Colchester to Southend or WestCliff

[Guest55]

Do any of the parents send their students travelling through coach or private coach from Colchester to Southend or Westcliff?

My DS has scores which are in AMBER for CRGS and we are looking for parents who would consider sending their children to Southend or Westcliff OR any existing parents who are sending their kids to Southend or Westcliff from Colchester

I was brought up in Essex and the traffic 40 years ago was bad enough - it has got ten times worse since then. Recently the A12 as been closed several times - it only takes one minor problem for gridlock.

Please rethink or move ...

[cuppa-t]

Hi, please don't consider this journey as manageable. It really isn't. I live in Southend and have family in Colchester, we visit no more frequently than monthly due to the long journey!! And I'm not 11, on my own, on a bus. I really hope you find a local school that your son loves.

[KB]

There are a variety of buses that go direct to the Ipswich schools from various points around Colchester.
If the fees are in reach then journey is certainly easier.

CRGS does have year 9 entry but it's very limited so not to be relied on.

[Minesatea]

Actually there isnt a year 9 entry to CRGS any more, it has stopped as the current year 7 and 8 had an increase in pupil numbers and so they are running four classes from the start. Year 8 to 10 entry to CRGS is now the same as the other grammar schools, only if a pupil leaves and a space becomes available.
http://www.crgs.co.uk/132/admissions-policy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Keen_Parent]

Do any of the parents send their students travelling through coach or private coach from Colchester to Southend or Westcliff?

My DS has scores which are in AMBER for CRGS and we are looking for parents who would consider sending their children to Southend or Westcliff OR any existing parents who are sending their kids to Southend or Westcliff from Colchester

I was brought up in Essex and the traffic 40 years ago was bad enough - it has got ten times worse since then. Recently the A12 as been closed several times - it only takes one minor problem for gridlock.

Please rethink or move ...

Thanks Guest 55 for the response. Understand that only if the traffic is near normal the daily commute is reliable

[Keen_Parent]

Hi, please don't consider this journey as manageable. It really isn't. I live in Southend and have family in Colchester, we visit no more frequently than monthly due to the long journey!! And I'm not 11, on my own, on a bus. I really hope you find a local school that your son loves.

Thanks Cuppa..I am planning to undertake a journey a couple of times, before I take a plunge

[bravado]

I'm going to be brutally honest - something which I generally tend to avoid doing, as honesty doesn't need to be brutal.

This proposed journey isn't something anyone should consider making a child do twice a day for 7 years. We used to do Colchester to Southend 3 or 4 times a week in the evenings and that was bad enough: get a snarl-up on the A12 and you're totally messed-up. Even getting from one side of Colchester in the rush-hour periods and school times is abominable at the moment - bordering on unbearably stressful. Not to put too fine a point on it, Colchester's broken, in terms of traffic - I've never known a town to have so many traffic issues that cause almost permanent problems. The A12 is a nightmare.

I wouldn't have chosen this endurance test for either of my DD's and we weren't very enamoured with any of the alternatives on offer in Colchester, school-wise. Please think very, very carefully.

[Keen_Parent]

I'm going to be brutally honest - something which I generally tend to avoid doing, as honesty doesn't need to be brutal.

This proposed journey isn't something anyone should consider making a child do twice a day for 7 years. We used to do Colchester to Southend 3 or 4 times a week in the evenings and that was bad enough: get a snarl-up on the A12 and you're totally messed-up. Even getting from one side of Colchester in the rush-hour periods and school times is abominable at the moment - bordering on unbearably stressful. Not to put too fine a point on it, Colchester's broken, in terms of traffic - I've never known a town to have so many traffic issues that cause almost permanent problems. The A12 is a nightmare.

I wouldn't have chosen this endurance test for either of my DD's and we weren't very enamoured with any of the alternatives on offer in Colchester, school-wise. Please think very, very carefully.

Agree bravado. Any decision I would take will be carefully thought through. Your honest (not brutal) feedback is much appreciated.

[ToadMum]

I'm going to be brutally honest - something which I generally tend to avoid doing, as honesty doesn't need to be brutal.

This proposed journey isn't something anyone should consider making a child do twice a day for 7 years. We used to do Colchester to Southend 3 or 4 times a week in the evenings and that was bad enough: get a snarl-up on the A12 and you're totally messed-up. Even getting from one side of Colchester in the rush-hour periods and school times is abominable at the moment - bordering on unbearably stressful. Not to put too fine a point on it, Colchester's broken, in terms of traffic - I've never known a town to have so many traffic issues that cause almost permanent problems. The A12 is a nightmare.

I wouldn't have chosen this endurance test for either of my DD's and we weren't very enamoured with any of the alternatives on offer in Colchester, school-wise. Please think very, very carefully.

Agree bravado. Any decision I would take will be carefully thought through. Your honest (not brutal) feedback is much appreciated.

I don't know whether you will see this, let alone respond, but I noticed that you haven't posted on either the 'CRGS' or general Essex allocations thread and wondered which school you went for in the end?

[Keen_Parent]

We have decided to go for the local public school and did not opt for Southend / Westcliff

I'm going to be brutally honest - something which I generally tend to avoid doing, as honesty doesn't need to be brutal.

This proposed journey isn't something anyone should consider making a child do twice a day for 7 years. We used to do Colchester to Southend 3 or 4 times a week in the evenings and that was bad enough: get a snarl-up on the A12 and you're totally messed-up. Even getting from one side of Colchester in the rush-hour periods and school times is abominable at the moment - bordering on unbearably stressful. Not to put too fine a point on it, Colchester's broken, in terms of traffic - I've never known a town to have so many traffic issues that cause almost permanent problems. The A12 is a nightmare.

I wouldn't have chosen this endurance test for either of my DD's and we weren't very enamoured with any of the alternatives on offer in Colchester, school-wise. Please think very, very carefully.

Agree bravado. Any decision I would take will be carefully thought through. Your honest (not brutal) feedback is much appreciated.

I don't know whether you will see this, let alone respond, but I noticed that you haven't posted on either the 'CRGS' or general Essex allocations thread and wondered which school you went for in the end?