Travel to Tiffin School from Lower Earley, Reading

[tiffinboys]

Even with SEN, a school that far away would not be allocated with grammar schools in Reading and nearby Slough.

Very unlikely that all the eligible children have got the place in Tiffin or put it as lower preference.
Is it a case of providing false address?

And if it is not, the journey is still horrendous and easily beats the previous one of Slough to Kingston (to my knowledge).

[Peridot]

I have to say, this post has actually made me spit with anger, and that takes some doing. If it is true, and not a wind-up, does the school admissions department know that there is a boy starting in September who lives in Lower Earley? How on earth could that happen with all the work they have done to create a sensible catchment area? I too know exactly where that is and how long it will take, having commuted a very, very similar journey myself. Madness.

[ToadMum]

Why bother to drive all that way, when the lad can do it with only two buses and two trains each way . Via Guildford, a whisker under two hours. Assuming the buses and the trains turn up on time, but then I'm sure they are just as reliable as the M3 in rush hour.

By the way, this isn't the daftest journey on the forum this year - several people in East London and Ilford are apparently intending to send their offspring 50-odd miles up the A12 to Colchester and back each day. One of the differences being that the Colchester grammar schools have no catchment area, so may provoke the response that the parents are stark staring mad but at least they are spared the quite reasonable speculation that some kind of fraud has been perpetrated...

[Tinkers]

Actually TM he could do it, with one train and one bus. as long as he gets a lift to either Earley or Winnersh train station.
Train to Richmond (1 hour from Earley), then 65 bus to Kingston.

Again this is a route I know, although it's a short walk to Earley station for us, whereas it would be quite a bit longer from Lower Earley, hence why he would need a lift.

(Btw I took a pay cut to stop having to do this journey, when I had to do it for work. That's just how much I 'enjoyed' it.)

[PurpleDuck]

If I is true, and not a wind-up, does the school admissions department know that there is a boy starting in September who lives in Lower Earley?

You never know, there may be people working at Tiffin's who also visit this forum.

[Guest55]

You never know, there may be people working at Tiffin's who also visit this forum.

I suggest someone should forward this thread to Tiffin admissions.

[whichwitch]

Actually, I think we should ALL email the admissions office. This is an appalling journey and will severely impact on your child. How would you feel OP if your son is asked to leave after GCSE's because he has been too exhausted to do the work required and doesn't make the grade? That could happen. Or if he is falling asleep in class or or or many other scenarios. Don't do this please. Think of your poor son.

[Snowdaddy]

Thank you all for your suggestions, I did try a test journey and it took me exactly one hour, we left at 7:05 and 8:00 we were at School gates so I think it may not be that bad. I will try another few trial runs and see how it goes. I took A329/A322/M3/A308 it is still 33 miles though.

With the current roadworks on A308 surprised that part didn't take 55 mins on its own.

Personally think this is madness, and if I had a child on the waiting list, I would be sending a copy of this thread to both Tiffin and Kingston council admissions requesting an explanation bearing in mind the 14km rule.

By car, or by train via Twickenham changing for Kingston, both are far too long

[RajeevRaval]

Wow that was a good response or may be my mistake. I think I should have made it clear, my son is doing GCSE's. It was just in case if he got offer for A-levels to see if there were any travel options.

[Guest55]

It's too far and I wouldn't advise that sort of journey for A level - the time needed for study is more than GCSE.

I cannot believe there is not a good school locally.