halsea wrote:
We visited Five Ways today and there is a lot to be impressed by. My main concern is that her only transport option is the green bus, which leaves at 4pm and so how would she take part in any after school clubs and the distance from friends. We live in a village and so she can walk to most of her friends at the moment. Did anyone else visit?
From the Centro Journey Planner site it looks like she'd have to take two buses home - one to Merry Hill, then another bus to Hagley (I think that's where you live? or are you in one of the nearby villages?). That probably sounds totally prohibitive to you now, but actually lots of kids do it to all the grammar schools. Our ds has been taking the green bus to Handsworth this year, but next year he'll be doing either two buses or train, then bus/tram. He's done the two bus journey lots of times already on the way home and it's been fine. Actually he prefers it to the green bus. Your daughter could get a green bus pass and then just take public transport on the day(s) she stays late? But you may find most clubs are at lunchtime anyway. Or she may turn out not to be a 'joiner' of clubs, like my son!
It's another thing for you to weigh up - you should also consider the cost of the green bus, which isn't cheap. Public transport is much cheaper (but still a cost to consider if she would otherwise walk to school).
I wouldn't worry too much about friends. My kids have some friends nearby from outside school anyway (youth group, church) and kept in contact with one or two primary friends. They also both have school friends who live nearby and travel on the bus/train with them - if your daughter went by green bus she'd get to know the kids on the same bus.
Also, they do a lot of socialising online as they get older! And with getting home later and homework, the after school play dates don't really happen at secondary. My daughter meets up with friends in town a lot on Saturdays or in the holidays, and the ones who are at a distance come over for sleepovers.