Colchester to Southend travel

[longdistance]

Hi,
Anyone sending or planning to send DC to WCHB/SHSB from Colchester? With so much pressure on CRGS we are thinking to initially send DS to Southend by bus/train and maybe later move near Chelmsford. Is it really worth the hassle? Would love to hear some experiences.
Thanks!

[moved]

Are you going to try for Colchester? It seems sensible to put it on your CAF. No one knows what will happen this year, apart from the fact that more children in the catchment area for Chelmsford will go to KEGS. Not so many boys will have to travel to Colchester because they just missed out on KEGS.

[longdistance]

Thanks for the reply moved, DS has scored 331 so we are thinking to put CRGS as 1st choice and WCHB/SHSB as 3rd and 4th with local comp (which is very good too) as the last. If he doesn't get into CRGS; I am not sure how the journey from Colchester to Southend pans out.

[laluna]

Hi - really quick response as I am meant to he working! I think it depends where you live in Colchester. There is a bus which leaves from Wickham Bishops at about 7 in the morning which goes to both schools and then returns at about 5 ish. I am not aware of any other services that originate nearer to town. We have considered this option - DD got 334 for our first choice of colchester girls but we will not be choosing southend just because of the distance. I can't face a two hour round trip just for parents eve!!

[moved]

Not so bad for parents' evening, but the school trip that leaves at 4am isn't good. Don't underestimate the effect on your child either. Homework on a bus isn't the best place; however, the social life is quite good from what I've heard.

[longdistance]

Trip to parents' evening was all right, but doing that every day is another matter. The social aspect of daily commute on the bus would make it less painful (or maybe fun) for some children, but the extra 40 minutes from Wivenhoe to Wickham Bishops is the deciding factor for us. If we are unable to find a direct coach from somewhere near Stanway to Southend we won't be choosing Southend either.

[Suresh]

I may be wrong, but try this.

There is a bus from Shrub end to Maldon, which you then have to change to the CSSE bus route from Maldon to Southend Schools. I was looking at this last year,

[longdistance]

You're right first bus runs service 75 going to Maldon. It's probably easier to drive up to Maldon or Wickham Bishops to catch the 504 csse bus.

[Bentham]

DD just started year7 at Whsg having just missed out on Colchester. We are witham and she gets the 514 contract bus direct to school at 6.45 and is home for 5. We were really unsure aboutbwhether this was too much an thought long and hard about whether itvwas possible. She has done amazingly well, beyond my expectations with the first half term ( and much better than her brother did with with a far shorter journey fo CRGS 2 years ago). I'd say it very much depends on the child's personality and if they like the school and want to go. We accepted the place but left the final decision up to her, which she then made after she attended the open days. Also i'd recommend you talk to the school and look closely at the pastoral care available. As for the bus she says, the gossip and her friends make it ok. I'd would also check with stephensons as they recommended we stck with the Witham bus as the Wickham Bishops bus is much fuller (we looked at this as it leaves later).

[longdistance]

Bentham - that gives us a lot of hope and motivation. We were starting to think that we're the only ones near Colchester going for this.