Distance from schools

[SmartieMeUp]

How far away can you be (or are you) away from your DC's schools?

We're moving to my hometown after Christmas (if we can't find a house beforehand). January is the deadline. DD1 turned 5 2 weeks ago and theoretically should be in reception. Luckily we've had the leeway of her staying in nursery until January for the mere fact of saving the heartache of her moving to a new school to then be taken out of it and moved to another.

We want her to attend the school the rest of her cousins attend to but there are no houses available to suit our budget in the area within 1.5 miles walking distance of the school. We've already increased our affordability just to be closer but nothing. Neither of us drive yet and buses aren't the best dependency.

 

[Wilsey]

The school our two will be attending is at the bottom of our street, so 200m away. The next two schools they will attend are both less than 1km away. We probably would have chosen the house anyway, even if the schools weren't the ones we were planning to send our kids too, we sort of lucked in.

EDIT: 200m = 0.12 miles and 1km = 0.6 miles

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I live 5miles from sons school, 1mile from infant. Its easier to get a place in catchment school or you may struggle. Luckily we are rural so my son gets a free bus..i wouldnt wanna have to drive daily. Been there done that and its a faff.

 

[lau86]

I guess there's a few things to think about. 1) would you be accepted into the school if you don't live in the catchment area 2) how would you get her to a school 1.5 miles away from home, are you planning to walk?
If you really want the school, can you take a smaller house/ any other compromises with that?
We live a 5 minute walk from the school and can see it from our house. The catchment area for ours is really small.

 

[AngelUK]

Ours is 0.8 miles away and I take them there in the cargo bike I bought especially for that purpose (ebay). I could walk the distance in about 10 to 15 minutes on my own but with two dawdling boys it would take double that. Maybe a cargo bike would be an option for you too? They are not cheap but way cheaper than a car of course.

 

[MindUtopia]

The school we've put in for as our first choice is probably about a 5-7 minute drive away, no idea in terms of actual miles. But where we live is very rural, so roughly the closest school. There is another that's not as nice that's probably about 7 minutes or so the other direction and then the others beyond that are probably about a 15-20 minute drive. There might be a school bus though (maybe not ideal for really little ones), but if it's your only option. Otherwise, I'd chose somewhere you can get to easily that you like rather than trying to be with friends or family. I know that's always nice, but I would rather have a stress-free commute rather than dealing with multiple bus changes and having to leave early/get home late just to go to a specific school, if you can find others that are just as nice.

 

[SmartieMeUp]

Current catchment is in the photo. The red dot is the closest (available) suitable house within our financial state atm. More may crop up nearer the time but I think I'm falling for this particular one. OH is being more versatile with areas but he also wants the same school. We have connections with the preferred school, but it is just slightly outside the radius (if that house is chosen). Plus it's nursery-year 6 so DD2 has a greater chance of attending too.

I was hoping to walk - DD2 in pushchair and DD1 on buggy board OR bus the longest main road to meet my 2 sisters (taking their DC's to school) and then my mum (helps with school runs) further down the route. I know DD1 is capable of walking a certain distance at a reasonable speed due to past experiences.

There is another school which is 0.3 miles from that house but the ofsted isn't great.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Have a look how many out of catchment got a place. Here its nearly impossible to get a place out of catchment.

 

[lau86]

I'm guessing you've missed the regular application process? So wouldn't you have to check with the school directly whether they have a place?

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Ah yes, mid year transfers. I just done one and they didnt have a place. we only got a place as I appealed it was catchment x

 

[Quartz]

I would give the school a call and take it from there - they simply may not have the space (the number of children in an infant is limited to 30 unless you are an excepted child and won on appeal). Having connections at the school is really not going to help if there is not a space - so find that out first.

If there is a space then it should not matter where you live as much. If there isnt the council are obligated to find you a space but it can be far away - if the school you want doesn't have a space then I would speak to the council. You do have to accept though that given you are applying out of the regular process the chances are that it will be the one 0.3 miles away as its less likely to be full.

Also I have to say I would say starting behind in reception having missed a term is more disruptive that moving schools

 

[SmartieMeUp]

I'm guessing you've missed the regular application process? So wouldn't you have to check with the school directly whether they have a place?

I can't apply until I physically have an address in the same city. I have emailed the school (their phonelines are under maintenance) about my inquiries and explaining the situation, so it's just the case of getting back to me. It's a new term that she would be starting and as she would be one of the eldest in the year, she has the option of starting in the September or the following January, so normally January applications need to be in before mid December I believe.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Yes appealing under year 2 is more unlikely to be succesful. I only won as it was a secondary case.

 

[SmartieMeUp]

I would give the school a call and take it from there - they simply may not have the space (the number of children in an infant is limited to 30 unless you are an excepted child and won on appeal). Having connections at the school is really not going to help if there is not a space - so find that out first.

If there is a space then it should not matter where you live as much. If there isnt the council are obligated to find you a space but it can be far away - if the school you want doesn't have a space then I would speak to the council. You do have to accept though that given you are applying out of the regular process the chances are that it will be the one 0.3 miles away as its less likely to be full.

Also I have to say I would say starting behind in reception having missed a term is more disruptive that moving schools

There are 4 teachers + 2 TA's in the reception so there will be 120 max pupils/placements in total from September just gone. I will keep in mind with the council. I just hope that they will take things into consideration.

In DD1's circumstances, that doesn't personally apply to her. She can't emotionally deal with change around new people. Her current teachers have pointed out (something I already knew) that she will struggle with the relationship side of things going into "big school" with other pupils as she doesn't know how to communicate or bond with other children. Only adults, in which she will go out of her way to have attention from them and disrupts to do so. If she sees a friend from nursery, she would rather look at a wall or something just to avoid any contact. She is being taught KS2 at nursery so she isn't educationally behind, brings homework home which is up to age standard. Myself and OH also teach her things.

 

[Bevziibubble]

We are 0.7 miles away from the school although it feels longer than that on the walk because she dawdles!

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

we homeschool but otherwise we are about 2mi from the school theyd go to

 

[minties]

We are that same distance from Thomas's school. In NZ they are school zones (we are literally one house away from being out of it!) and your kids have the right to attend a school if they are in the zone (so no applying).

I will say it can be a lot of walking, it's tiring in the height of summer.

 

[Zephram]

I just Google mapped the distance our house is from our closest school - 2.6km. DS1 is at the kindy but we haven't walked it yet as it's very up and down hilly and would take him at the very least half an hour, maybe even 45 mins. I think we'll try the walk on a nice day before end of the year though.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I used to walk 3 miles each way with 2 before i passed my test. Taxi was too expensive. It was ok in summer. Bad in rain and bad if someone was poorly x