk. Bus journey frequently delayed due to traffic. Bus journey was social hub 😄

Thingsthatgo · 07/03/2025 15:46

12 minutes walk - there are two schools closer and another that's 15 minutes walk. We like in the centre of a secondary school hotspot, and would have got our first choice for any of them.

Mielikki · 07/03/2025 15:46

20 minutes cycle there (downhill), 35 minutes back (uphill)

AFLifeForLife · 07/03/2025 15:46

Dcs are in an independent - it takes 40 minutes drive there (I drive in the morning) It takes around an hour 20 to get back by bus.

I used to drive both ways but now don't. We leave the house at 7.20 and they are there at 8 am. School starts at 8.20. They finish up at 4.30 and are home a bit before 6. I am usually home about 15 minutes before them and usually have dinner ready when they walk in. They both have an after school club once a week which finishes at 5.15 and i will pick them up then as I think it's too late by then for buses.

It does not affect their social life because alot of the local children have similar commutes. We are quite rural. Yes they are tired when they come in, but we do not have social activities in the evening. That is downtime and homework.

Ds1 is 15 and DS 2 is 13 and they have been at the same school since they were aged 3 respectively. It's our normal and tbh nothing we have ever really take notice of. It's a commute. Plenty of people have them. For 8 years I had a 6 hour round trip commute daily, so this does not seem particularly strenuous.

Minnowmeow · 07/03/2025 15:49

Current primary 15 min walk, 5 mins in car if needed. Is going off to secondary this year and it will be 40-45 mins by public transport as we are going independent, if we were going to the closest local secondary all three are within 20 min walk from us.

Oblomov25 · 07/03/2025 15:49

20 minutes walk for ds2.

keyboardtypo · 07/03/2025 15:55

In London, I would say a commute under 20 mins is not the norm.

keyboardtypo · 07/03/2025 15:56

for secondary that is.

YouHaveAWomansHand · 07/03/2025 15:56

45 mins walk each way.

QAOPspaceman · 07/03/2025 15:57

35-40 minute hilly walk pretty much whatever the weather - it's subtly done wonders for their general fitness, as well as being sociable

Goinggold · 07/03/2025 16:27

45 min either school bus or cycle.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 07/03/2025 16:31

30 mins in the car with me and dh (we are all based in the same town). Ds used to go to the school 5 mins' drive from outlr house, but moved for 6th form. No regrets - it's a far better school.

elliejjtiny · 07/03/2025 16:43

In the morning it's 15 minutes in the car. In the afternoon it's a 10 minute walk or 15 minute stroll with friends, then 5-10 minutes in the car. If they walked all the way it's about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on speed and traffic.

It's out nearest school and next nearest is 5 miles away with a tiny catchment so it was our only choice.

yikesanotherbooboo · 07/03/2025 16:44

All adults now
DC1 60 mins car/train/walk
DC2 30 mins bus
DC3 75 minutes, car/train/walk

The drawback is not having local friends and having less free time. Evening journeys could be longer than the above.
They all liked school and they liked their friends from the train or bus. It did make impact their social lives though. There are lots of factors to weigh up when choosing schools.

Ferrazzuoli · 07/03/2025 16:47

35-40 mins by bus, 20 mins if I give them a lift.

terracelane23 · 07/03/2025 16:49

We live rurally with no public transport. Our son got a school bus which took around 45 mins each way. He didn't seem to mind. He just went on his phone or talked to his mates.

Iwishiwasapolarbear · 07/03/2025 16:51

15 min walk for my DS