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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Re School Transport

174 replies

KrazyKurls · 05/08/2013 10:58

I honestly don't know if I am being unreasonable over this, please give me some perspective!

We live 1.9 miles from DS1's school and he has up until now been taking the school bus at a cost of £90 per annum. We live on a 60 mph country road with no pavements, absolutely no safe way to walk to school, there is no public transport at all.

We are really struggling financially at the moment and I phoned the school transport people today to appeal payment (we have 3 DC so will soon be £300 per annum). I was told that school transport is offered as a safe route to school and that is what we should use. I did say what if we absolutely cannot afford to get DS to school? Her response was to appeal but she has never known anyone get away with not paying in 4 years.

I could have taken him in the car but DH needs this for work, he has recently had his company car and fuel car taken off him due to cut backs.

To put into context we have had to move 400 miles away, rent out or own home at a loss, take on a massive rent (but the cheapest we could find) to allow DH to stay in a job. We have cut back to the bare bones of everything, I can't think of any other way that we can economise.

I can't work as DH works erratic hours often not home till after 9 pm and most weekends. We have no childcare as so far from friends and family. I am applying to do an induction course though into childminding.

The cut off to pay is 2 miles.

OP posts:
Feminine · 05/08/2013 12:39

Broken...really?

Original poster
KrazyKurls · 05/08/2013 12:40

Broken I won't even justify that with a response, I truly hope your life doesn't change in a direction that you could never have anticipated one day, ffs

OP posts:
BrokenSunglasses · 05/08/2013 12:44

You are drip feeding by saying there is a medical condition in the family that needs to be considered, but unless you and your DH are physically incapable of working either because of your own illness or caring responsibilities to a disabled family member, I don't see why you shouldn't be expected to get your own children to school.

Loads of us have to pay to get our children to school in one way or another, it's just part of being a responsible parent.

tywysogesgymraeg · 05/08/2013 12:46

I agree with most posters - whatever the reasons, you have chosen to live where you live, and send your DCs to school where you have.

Whilst I feel for you in your circumstances, you live inside the limit where school transport is provided, so you have to pay, and it's cheap.

The route is also walkable/cycleable.

Are there any closer schools you could send DCs to?

If not, afraid it's walking or cycling, or drop of DH and then take kids to school in car.

Original poster
KrazyKurls · 05/08/2013 12:48

It wasn't drip feeding, another poster asked if we could move back home and I explained why we couldn't!

Perhaps and exhaustive list of our life events in the OP would be more satisfying to you?!

OP posts:
topknob · 05/08/2013 12:49

The price to get ds3 to his secondary school in the private bus thingy was £264 a term Shock I am taking him instead !

ExperienceHunter · 05/08/2013 12:49

Could you walk cross-country to avoid the road? There are probably rambling routes or bridal paths.

Original poster
KrazyKurls · 05/08/2013 12:50

Thanks though to most of you, I accept IABU but I genuinely wasn't sure when I posted - blood from a stone came to mind when on the phone this morning.

OP posts:
Feminine · 05/08/2013 12:52

Gosh... This thread is becoming farcical.

fedupofnamechanging · 05/08/2013 12:52

I'm sorry to hear that things are so difficult for you.

Broken - people make life choices based on their circumstances at the time. Presumably the OP is not clairvoyant and couldn't predict the difficultlies her family is now experiencing. It's shit when you do your best and it all goes wrong anyway. A bit of compassion wouldn't go amiss!

lborolass · 05/08/2013 12:53

I'm really surprised as how unsympathetic people are being, have you read the ages of the OP's children tywysogesgymraeg or the fact that the school is her catchment school?

Sometimes people are really stuck and saying get a job or send your 5 year old to school on a bike is just ridiculous. Good luck with getting something sorted Krazy

Feminine · 05/08/2013 12:53

You are not being unreasonable. I live in a similar situation. I understand.

BrokenSunglasses · 05/08/2013 12:54

No, I don't need a list of your life's events, and it's very unlikely that I'd find it satisfying!

I do sympathise with your situation, but life has become expensive and difficult for many people. There are things that happen in life that mean we should rightly be able to fall back on welfare, but getting our own children to school shouldn't be one of them.

It's just a normal expense that all of us who don't live within walking distance of our jobs or children's schools have to deal with.

fedupofnamechanging · 05/08/2013 12:54

I love how people blithely say you could work. Where are all these jobs and the cheap childcare that would enable you to do them?

Chopchopbusybusy · 05/08/2013 12:54

There are some really thoughtless - and some nasty - replies on this thread. The DC in question is 5! He can hardly be expected to walk or cycle on his own. So he would have to be accompanied by his mother and two under 5 siblings. Hardly a practical solution.
OP I think you should appeal. If that's unsuccessful then ask if the school has a hardship fund, even if they could lend you the £90 and let you pay it off over the school year. Hopefully by the time your next DC starts school your childminding business will be up and running.

allmycats · 05/08/2013 12:54

so at the moment you only have the 1 child using the school bus and the 2nd child next year and the 3rd further down the line. does this mean that you only have to find the £90 this year (which is very good value) and after that you should have an income from your work as a childminder - are you pre-empting this a bit or have I misunderstood.
If it is £90 can you pay in installments ?

Jan49 · 05/08/2013 12:55

Is it worth considering alternatives before the younger dc reach school age? Such as moving to a more practical place to live where you could walk the dc to school?

5madthings · 05/08/2013 12:58

This sounds like a nightmare, my kids walk or bike to school but at the ages of yours and the roads you describe then no its not possible.

I think you should try appealing op.

Have to say the bus is a good price, my elder two are at high school, well ds2 starts in sept, we had to move ds1 as he was unhappy at his old school. So he now gets the bus, £400 a year so from sept it will be costing £800! But we can buy tickets, weekly, monthly, three monthly or yearly so we can spread out the cost thankfully.

Original poster
KrazyKurls · 05/08/2013 13:04

I am pre-empting but probably just because today and I can't find a way out and the future like this is just so suffocating I am worrying about something that might not happen.

I phoned again re monthly payments, they said to contact them again after the payment is due and they will try to do something. They do the same with council tax here - we had to beg to pay it over 12 months instead of 10.

I know I sound like everything is a no, but I really have looked into every available option, we have found the cheapest rent by over £200 pcm around to move closer to a school would just cost us too much.

At the moment we are considering moving into a caravan if we can find a farm or something to put it on, had hoped to get through the winter though before doing this - we had 4 feet of snow last year Hmm

OP posts:
inneedofsomehelpplz · 05/08/2013 13:05

whilst i sympathise, i do slightly agree with broken. £90 pa is so so so cheap (i pay £300 pa per child - dangerous roads for us as well). why should your children have free transport when others in your situation dont. by all means, appeal but dont be suprised when they say no. i wouldnt dream of asking for my dc to have freebies. do you have sky/mobile phone ect you can cut back on?

soverylucky · 05/08/2013 13:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

crunchbag · 05/08/2013 13:07

You have nothing to lose by appealing so if I were you I would try it.

soverylucky · 05/08/2013 13:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

muddymarvellousdarling · 05/08/2013 13:11

Have you asked the school transport team if they can come and do a risk assessment.

We had to do that when our school transport team decided that DC were safe standing on a main road with heavy traffic like yours.
transport were trying to save money by only picking up on main road, instead of going into village

My dc
Go to school 6.5 miles away and we pay £720. Per year. For both of them.

inneedofsomehelpplz · 05/08/2013 13:12

soverlucky - i should think £90pa is a fraction in cost compared to running another car so op should reallt count herself lucky that cheap buses are provided. what id give to only pay that.

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