Mom0407 wrote:
Encapsulate wrote:
DS scored well in both the Kent and Essex 11+, but being based in Grays all of our grammar options involve a commute (we don't want to move house).
Traffic permitting, Dartford seems like the best choice and is also our son's preferred school.
Is anyone aware of any existing public/shared private transport from Thurrock to Dartford Grammar? Or are there any other parents in the same boat who would be interested in jointly arranging some form of transport over the river?
Thanks

Hi All,
Just want to know whether there are any coaches running between Thurrock & Dartford .
We stay close by to Shenfield.
I can drive to school, but afraid of traffic on a daily basis.
Any suggestion would be helpful.
Thank you.
As OOC your DC will have needed to score very highly indeed in the Kent test to qualify for Dartford, just highlighting this as some Kent schools only require a pass which can cause confusion with those who are not overly familiar with County, but then you have to usually be in a specified Parish for those schools. Dartford does have places for OOC children, but for the Boys school the score in past years on offer day has been well over 400 and with higher scores this year - no one knows what the impact will be on the cut-off.
The journey from Shenfield to Dartford sounds impractical to me - sorry. With no traffic you are talking 35 minutes, at rush hour triple that, possibly with regular meltdowns and blockages, a coach is going to suffer the same problems as a car. What DD loves about her school (1.4 miles away from our home) is getting there herself, chatting with friends before school, staying afterwards for rehearsals etc. Those that get driven or get the coach tend to get left out or can't join in with impromptu meet ups. A longish train journey is probably the best compromise for some as they can spend time with friends and do homework but Shenfield to Dartford by public transport just doesn't look do-able.