Year 6 secondary school visits clashing with the school run

[Schooldayzzz]

Just a random really because its been that way for years and its not going to change.

Year 6 secondary visits start at 9.15 I have another child to take to school and I wont make it in time for 9.15 I don't drive. Its often hard to get ubers in the mornings. I don't have anyone to take the other child.

I guess it has to be at that time to fit into the school day better.

Not.looking for a solution. Theres not one. just a morning moan.

Your yr 6 makes their own way. Or they go really early.

Like they are going to have to when they start school.

Otherwise how are they going to go to that school. The school run likely will clash then too.

Here they make their own way. It's a bit of a right of passage.

How will they get there when they start in year 7?

Is there a breakfast club you could use just for that day?

When mine were in year 6 they were expected to make their own way there like they would in year 7. So they met their friends and walked.

For secondary visits the child goes on their own? I would definitely want to be on a visit with my child in terms of which secondary they are choosing. I’m sure they will make their own way when actual school starts.

OP - how many schools to visit are there? There can’t be more that what, 3 to sort out? I don’t believe there is absolutely no one who could take your child on at least one occasion - they have zero friends whose parents you could ask? I’d go out of my way for a one or two off. Or breakfast club - speak to the school and see if they will get him in under circumstances. OR your Y6 goes with another parent who is going and then you go along slightly late but at least for most of it. They can’t be that far and you’ll have presumably dropped your youngest by 8.40 latest? You will just have to pre book a taxi to take you on. You must be used to this with not driving.

They walk/use bus - unless the school is totally out of your area come next year they have to do it alone anyway.
You talk to another parent in your Y6 child's class and ask if they can go together/the parent takes them
You talk to a parent in your younger child's class and ask if they can take them.

@Teeheehee1579 - all our Open Days were weekends and evenings, not during the school day. I never heard of this unless it's a specialist school.

Is this a visit the Y6 child knows they’re going to, or a visit to decide whether it’s school they want to go to?

If it’s the school they know they’re going to, it’s ok for them to go alone, or join a friend they known going (there must be someone from the same class going?)

If it’s to decide which school to go to that’s pretty rubbish. Around here the secondary school visits are always in the evenings so most parents can go too. Expecting a Y6 child to go alone is pointless. The parent needs to be there to help make the decision.

I assume these are tours where the parent and child go together, so the OP needs to be there too. Does your younger child have a friend who would be willing to take them if you dropped them round a bit earlier?

9am tours are quite common here, although they also have an open evening, so you can do that if you prefer.

prioritise open mornings.
is there a class friend who your other child could go into school with? or a breakfast club? deciding which secondary school is a big decision and attending open days and evenings is a key to being confident and informed in your decision .

Do you not have a friend who younger child can go with?

Posters saying older one makes their own way, are parents invited to. It wouldn’t be a transition day at this time of year, it’s secondary school application time so families visiting secondary schools to make their choices

Oh I see, you mean you’re looking round the school with your DC?

In which case have you got a breakfast club or a parent of another child you can use to help.

You sat the secondary school visits "start" at 9.15...
Does it mean there are staggered times?
Can you make it to a later one?
I can't imagine any school will want a massive influx of visiting parents and children in all at the same time.
Or could you book a cab, taxi, uber in advance?

If you really can’t find anyone to mind the other child then I’d take them with you - secondary school visits are pretty important. How many schools are you seeing?

No theres no one. We are quite far from the school so no one we know lives in my area.

And yes bike need to be there

I've never known a prospective school visit be during school hours. surely hundreds of parents wandering around is an epic safeguarding risk and massively disruptive?

Most schools do it but they should have an open evening as well.

Can you pre-book a taxi?
There are other companies other than Uber so you could book a taxi in advance so you know you'll definitely get one.

Here most schools offer

• 1x open evening
• 4x school tours at 9am for an hour

You can choose either or both. The open day gets fully booked, so you might not have a choice. It's a specific tour so you can't really arrive late.

I would either travel to the youngest school first and drop him at, say 8:15, with another parent or breakfast club, or take him with you.

Our parent child visits were in the evening. Then the kids had other days where they went over to the school outside of transition days, even in year 5 they visited.

I don’t know then OP, do you not have a breakfast club you can put your other child in?

Doesn’t the OP mean school open days? Why would a child go there alone?

Assuming you can’t arrange a taxi or share a lift across with anyone else who’s also going - I think I’d prioritise the open day and take both / all kids to that and explain to the primary that’s why they were out.

It’s very normal in London to have school open days during the school day so I’m surprised some think it’s not a thing

A couple of people have said simlar in my area it's always been day visit my oldest is late 20s it was same for her school as well. There is also evening visit. But that full up. Booking is a new thing so I didn't know.