Hi, sorry if this is a repeat, I have searched the forum for similar information...

My son is trying to decide between CHB and KE5W as first choice. We live in Kings Norton so can get a direct bus to either. When we looked at the school, KE5W felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, and the cut through from the bus was a dodgy looking alley...

Does anyone have travel experiences to share? I think he'd get there OK, I'm concerned about dark evenings, coming through Northfield on the bus etc. I'm not a driver myself and I know the kind of people who can take the 18

I know the 35 (to Kings Heath) is no better, but somehow it feels closer to civilisation than the rural location of the former.

Help!

Doesnt a green bus go close to Kings Norton

Hi congratulations on your sons score it's a major feat.

If it was me I would look at the travel time between each school, from Kings Norton to Five ways you can get stuck on the cotteridge island but generally the 18 is quite a smooth journey and it is a frequent bus.

The cut through is quite safe and a lot of kids tend to come out together but that said even if they was to come off onto Scotland lane and onto field lane and walk to the 18 bus stop it shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

I am not sure about Camp Hill maybe someone else can advise you on that.

Thank you, it's our first go out and we have no personal experience of GS so I had little idea of numbers, but I'm starting to realise it's quite an achievement. I knew he was a bright boy which is why we thought to put him in for it, but he's surpassed expectations.

That's SO good to hear about the cut through. I know it's daft but they still seem so little. There's safety in numbers I suppose, and I'm guessing because it's out in the stick most students are on buses.

DMC1, there is a Green bus from Cotteridge I believe, I'm just aware that there's only one and in case he misses it...

Check out the green bus website - www.thegreenbus.co.uk - if you go onto bus services you will see school/route finder. Put in your postcode and it will show a map with the green bus routes, clicking on the bus number will show the route and times (this can be done for FW and CHB) I believe the 883 goes to FW from Kings Norton.

Hi Stansmum and congrats to your son!

I had a look at Google maps and the 35 from Kings Norton to KECHB only takes about 20 minutes. That's a far shorter journey than many boys at the school. Google maps and the Network West Midlands Journey Planner are really helpful when thinking about the journey.

My son is in Year 8 at KECHB and takes the metro and then the 35 from the city centre to Camp Hill, so in the opposite direction. He made the trip there and back once with his dad in the half term before we filled in the CAF (to check journey time) and then his dad took him in on the first day and he found his way back (including getting across Birmingham city centre!) The bus has been fine, although it can be a bit of a pain in the afternoons, when the traffic on the High Street gets rather snarled up. He's made his closest friends on the bus though! There's a lot of bonding over a late bus. He plays rugby after school and is in an orchestra and would be hampered in that if he had to rely on a green bus.

Depending on where you are in Kings Norton, he could almost walk! Always a good option to have in the back pocket in an emergency. My daughter once had to walk home 3 miles in the snow from KEVIHS...

This is all so useful, thanks Turtlegirl. I do think the proximity to CHB might win out in the end.

His other factors - KE5W is mixed (good) and seems quite sporty (bad), CHB is higher entry (I think irrelevant - he says good) but just boys (bad), seem less important to me than the daily drudge of travel. And I'm a bus girl so I should know!

You're all fab x

Proximity is a very helpful factor Stansmum. If it helps, the boys at Camp Hill do occasionally interact with the girls - especially in music. In fact, my son is one of only three boys in his current orchestra...

Well done stansmum you must be so proud , I'm also in kings norton and have just started this journey with my daughter did your son ho to a tutor all advice would really help xx

Hi Raych, no external tutoring as we didn’t want to force it really. He did do some practice with books at home though. His primary school don’t seem to know anything about the process, comment not criticism, so we’ve been a bit in the dark.

This forum is a fantastic resource though. My advice would be to stick around