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

[evtheria]

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).

DD primary - 20 minute drive

DS secondary - 15 minute walk

We chose the best schools - our closest secondary luckily happened to be out favourite

20 mins by car, or 40-50 to walk to the bus stop and go by bus.

35 mins if he gets a lift
An hour door to door walk/bus/walk or sometimes walk/bus/lift from a further away stop.

We wouldn't have sent him anywhere that was less time to get to due to our choices but I have to say it's a massive ball ache and I can't wait til it's over (he's in Y12)

It's not fun when it's freezing, raining or hot, or dark, so ..most of the year haha.

He's used to it and doesn't mind it but gosh, being able to walk to school is much missed from primary and he has to get up really early.

15 mins by bus for my dd. She is actually one of the closer ones at her school (it's a grammar with no catchment) and there are loads of kids who travel 30 miles or more each day. Some have to get the train and then a bus, it's madness! It also makes it difficult to socialise outside of school as they all live so far away from each other.

My DD is in college and commutes an hour and half each way on the train.

She doesn't complain as she's doing what she loves.

10 mins in car to bus, 5 mins leeway, then 30 mins minibus to school so 45 mins door to door.

Thank you all for sharing.

< 5 mins walk.

Secondary will be about 30mins

I wouldn't count 'over 30 mins' as a long commute.

Mine walked (2 different schools). I suppose if you got a wiggle on and went direct, 1 could be done in 25mins and 1 in 30, but they tend to meander there and back, collecting various friends on the way, so 50 mins - an hour was more normal.

45 mins.

Car to train station, two stops, walk to school,

DC has Sen and went to school the next town over.

DC1 door to door is 10 minutes walk and DC 2 is a 20 minute walk. We were in fortunate position to be able to choose from 4 local grammar schools and the ones they loved best happened to be the closest. I do feel very lucky to be in this position.

I’ve edited to add that some of their peers have horrendous journeys taking over an hour by coach. Some get a train and then a bus, it does seem quite unfair on these children.

30 minute walk that takes about 50 minutes usually to gather the friends en route. Great for social life and fitness although they do stop on at the shops for snacks especially on Fridays

Ditto. School is 1hr each way on the bus, we can drive it in the car in 45mins but obvs only do it for parents evening etc.

School over location.

DD 14 has a couple of minutes walk as we only live 2 roads away which she is grateful for

Currently 15 minutes walk to primary. Secondary will be 20 minutes walk over the fields or about 40 minutes by main road. Bus takes a similar amount of time due to everlasting roadworks.
We decided against grammar school in the neighbouring boroughs as it would be over an hour on the school bus plus walk to the pick up point. She'd be first on and last off getting the bus at 7am which would not be conducive to a good day at school for her

DC1 about a 3 min walk. When they hit yr10 it will be a 45 mins walk or 20 mins cycle

DC2&3 if I give them a lift to the bus stop about 5 min drive, 40 mins bus and 5 min walk so about 50 mins each way. If they have to walk from home to the bus add an extra 25 mins, 1hr 15 mins each way. They get a lift 95% of the time. No regrets, they love the school, most kids are bussed in from distances at their school it's quite normal.

We leave at 7.30, I drop him at the bus stop at 7.45. He gets to school at 8.30.

Rural, school over location

10 minute walk for my kids

but 75% of pupils go by bus

Anything between 30-45 minutes depending on traffic. We chose the school over location but it was also the feeder school from primary.

50- 60 mins because they are extremely slow! Takes them forever some days it seems. It’s only 2.6 miles or a bit less if they use the river path so it should not take that long but they faff.

Always on foot, there isn’t a bus.

30 minutes in the car. It’s only 2.5 kilometres and is the closest secondary school, but is in a city with ridiculous traffic. Just a bit too far to walk, but I drive past on my way to work anyway.

Moved here to be in this school catchment, the traffic wasn’t so bad even a year ago.

DS had a 20 min by car journey to school. Came home on school bus which took about 30 mins.

About half the kids lived within walking distance. Even though lots bussed in, he’d have liked to have been local when older. They went to the park or into town but he had to get school bus home most days. Public transport didn’t work for us, but if it had, that would make a difference.

School buses are good, esp in lower years. Later, it’s good if there’s some flexibility and they can get themselves home at different times …but not possible for all.

I’d remember firstly that best case scenarios can double in time with road works etc.
But also that they won’t always be 11, but quickly 15 and 18. It’s hard to imagine when they’re still in primary, but they grow up and can cope with more.

25 minutes each way, in the car there and back; however, that is because DC comes to the school I work at. It's fine.

At age 13 I was taking a bus which took 25-30 minutes, with 5 minutes walk either side of that. By 16, it was a bus, a ferry and then another bus, taking around 1.5 hours. It was horrific and I'm sure it negatively impacted my GCSE grades.

DS faces 2 buses + well over an hour's travel either way, to get to a school regionally regarded as excellent (academically). Or 10mins bus/30mins walk to an okay one with really terrible attainment.

Can't afford to move nearer, and can't drive him there/partway due to work shifts. Feeling like we're failing him whichever way we go.

Although that commute is likely to feel really hard in Y7, by Y8, he'll just be accustomed to it.

We leave the house at 7:30, and get home at about 6:30 on a normal day - we live rurally, my DC's school is near my office, so I drive them in, and they have to stay in late room until I've finished work at 5:30. It does mean that they (theoretically!!) can get their homework done while waiting for the lift home.