To be concerned about school using parent transport?

[HenriettaPootel]

DS1 has just started in Reception, so I don't know what's normal in schools, and I don't know if I'm coming over all PFB (I have form ). DS has got a trip in a couple of weeks, to a local library about five miles away, and they've asked the parents in the class to volunteer to transport the children. I know they use coaches for bigger/longer trips, but apparently they quite often use volunteer parents for local/small trips. Now, AIBU to be a bit concerned about this? The most obvious issue is that they're not CRB checked, but that isn't actually what concerns me most (it's a short duration, they won't be alone with one child, and I do know most of them - it's a small village school). I'm more worried about the fact that I'm relying on the safety of other parents' driving, there are no checks on their cars/insurance/licence etc, and I'm trusting them to fit car seats/disable air bags correctly. As I say, I do know the majority of them tolerably well, but a few are completely unknown to me. AIBU?

there is no way i would let my small child go off in someone else's car.

But we're not just someone. We're parents ourselves, not randoms off the street. What do you think is going to happen in a car full of other kids?

It would fill me with dread, the way some parents park ( double yellow lines, zig zag crossings, opposite a bus stop over the curb ect) some drive drive with no carseats there is no way I would want him in a parents car.

Just don't moan when school start charging to go and go a FREE activity-three have been many threads about this before, schools are damned if they do and damned if they don't organise coaches etc-the cost is likely to to be too much for parents agree to if it's a small class.

Dinny ask teachers to drive kids in their cars-that gets amazingly complicated!

All the parents that help out at my school are List 99 checked - not as detailed as a CRB, but on the lines of.

No parent without one helps with anything.

I'd ask your LA about their policy.

There are no circumstances under which I would have let my DCs go in a car with someone I didn't know.

I've transported various children during my DD1&2 11 years at primary school. The school ask for volunteers to take them to other schools, local trips etc as the cost of hiring a minibus/coach is horrendous. I remember our lot went on a free school trip just 3 miles down the road and the cost was over £8.00. I did ask if they could use parent transport but they had looked into it and the timings weren't right to co-ordinate all the parents.

Our school usually put children who know you or at least your child and if they needed car seats they had to bring them into school. I have got 3 CRB checks for various things (don't think they are worth the paper they are written on but that's a different matter) and a volunteer chaperone licence but was never CRB checked for the school as I didn't work for them. I remember completing something many years ago to say that if I transported children I had a licence and adequate insurance (business insurance not needed as I don't work for the school).

I never had any problems with my child being transported in somebody else's car and would often liaise with the other parent to share the lifts if possible as it meant my daughter got to do a trip, sing at another school or play in the orchestra to the old people at Christmas otherwise she would have missed out on such a wealth of learning.

The schools know which parents will volunteer as it's always the 'same old faces' and luckily the ones who can't park or have no car seats never volunteer as they always rely on somebody else to sort their child out......

Ok, some very interesting responses on here, thank you. First, on the CRB thing - as I said at the beginning, the lack of CRB-checking doesn't actually bother me that much in this sort of situation (though, while we're on the subject, I don't think the 'we're not just anyone, we're parents ourselves' thing cuts much ice - many very horrible people out there are parents, sadly). I'm just surprised, to be honest, that the school is allowed by the Authority to run a trip without CRB checking (DH is a secondary school teacher under the same Authority and he is stunned that they can).

But anyway, it's more the safety thing. And no, DS hasn't ever been in anyone else's car, other than with grandparents - it's not that I wouldn't let him, it's just that it hasn't come up yet, so I guess it all feels a bit new. It also feels like a rather inefficient system - all these titchy kids lugging their car seats into school. I imagine there'll have to be a flotilla of cars, as well - all the mums I can think of would either be working or would have at least one little sibling at home, so they surely wouldn't be able to fit many other kids in the car. If I volunteer, I'd only be able to take one extra, in the front passenger seat. The comments on cost got me thinking, too - are parents reimbursed for travel/parking expenses? Does this cause friction, esp if it's the 'same old faces' who always volunteer?

Oh, I don't know, I'm beginning to think I am being a bit precious. I certainly won't stop him going - but I still can't say I'm happy about it.

Having seen a parent who I know was CRB checked and had handed in a copy of their insurance
driving down the road with no seatbelt on and her DCs standing up in the back as she drove
it all becomes a bit of false sense of security IMHO.

And I was told by the head that I could only give kids lifts if I kept the roof up in my car. Pah.
I spoke to the parents and the kids and we ALL enjoyed the sunshine.

I have never been reimbursed for travel expenses etc but the trips I have driven on have never been a long distance, just too far for little legs to walk or not suitable roads to walk on, so I don't incur too much expense.

In my DS's class it does tend to be the "same old faces" that volunteer but these are parents who have free time so they can volunteer. It's not a case that other parents can't be bothered it's that they don't have the time eg they work, have younger children to look after, so there isn't any friction between those who volunteer and those that don't.

For the longer journeys the school do hire a coach but then that means parents are asked to pay voluntary contributions towards the cost of the trip.

I hope your DS enjoys his trip

Our local school do this all the time. 3 miles to pool / library etc. It has never occurred to me to question it and I am not sure I will. I am just grateful that parents are giving up their time, spening petrol money to help my child. I am sure they are extra careful under the circumstances.

Our school does this all the time. The kids would hardly get any trips if we didn't use parent transport. We only police check for overnight trips. Insurance is not a problem, although parents do sign a statement that they have a full licence and insurance. I think the insurance thing might be a red herring - if you are unhappy, you should be honest as to the reasons rather than latch onto the insurance thing, which will be viewed as nit picking. Parents should provide and fit their own car seats. You could volunteer and take your own car if you are really worried? I personally think that none of this is a problem and it seems that everyone involved means well and wants the kids to have a positive experience. Making a fuss and stopping this ends up with children being able to do one less thing. Oh, and the teacher should not have to take a car every time. The teacher invariably ends up out of pocket.

Certainly at ours they check the insurance, MOT and driving licence (speeding endorsements would NOT be popular).

Yes, it tends to be the same five or six parents each time, usually the freelance/homebased workers with 6 or 7 seater cars... sigh.

Mind you, I haven't been asked as often since the splendid day that I actually got lost on the way to the event, with a car full of random children.

I've taken other people's DCs and them mine, but generally Y6s to sporting stuff.

By that time we all know each other and the pupils are tall enough not to worry about car seats.

We were asked to sign something saying we were happy for our kids to her lifts from other parents. If you don't sign your kid misses out on school trips. They do so many trips that it wouldn't be financially viable to pay for buses for them all. Your choice I guess. For infants also need to have car seats for all the kids you transport.

And yes my kids school always matches up the kids with adults they know - so I have only ever driven around kids whose parents I know quite well.