Pls help needed! Commuting for school in East Dulwich, is it manageable?

[Ginster]

I can only comment on the driving but as others have said - driving within Dulwich at the moment is awful! I really cannot believe you could do that drive in 20 mins? I drive once a week to drop my kids to school (as I do our weekly supermarket shop on the way back) from one side of Dulwich to the other. Takes 10-12 mins depending on traffic. There are lots of shut roads meaning the main roads are chokka. I would also now never drive the way I used to which was past Jags. I now go the opposite direction via Denmark Hill Station. It was hit-and-miss anyway going the Jags way in the past (and that was before they closed lots of roads feeding East Dulwich Grove). It is even worse now. I think you need to try a few practice runs before you commit. Another parent works in Streatham and drives back to home in Dulwich and occasionally gets stuck and I have to pick up their child for them. I think you're lining up a daily stressful challenge.

[hellosailor]

You make a good point, the school coaches only take 25 mins to make the journey as they?re doing it so early. Most arriving at school by 8:00.

If you?re a parent driving your child yourself leaving home considerably later then it would be very different.

So it could indeed be a stressful 3 years from reception to year 3 when you are deemed old enough for a coach place.

[Ole]

hellosailor Wrote:

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> You make a good point, the school coaches only

> take 25 mins to make the journey as they?re doing

> it so early. Most arriving at school by 8:00.

> If you?re a parent driving your child yourself

> leaving home considerably later then it would be

> very different.

> So it could indeed be a stressful 3 years from

> reception to year 3 when you are deemed old enough

> for a coach place.

That sounds quite grim. So those poor kids must be getting on the coaches as early as 7am? So what time are they having to leave the house then. I used to get the coach at 8.15. School lessons started at 9.45, the coaches left at 4.30pm.

It seems counterproductive that kids have such early starts when it is well documented that kids perform better with later starts.

[alex_b]

A lot of people are saying traffic is terrible at the moment (which may well be true) but even pre-pandemic and LTNs getting from Greenwich to E Dulwich in twenty minutes wasn?t realistic. Even if things go back to regular traffic patterns 40+ mins seems more realistic.

[hpsaucey]

hellosailor Wrote:

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> Jags, alleyns and Dulwich college run numerous

> coach routes from all over London to the schools.'

Maybe you'd have to think carefully about Dulwich College if any of this is true?

https://inews.co.uk/news/education/dulwich-college-accused-breeding-ground-for-sexual-predators-open-letter-former-pupil-923597

HP

[Adventure Aunt]

My DD attended marvellous primary school (Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overy) and secondary school (Emanuel) and commuted happily to both, but don't underestimate the sadness of being far from one's friends after school/weekends/holidays. She really minded that.

[scareyt]

That drive is horrendous and you?d spend 4 hours in the car every day. No school is that good!