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Original poster

Boarding schools - planning for Brexit?

158 replies

Tonsilss · 08/02/2019 13:14

My DD is at a UK boarding school. We are also in the UK, but hundreds of miles away.

We now have only 50 days to a likely no deal Brexit.
I've asked the Head what contingency plans are in place for the effects of a no deal. This is in the current context of expected serious food, medication and fuel shortages, the possibility of contaminated tap water, no facilities for disposing of waste, civil unrest and an increase in crime (eg looting / burglaries).
He has told me that the school has not made any plans in respect of Brexit. And that other schools haven't either (the school is in some kind of independent schools association). Apparently it is too early to be making any contingency plans. The school has not written to any parents (whether UK or international) in relation to Brexit. I imagine that some international parents will have little or no idea of what is going on in the UK.
Can I ask whether anyone else has a child at boarding school and is worried about what will happen, both in respect of the Easter holiday (shortly after Brexit), and in respect of the summer term? Have your schools made any preparations or even just plans to do so?

OP posts:
Boardercontroller · 08/02/2019 19:55

It’s reaaaalllly hard to picture if your child is not a boarder. But the reality is that there will be times when a parent of a boarder can not get to the child. It may be an acute situation. But the parent still can’t get a flight.... cos there isn’t one that day etc.
You really do hand your children over to someone else. And you want to know what they’ll do in all situations, illness, child missing, brexit , and so on.

Oliversmumsarmy · 08/02/2019 19:52

I don’t get why it would take 4 days.

I have driven to Southern Spain and back in less and that is 2880 miles in total.

Boardercontroller · 08/02/2019 19:51

Ridiculous. Children go to boarding schools all over the world. Go in any boarding school and there’ll be loads of children from Asia, from Africa..... all over the world.thats the point. Parents are in the military, or jet setting slebs, or any other of a million reasons.
Boarding schools are supposed to have contingency plans for all eventualities , that’s the point!

HeathRobinson · 08/02/2019 19:50

The UK is only about 880 miles in length. I think even a Reliant Robin could do that in less than two days.

😂

Windyone · 08/02/2019 19:50

So my sons boarding school are not making any plans because they break up on Brexit day for Easter holidays.

When does your school break up @tonsilss can’t be more than a week or two pre holidays?

Personally I’d take my son out and have them miss a couple of weeks of school to be safe home with me. I can’t believe you’d think any other way! (Except of course if this thread is nonsense 😀)

You can be doing GCSE/A level revision at home

Dapplegrey · 08/02/2019 19:49

She can get the train pre-Brexit, obviously

Surely trains will be running in the UK after Brexit?
I think you should go and collect her asap and home educate her until after Brexit if her school cannot put your mind at rest.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 08/02/2019 19:49

People do use boarding schools. I don’t think the op is one of them.

AnotherNewt · 08/02/2019 19:47

They don't really need to prep.

If the school cannot run for any reason (part destroyed by fire, flood, landslip, contamination, disease etc) they will close or partially close and require parents to pick up.

How to retrieve your DC should it be needed should always be something you plan for. That's one reason why regulars on this board regularly recommend a school that parents (or grandparents/other relatives/guardian) can reach easily.

Boardercontroller · 08/02/2019 19:46

Gosh why would this not be real?
Boarding schools exist. People use them. They’re not some mythical thing like unicorns?
Op i had serious concerns about mine , but in an Eu boarding school.
British passports though, but serious worries about healthcare /insurance arrangements post Brexit. Also travel arrangements and so on . Nobody seems to have any answers.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 08/02/2019 19:44

Do you not have a partner?

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 08/02/2019 19:43

Yep big ostrich here. Just go now and get your dd. Then you won’t need to worry.

Original poster
Tonsilss · 08/02/2019 19:42

1.I'd prefer not to leave the other child home alone.

  1. I'd prefer the school to do their job and look after my child, rather than her missing a chunk of her education in an important school year.
How about stopping attacking me, and answering the question about whether your schools are making any contingency plans or not? Or should they have no responsibility for their pupils at all, and just expect all parents to remove their children before Brexit?
OP posts:
TheWomanin12B · 08/02/2019 19:41

Sorry, cross post.

TheWomanin12B · 08/02/2019 19:40

Tbh, I think you're on a hiding to nothing here with all these ostriches.

Windyone · 08/02/2019 19:40

@TheWomanin12B maybe so but for this poster it’s a question of doing the prepping herself and then going to collect her daughter in plenty of time pre Brexit. It’s not long before the Easter holidays so her daughter won’t miss loads of school and will be home safely pre looting etc

TheWomanin12B · 08/02/2019 19:36

People are in serious denial about No Deal.

Windyone · 08/02/2019 19:35

Why don’t you get her before any fuel shortages kick in? If you’re really that worried about what might happen surely you want to get her in plenty of time.

Can you answer the question please.

Cuddlysnowleopard · 08/02/2019 19:34

I have a friend who is very senior in a food related business, managing hundreds of food outlets/restaurants. I mentioned people stockpiling to him. Boxes of tins in the garage etc. He just laughed at me. No stockpiling in his business, and they feed thousands of people every day.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 08/02/2019 19:34

Why do you have to drive with your other child?

Original poster
Tonsilss · 08/02/2019 19:29

Driving for 4 days with my other child when there are likely fuel shortages maybe not so clever, but thanks for the suggestion. Never been called a snowflake before.

OP posts:
Original poster
Tonsilss · 08/02/2019 19:26

I'm not worried about water in the short term, though apparently there will be a shortage of purification chemicals. But I am worried that the people in charge of so many children are not even thinking about the effects of a no deal Brexit.

OP posts:
LondonMischief · 08/02/2019 19:26

If you vision of the future is true, there won’t be trains running, no fuel in the petrol stations, so you wouldn’t be able to go get her, and if food runs out word may go around that you have a stock pile.

If you are that worried, I would pick her up now and fly out of the country ( before they shut the airports) and ride out the ‘storm’.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 08/02/2019 19:24

Agree Windy absolutely ridiculous.

Except....except.... there are a few super snowflake boarding parents. Not the norm. The op is certainly one. (If we are believers)

Lindy2 · 08/02/2019 19:24

You'd send her to a friend's house for 3 weeks at Easter rather than driving for a day to collect her? That's rather strange.

Why would she not come home for the holidays?

Windyone · 08/02/2019 19:20

This can’t be real 😀