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How far is too far?

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:52 pm
by countrymum
Hi, I just wondered what do you think is a reasonable time for a child to be travelling to school? Am weighing up travel options here and obviously wanting my DD to be as awake and refreshed as possible for a good day at school. I was thinking 1/2 hr tops, door to door. Though don't know if that is a long time to be travelling or not too bad. Also I know of children who travel to school by car, then train/tram/tube then bus. Is this too much? Are children more resilient than I think when it comes to getting up early and travelling to school.

Thanks

Re: How far is too far?

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 4:06 pm
by 3b1g
I think it depends on the child and the school. My door-to-door journey was over an hour each way, but most of that was spent sitting on a coach with my friends, so it was fine. It did mean an early start and if I did after-school activities then I had to get a later coach home which took even longer, so I didn't get home till after 6pm. However, I was very happy at my school, which kept me challenged and intellectually stimulated in a way that I don't believe the local school (two minute walk as it was five doors away) would have done. Personally, I feel that a number of changes of transport (bus, train, bus etc) have more of an effect on tiredness than the duration of the journey.

Re: How far is too far?

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 6:09 pm
by Kingfisher
Half an hour might be too short a time, Country Mum. My DD lives quite close to her school - too close to catch the coach as its last stop is before it reaches our area - so she is on local transport. With walking, waiting etc, the journey is about 40 minutes. An hour?

Re: How far is too far?

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 6:18 pm
by mad?
3b1g wrote:Personally, I feel that a number of changes of transport (bus, train, bus etc) have more of an effect on tiredness than the duration of the journey.
I totally agree. It is the complexity of a journey that makes it more demanding of DC. More things that can go wrong, more places to be left 'hanging around' when it would be best to be home. Moreover, a journey on several forms of public transport that in theory takes 30 minutes is never that during the rush hour.

Re: How far is too far?

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 6:35 pm
by aliportico
Yeah, half an hour door to door is probably a bit hopeful - dd1 goes to our nearest secondary school, and because of where it is it's not worth getting a bus, and walking takes about 20 minutes. She cycles, which is half that. Unless you have a bus stop at the end of your road that conveniently goes to you're school, half an hour might not actually get you very far.

Dd2 goes out at 7.10 for an 8.40 start - she walks with dh and then gets a bus. Because of the vagaries if the bus time table, the bus she gets has her in school by 8.15, but the next one would mean she was late. It doesn't seem to bother her too much.

Re: How far is too far?

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:09 pm
by countrymum
3b1g wrote:I think it depends on the child and the school. My door-to-door journey was over an hour each way, but most of that was spent sitting on a coach with my friends, so it was fine. It did mean an early start and if I did after-school activities then I had to get a later coach home which took even longer, so I didn't get home till after 6pm. However, I was very happy at my school, which kept me challenged and intellectually stimulated in a way that I don't believe the local school (two minute walk as it was five doors away) would have done. Personally, I feel that a number of changes of transport (bus, train, bus etc) have more of an effect on tiredness than the duration of the journey.
Thanks 3b1g

That is great advice and really reassuring that you feel is kind of worth going the extra on the travelling if is for a school where one is challenged etc. I totally agree with you that the changes of transport rather than the actual duration of the Journey itself can actually effect the tiredness. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Re: How far is too far?

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:17 pm
by countrymum
Kingfisher wrote:Half an hour might be too short a time, Country Mum. My DD lives quite close to her school - too close to catch the coach as its last stop is before it reaches our area - so she is on local transport. With walking, waiting etc, the journey is about 40 minutes. An hour?
Thanks Kingfisher

I guess my approximation on the half hour would be travelling by car, if DD did the same journey by public transport etc would obviously be longer. I do think travelling to and from school an important aspect in this 11+ journey and for me has to have a bearing wherever she ends up. I suppose an hour using some car then public transport is what I may be looking at and just wondering if 1 hr to get to school would have a detrimental effect on DD.

Re: How far is too far?

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:27 pm
by countrymum
mad? wrote:
3b1g wrote:Personally, I feel that a number of changes of transport (bus, train, bus etc) have more of an effect on tiredness than the duration of the journey.
I totally agree. It is the complexity of a journey that makes it more demanding of DC. More things that can go wrong, more places to be left 'hanging around' when it would be best to be home. Moreover, a journey on several forms of public transport that in theory takes 30 minutes is never that during the rush hour.
Thanks mad?

Agree 100%. For me I think is quite a big step going from lovely lifts to and from school to then getting trams/trains etc on their own. I know they all cope fine and we have to let them out in the big wide world etc but just want the practicalities of it to work for everyone in our family. All hypothetical as yet, as who knows where she shall end up, GS's that she passed she is low down on category's/catchments etc but good to think ahead.

Re: How far is too far?

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:33 pm
by countrymum
aliportico wrote:Yeah, half an hour door to door is probably a bit hopeful - dd1 goes to our nearest secondary school, and because of where it is it's not worth getting a bus, and walking takes about 20 minutes. She cycles, which is half that. Unless you have a bus stop at the end of your road that conveniently goes to you're school, half an hour might not actually get you very far.

Dd2 goes out at 7.10 for an 8.40 start - she walks with dh and then gets a bus. Because of the vagaries if the bus time table, the bus she gets has her in school by 8.15, but the next one would mean she was late. It doesn't seem to bother her too much.
Thanks for sharing aliportico

Yes the half hour would be a car journey but am thinking ahead on how long public transport journeys would take her and how long others on here travel and yet works fine for their child. DD isn't a brilliant morning person but hopefully she'll become self disciplined enough to get up in plenty of time should a journey of some length be needed to get to school.

Re: How far is too far?

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:36 pm
by scary mum
It's not just the journey times, you need to consider the catchment of the schook and where their social life will be. Dd was at a school 15 miles away, but friends lived up to 40 miles away which doesn't make for easy socialising. (We moved her eventually - for other reasons).