Commute to grammar school advice

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nefertete
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2014 2:18 pm

Commute to grammar school advice

Post by nefertete »

It so happens that the two nearest grammar schools are half an hour drive from where I live. And so I have been thinking whether driving my child to and from gs twice a day would be a sensible and viable option for us. I am sure some of you are in a similar situation and here I would like to ask for your advice, sharing your experience with commuting. Does it work out for you? How do you manage dropping the other children, if you have any smaller ones, to school and picking them up from school if you have to drive to gs for your older child. If you are not doing it already, then how do you plan on doing it? I love the idea of grammar school, but I just worry commuting 2 hours a day would be too draining for me and for my child and would take a lot of quality time away from me and the whole family. Do you think it is worth it? Assuming my child would get a place in a gs, do you think it would be really better for him to be driven to gs or just save the time and go to a comprehensive close to home. I am in Walthamstow and I am not sure how good the comprehensives are in my area, I heard not grat, but then, if a child is bright and very clever, would it affect his performance going to a comprehensive rather than grammar?
Peridot
Posts: 2195
Joined: Thu May 16, 2013 5:02 pm

Re: Commute to grammar school advice

Post by Peridot »

Nefertete you are so sensible to be thinking about this now, before you decide on secondary schools. Both my children are at grammar schools but we are lucky that they can easily travel there by public transport. Some of my daughter's friends are driven to and from school by parents, or in a minibus, and it means that they can't take part in any sport/music/drama activities after school as they can't get home at a different time. They are not learning any independence, either.

Thinking of you, if are not working, then theoretically you can spend that time driving, but it's an awful lot of commitment for you, it will have an impact on getting your younger ones to school, and going to their assemblies etc, and what if you want or need to get a job? As for comprehensives, it is perfectly possible to get just as good an education and just as good results there, depending on your child's ability and attitude, and the subjects the school offers. Certainly, in our area, friends' children are thriving at comprehensives and get excellent exam results. I would go and look at all the schools before you make any decisions!
VH73
Posts: 216
Joined: Thu Mar 07, 2013 9:25 pm

Re: Commute to grammar school advice

Post by VH73 »

As for me, I'm not going to take my DS to high school, whichever he gets in (even if it's further). I'm planning to go to work, so I won't be able too. He can get everywhere with public transport. He just needs to wake up earlier.

I agree with Peridot with the 2nd question, they tell me the same, if they do well they'll do everywhere. Grammar is certainly a more challenging environment, but I know some hard working kids who challenge themselves enough in local comps.
PinkPearl
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:30 pm

Re: Commute to grammar school advice

Post by PinkPearl »

Nefertete, I hope you don't mind me replying on your thread even though I don't have personal experience yet. I have a friend who has a couple of kids in various schools including one in grammar and has told me that she spends the whole day in the car ferrying one kid, picking up another, taking another to after school activities and so on.The grammar is roughly half an hour away. She doesn't moan to me about it but I think it must be stressful. I know it would be for me. Having said that she said to me she never imagined being in this situation and you just get on with it. I think even if you get on with it it would still be very draining but the driving factor for me would be is that I would be thinking it is worth it.

Apologies if you have already looked at this stuff, but have you looked at the league tables for those local schools in your area? I'm looking into whether to send my son to pre prep or a good state school so I found the league tables very helpful as I could see the scores. I am also planning to visit some of those schools as from my experience you need to see a place rather then solely relying on tables from my experience with nurseries. If I was in your situation I would ask the local comp questions like how they cater for very bright children as their response or lack of response would be telling.

nefertete wrote:It so happens that the two nearest grammar schools are half an hour drive from where I live. And so I have been thinking whether driving my child to and from gs twice a day would be a sensible and viable option for us. I am sure some of you are in a similar situation and here I would like to ask for your advice, sharing your experience with commuting. Does it work out for you? How do you manage dropping the other children, if you have any smaller ones, to school and picking them up from school if you have to drive to gs for your older child. If you are not doing it already, then how do you plan on doing it? I love the idea of grammar school, but I just worry commuting 2 hours a day would be too draining for me and for my child and would take a lot of quality time away from me and the whole family. Do you think it is worth it? Assuming my child would get a place in a gs, do you think it would be really better for him to be driven to gs or just save the time and go to a comprehensive close to home. I am in Walthamstow and I am not sure how good the comprehensives are in my area, I heard not grat, but then, if a child is bright and very clever, would it affect his performance going to a comprehensive rather than grammar?
pheasantchick
Posts: 2439
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:28 pm

Re: Commute to grammar school advice

Post by pheasantchick »

Is there any public transport they can use? What do other pupils in the area do? Maybe speak to other children ( or parents) who go to the Gs that live in your area, and get their advice.

Well done on investigating this now. There's always a thread on this, or other websites, from people wondering how they are going to get their child to Gs, after the place has been allocated.
PinkPearl
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:30 pm

Re: Commute to grammar school advice

Post by PinkPearl »

Or maybe ring up the school and ask what parents do if you are not comfortable asking other parents. Read on one grammar school website just earlier that had names of private minibuses for parents. I am assuming a group of parents use these to get together to pay for collective use
pheasantchick wrote:Is there any public transport they can use? What do other pupils in the area do? Maybe speak to other children ( or parents) who go to the Gs that live in your area, and get their advice.

Well done on investigating this now. There's always a thread on this, or other websites, from people wondering how they are going to get their child to Gs, after the place has been allocated.
hermanmunster
Posts: 12815
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Commute to grammar school advice

Post by hermanmunster »

I think there are very few parts of the country where the nearest school is 30 mins drive away and in these transport will be arranged for the kids.

There are some where the nearest GS is more than 30 mins away and usually you will have to organise your own transport - many parents find it OK for a while but then it gets exhausting and limits what you can do in your own time.

Ultimately you have to decide whether the GS is actually worth the 2 hours commuting a day (day in day out - grotty weather etc etc - cost - car breakdowns - friends living miles away etc etc )

re those who want to work, some people manage to find jobs near the (or in ) the school or another school and then the times match up, but that takes some organising, luck and requires the right skills. I've always worked and usually in a different direction to the schools so daily transport to senior school wouldn't have been an option.
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Commute to grammar school advice

Post by southbucks3 »

Brass tacks...probably obvious comment here, but don't forget the £200 a month petrol!

Chances are, if you are a big distance from grammars, lots of sensible people, like yourself, will have decided on the local comp, so the top academic streams will be full of like minded children, with the added bonus of having level headed, local parents. :D
nefertete
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2014 2:18 pm

Re: Commute to grammar school advice

Post by nefertete »

Thanks for all the replies so far. As for the public transport, I believe there are busses which take to or near the school. The problem I have with this is whether it is safe for an 11 year old to travel all by himself such a long journey by bus. You never know what kind of freaks might approach them on the bus and talk into doing something stupied or going somewhere. And in winter that means travelling in darkness. Don't you fear for your child's safety ( those whose children travel in public transport)?
As for the minibuses, I must look into it, may be enquire at school, but I doubt it. I thought those are only at independent schools.
Yamin151
Posts: 2405
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:30 am

Re: Commute to grammar school advice

Post by Yamin151 »

nefertete wrote:Thanks for all the replies so far. As for the public transport, I believe there are busses which take to or near the school. The problem I have with this is whether it is safe for an 11 year old to travel all by himself such a long journey by bus. You never know what kind of freaks might approach them on the bus and talk into doing something stupied or going somewhere. And in winter that means travelling in darkness. Don't you fear for your child's safety ( those whose children travel in public transport)?
As for the minibuses, I must look into it, may be enquire at school, but I doubt it. I thought those are only at independent schools.
Is there an actual school bus? Even if you have to pay for it? We have one that my son will go on. Not cheap but no adults allowed on it (even the driver is a child, LOL! :wink: ), but all the same, nice to feel no adults.
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