Travelling to WHSB from Redbridge

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sonu1kanda
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2018 1:36 pm

Travelling to WHSB from Redbridge

Post by sonu1kanda »

Hi my son scored enough to get into WHSB and CRGS. We visited both and we live both but I'm absolutely tormented by the travel. We didn't really think he would get through so didn't really look into the travelling issues.

There is a coach that goes from our local area on gants hill but it takes over an hour and our son would have to leave home at 6.30am to get the 6.50 coach.

The schools are fantastic but isn't it much to ask of him?

Are there any parents here that send their children from gants hill or south Woodford area? How do the kids cope and manage after school clubs?
sonu1kanda
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2018 1:36 pm

Re: Travelling to WHSB from Redbridge

Post by sonu1kanda »

Anyone travelling from gants hill?? Please reply
Bananaperson
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:10 pm

Re: Travelling to WHSB from Redbridge

Post by Bananaperson »

Hi,
Congratulations!
A few of my friends’ children go from newbury park and chadwell heath. They don’t find the journey too onerous, and they seem to be very happy at the westcliff school. Many do do the journey, so your ds would be in the same boat as many others. I think that colchester may be a lot more further though than westcliff?
copella
Posts: 1200
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:51 pm

Re: Travelling to WHSB from Redbridge

Post by copella »

I think you know the answer to your question but because you love the schools you want to be persuaded otherwise and have your child leave home at 6.30 5 days a week for up to 7 yrs. I wouldn't do this to myself much less my child. No school is worth having an exhausted child for. Can you move? Is there another more local school you wanted? You say it wasn't expected he would get into either school so I assume you had good alternatives. The journey you are contemplating is far too long and far too early. He will be leaving in the cold and dark when there wont be that many people around. Think about this before you put him through it. Because others have done this it doesnt make it a good choice for your son.
sonu1kanda
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2018 1:36 pm

Re: Travelling to WHSB from Redbridge

Post by sonu1kanda »

Bananaperson - I really appreciate your response.
There seem to be quite a few children doing the travel without issue which is good to know. Colchester is further but oddly the coach service leaves later than the one for WC!!

Copella - I also appreciate your response. Thanks for the feedback.
Arrowana
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:03 pm

Re: Travelling to WHSB from Redbridge

Post by Arrowana »

sonu1kanda wrote:Bananaperson - I really appreciate your response.
There seem to be quite a few children doing the travel without issue which is good to know. Colchester is further but oddly the coach service leaves later than the one for WC!!

Copella - I also appreciate your response. Thanks for the feedback.
___________________________________________________________________

Hi sonu1kana - I am in a similar situation that you were in last year. What happened in the end? did you send your DS to WCHS or CRGS? If so how has he coped with the early coach service? is he missing out on afterschool activities?
ToadMum
Posts: 11944
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Travelling to WHSB from Redbridge

Post by ToadMum »

Arrowana wrote:
sonu1kanda wrote:Bananaperson - I really appreciate your response.
There seem to be quite a few children doing the travel without issue which is good to know. Colchester is further but oddly the coach service leaves later than the one for WC!!

Copella - I also appreciate your response. Thanks for the feedback.
___________________________________________________________________

Hi sonu1kana - I am in a similar situation that you were in last year. What happened in the end? did you send your DS to WCHS or CRGS? If so how has he coped with the early coach service? is he missing out on afterschool activities?
Sending him to Woodford County High would have made the local press, one would imagine :lol:.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
Arrowana
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:03 pm

Re: Travelling to WHSB from Redbridge

Post by Arrowana »

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Well - wearing a dress might help?

Well I mean Westcliffe.

After much thought - I am slowly going against the idea of the daily coach service despite my reservations of ICHS. We still have a few weeks of comtemplation. It's weird that there are so few people willing to offer a review/comment about ICHS - where are you guys? Please come out and share.
sonu1kanda
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2018 1:36 pm

Re: Travelling to WHSB from Redbridge

Post by sonu1kanda »

Hi Arrowana

We did decide on Westcliff as my son was adamant he wanted to go there. Ilford County was ok but he loved WCHB as soon as we walked in and insisted that he wanted to go. He is extremely happy at the school. It was a tough decision but it was definitely the right one. It is an early start - he leaves home at 6.50 am - the coach leaves from Gants Hill at 7 am and gets to school about 8 am. The coach is v punctual. They get back into Gants Hill between about 4.40 pm to 5 pm. He does not find the early mornings difficult. He enjoys the travel with his friends, sometimes he does some revision on the coach but mostly plays with his friends.
Travel is the only thing that makes the decision difficult. I am told regularly by other mums that they would not put their child through that, but the decision was right for us. My son had full say in the decision. I was in turmoil because he wanted Westcliff and I was not keen on the travel. However, it does not seem like there was anything to worry about.
WCHB offers many clubs during lunchtime so that's when he does his club activities.
One thing I would say is that it is a commitment you have to make also. There have been a few occasions which have required us to drive to school for him (school trips or when he took part in parents open evening etc) and we are committed to ensuring that he does not miss out so we always go.
There is also a lot of homework which you have to manage. As they get to school early, my son does some of it in the morning and some at home.
Arrowana
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:03 pm

Re: Travelling to WHSB from Redbridge

Post by Arrowana »

sonu1kanda wrote:Hi Arrowana

We did decide on Westcliff as my son was adamant he wanted to go there. Ilford County was ok but he loved WHSB as soon as we walked in and insisted that he wanted to go. He is extremely happy at the school. It was a tough decision but it was definitely the right one. It is an early start - he leaves home at 6.50 am - the coach leaves from Gants Hill at 7 am and gets to school about 8 am. The coach is v punctual. They get back into Gants Hill between about 4.40 pm to 5 pm. He does not find the early mornings difficult. He enjoys the travel with his friends, sometimes he does some revision on the coach but mostly plays with his friends.
Travel is the only thing that makes the decision difficult. I am told regularly by other mums that they would not put their child through that, but the decision was right for us. My son had full say in the decision. I was in turmoil because he wanted Westcliff and I was not keen on the travel. However, it does not seem like there was anything to worry about.
WCHB offers many clubs during lunchtime so that's when he does his club activities.
One thing I would say is that it is a commitment you have to make also. There have been a few occasions which have required us to drive to school for him (school trips or when he took part in parents open evening etc) and we are committed to ensuring that he does not miss out so we always go.
There is also a lot of homework which you have to manage. As they get to school early, my son does some of it in the morning and some at home.
I am glad that your son has settled in. About the clubs - when we went to the WHSB open evening and spoke to some of the Year 7 Boys, they said lunch time sometimes was busy, and could take up to 30 mins to get your food. To quickly eat that and then go to a club sometimes might be tight. I guess pack lunches would fix that. But I have always been the believer of having hot food for school lunches. Just a small point.

After much consideration - I think the journey of 10 mins drive to Gants Hill, then an hour on coach to WHSB might be too much in the long run. Its a real shame as I know WHSB on first impressions was fantastic. I will likely put ICHS on the CAF form, I just hope that it will exceed my expectations - going for an open day next week. WHSB set a high bar - but the approx 11 hours that we save on travel a week can be used for other things. Best of luck to your son.
Last edited by Arrowana on Thu Oct 24, 2019 12:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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