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school escort? need someone to drive ds to his school 2 miles away

88 replies

Hotpotatofood · 20/04/2013 22:00

my DS has got a place in a school 2 miles away. we are both working and cannot take him. if we choose cm in the area of the school - we would have to drop him off at 7.20 am in order for me to manage to go to work, which would mean leaving house 7.00 am -I think it s too early and too tiring for ds. my mum helps me with childcare so she can stay at home with my DS in the morning and I just need to arrange for someone to take him in a car? say, leave house at 8.15 to get to school by 8.45 am. is there such thing like escort to school - someone driving him to school? or are there any other ideas how I can get him to school? public transport - 2 buses, so probably too tiring for 4 year old...please help me with ideas

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sarahandemily · 20/04/2013 22:06

My dp used to have a taxi business and he did a lot of regular school runs. You could try this but not sure how pricey it would be. Anyone else in the area you could share the cost with

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howshouldibehave · 20/04/2013 22:12

Were you allocated this school despite applying for more local ones? If so, you may be entitled to funding for transport. If you have opted for this one, then probably not. Taxi? Or findng a willing local mum who goes the journey and paying her petrol money? Are there other local children who travel to this school?

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Hotpotatofood · 20/04/2013 22:18

do not know any mums yet - I suspect there will be not so many mums as we are wa out of parish boundaries. i chose this school for catholic element but now can see that we will struggle with the school run and soooo worried that that it will not work out and we will need to go on a waiting list for a more local one...

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iPadTypo · 20/04/2013 22:18

What about a a nanny? She could do a few things around the he's while ds is in school. Of ds' of course, his washing etc? Just to make the hours worth while? A friend of mine used to do this. Or a mothers helper type person?

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Hotpotatofood · 20/04/2013 22:20

dp you mean to get a nanny who could drive ds to school and then stay in the house and do some bits?

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Earlybird · 20/04/2013 22:22

Arrange a standing booking with a taxi service.

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Hotpotatofood · 20/04/2013 22:23

will someone ( adult ( need to be with DS in a taxi or is it legally ok to send DS in a taxi to school?

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SanityClause · 20/04/2013 22:23

I know that there is a woman who works as a childminder near us who does lots of school runs. I have seen her with lots of children picking up and dropping off at DD2's school, and DS's. Perhaps you could see if there are any local childminders who will do this.

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Hotpotatofood · 20/04/2013 22:25

can CM work for 2 different schools? it menas they will be late picking up some of the children, if the timing is the same for schools?

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Chocovore · 21/04/2013 15:00

Someone will need to drop off you little one into the care ofnthe teacher. Can your mum go with him in a taxi?

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hm32 · 21/04/2013 17:36

Could they walk? Or cycle? Scooter for the child perhaps?

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difficultpickle · 21/04/2013 17:42

Depends how much energy he has. Ds at that age was dropped at school at 7.30am and sometimes (in fact more often than not) not collected until 6.15-6.30pm. He was tired when he first started school (they all are even if they are just doing the standard school day) but after two or three weeks settled into his new routine well.

Personally I wouldn't put a 4 yr old alone in a taxi unless I knew the taxi driver was CRB checked. It is worth checking as some of the taxi companies where we live take schoolchildren to school.

If you don't want to drop off early then why can't your mum take him in a taxi and then it could drop her back to her house.

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Hotpotatofood · 21/04/2013 21:18

Ok. That is a thought. Ideally, would prefer to find one person who could do driving and giving ds to the handsdr of teacher. Say, leave house 8.00 to be at school at 8.15 am. Do you think i can find such person?

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mumblechum1 · 21/04/2013 21:23

I suggest that you contact the school and if they know of any staff or other parents who live in your area. If so, ask them to pass on a note/email/whatever with your details asking if they'd be prepared to collect your ds from home every morning and take him to school for a fee.

I'd suggest £20 a week as the minimum.

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mumblechum1 · 21/04/2013 21:24

The parents don't have to have a child in the same year as yours, of course, which widens your options.

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TheChaoGoesMu · 21/04/2013 21:27

Contact the council and see what taxi providers they use for social care transport. They are normally just ordinary taxi firms who would have crb checked staff. You might be able to make a private arrangement to have the same driver each day.

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Kewcumber · 21/04/2013 21:33

I assume you mum doesn't drive. but couldn't you arrange a standing taxi to take her and ds to school and drop her back again. wouldn't be any more e pensive than a cm probably and nicer for ds. our school expects an adult to escort children to the classroom door (in playground) would a taxi driver do that?

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Kewcumber · 21/04/2013 21:38

my cousin is a taxidriver I can't imagine he'd take responsibility for a four year old 9+ maybe but not a four year old in their first term at school. Lots of children wobble about going to school in the mornings at some point in the first six months - can't imagine letting a taxi driver deal with it.

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redandwhitesprinkles · 21/04/2013 21:39

My dad is a taxi driver but works for a company that has the social services contract for the city. They have to drop off to special schools(so see kids in) so I dont see a major problem if the driver had to go into school, but this would obviously be covered in the fare (waiting time).

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redandwhitesprinkles · 21/04/2013 21:40

My dad is a taxi driver but works for a company that has the social services contract for the city. They have to drop off to special schools(so see kids in) so I dont see a major problem if the driver had to go into school, but this would obviously be covered in the fare (waiting time).

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NickNacks · 21/04/2013 21:42

Can you not rejig working hours? I cannot imagine packing my 4 yr old off in a taxi so it must be tough. One of you could start later and finish later?

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wonderingagain · 21/04/2013 21:49

I would seriously condider the waiting list for a school nearby. Your life could become very complicated for the next 7 years. Weigh up the pros and cons. God won't mind if you don't choose his school!

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christinarossetti · 21/04/2013 22:08

I wish you'd thought through your school application a little more - it sounds like you being allocated your first preference of a school 2 miles away which you hadn't seen is causing you a headache now.

The best solution at the moment seems to be for your mum to take him to and from school somehow.

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difficultpickle · 21/04/2013 22:11

If your mum is going to be at your home in the morning then why can't she accompany your ds? If it is because you have younger children then she'll just have to take them with her, pretty usual for those families with more than child.

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Hotpotatofood · 21/04/2013 22:13

Can i find a chold minder who could drive him to school? And my mum picking him up by bus from school?

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