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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:
Original poster
KrazyKurls · 06/08/2013 00:27

duchess loads of info there thank you, can't believe how draining this thread has been I would be really grateful if it could just fall into the abyss as it has been a difficult day for me. I will pm the lovely posters who have offered helpful suggestions to let them now how it goes, not sleeping well tonight but have made lots of spreadsheets and plans today, hoping for a better day tomorrow Smile

OP posts:
TheDoctrineOfAllan · 06/08/2013 00:30

Good luck OP and hope the childminding goes well.

Any plans forvwalk

TheDoctrineOfAllan · 06/08/2013 00:31

Good luck OP and hope the childminding goes well.

Any plans for walking to school over fields etc would prob be totally ruled out by OP's plan to get work childminding.

TheProsAndConsOfHitchhiking · 06/08/2013 00:39

I haven't read all but I have say op that there is a lot of people in this boat. suck it up and get on with it. you chose to move 400 miles away to allow your dh to stay in a job, I'm sure there were other options but you chose this one, I assume you thought about schooling before you done this? Yabu.

DuchessofHaphazard · 06/08/2013 00:39

KrazyKurls hope you get a good night's sleep and have a better day tomorrow. I really meant it about sorting the datasets - I am pretty good with Excel and it would only take a few minutes with some info from you. LAs who don't perform their statutory requirements is something of a bugbear of mine...

Also quite happy to help with drafting an appeal if you like, my only thing is that I'm away on holiday early next week so unlikely to have much internet access (or my laptop) :)

And as for all the posters who are telling you to get a job, or that they walk 247 miles to school with their 14 children all under the age of 5, they are spectacularly missing the point, which is that from what you have said, the walking route to school is not safe, and as such your LA have a statutory requirement to get your children to school.

nennypops · 06/08/2013 00:45

OP, if your local council doesn't provide an adequate appeal system it could be worth your while considering judicial review. It would be case in your child's name so you could get legal aid.

MidniteScribbler · 06/08/2013 00:51

I think your DH needs to speak to his boss and discuss the car situation. Tell his boss that you need the car to get children to and from school, and that he won't have access to it to drive during the day for work. Boss will need to make a company car available for that time (or offer up the use of his own).

Have you looked at doing some other odd job work? I pay the lady around the corner each week for her to do my ironing. I drop it off on a Monday and pick it up on Wednesday. Worth the money to me not to have to think about it. She's a single mother with a child with SN, so the extra in her hand does actually make a difference to her and she just sets the ironing board up in the lounge and does it while he plays or naps. It's amazing when you start mentioning it to people how many are actually happy to pay a small fee to not have to do their own ironing, I can think of at least twelve in my workplace that are having it done for them. Alternatively, look at transcription work, there can be quite a bit of money in that, and you can do it from home.

Good luck OP.

BringBackBod · 06/08/2013 08:17

Very unhelpful post ThePros
I'm sure the op and her dh didn't take the decision to move 400 miles away lightly.

HerculePoirotsTache · 06/08/2013 08:45

I can't believe some of the posts on here. My son has to get the bus to school and it's free. It just is. So to hear about a family in severe financial straights struggling just highlights how unfair the system is across the country.

Please do everything you can to show that you just can't afford it and do speak to the head teacher. Don't think of it as losing your dignity but rather trying to find a solution and making the school aware that you are finding it hard to get your child there.

Caster8 · 06/08/2013 09:18

ThePros is used to having posts deleted, and says she regularly name changes.

When people move, it is impossible to think through all the changes which may or may not occur.
Also, the op deliberately moved where she did to try and manage her budget responsibly.

Feminine · 06/08/2013 09:22

thepros should ask herself why she feels the need to spread spite, and hide behind name changes.

Seriously? just why?

Good luck krazy I understand and empathize.

TheProsAndConsOfHitchhiking · 06/08/2013 09:28

I'm sorry if I have offended anyone but I am speaking from bitter experience. I have just spent the last year doing a 52 mile ( there and back twice) school run daily as I could not get school transport for my ds. I had to suck it up and get on with it. I did not chose to move house at that point but I did chose to keep my ds in that school. I was not being nasty to the op, school transport is unfair on a lot of people but there really is nothing she can do about it.

TheProsAndConsOfHitchhiking · 06/08/2013 09:31

I have been on mums net for nealy 2 years, I have had 3 main nicknames ( and a few silly ones) I do not hide behind name changes and I think I have 4 posts deleted all the time I have been here!

Feminine · 06/08/2013 09:38

Ok, pro thanks for explaining :)

Though...read your post back again. Would you like to be on the receiving end?

I think the fact that you have also had a "bitter experience" should make a for kinder response.

Caster8 · 06/08/2013 10:11

ThePros. But there are maybe things she can do about it. And maybe other parents too.
There is no way that I would walk my children to school nearly 4 miles a day on a dangerous road, not matter what anyone else says.

Doubtfuldaphne · 06/08/2013 10:19

It's 500 a year for my son to go to school on bus :(
You can pay two pounds a day though or pay monthly.
My dh now takes him on way to work and picks him up after as he's a teacher.
In primary school when we were on a lower income, we were able to get funding for the bus. Worth looking in to?

SarahBumBarer · 06/08/2013 11:45

Christ there are some seriously unpleasant people around. Those of you asking "what the problem is" have clearly never been in the position of lying awake in the middle of the night wondering how you will make ends meet and thinking of all the ways in which things are only going to get worse (the two younger children starting school) and no ways in which they are going to get better. The fact that there MAY be some options (eg paying monthly) don't get you to sleep half as well as the worries keep you awake.

OP my family had a bit of a shitty week financially and was feeling a bit sorry for myself. Having read your post I now just feel thoroughly ashamed of myself. I hope you get things sorted and the helpful posts on this thread get you some joy with the LA.

ICanSeeTheSeaFromHere · 06/08/2013 11:58

A 60mph road with no pavements should be enough to entitle you to transport. Here that would be classed as 'rural' due to the lack of safe walking facilities and lack of public transport. Where are you in the country?

If you get nowhere with the transport authority contact your LA and ask to speak to the director of educations office. Explain the circumstances and appeal to his/her better nature.

jacks365 · 06/08/2013 12:40

My dc had a great grandmother who lived in Scotland on a main road in the middle of nowhere, rural area in that it was a small hamlet the sort of place that only exists because there used to be a need for coaching inns. The road is the main road between Aberdeen and Inverness so you are talking a main trunk road with heavy traffic and hgvs. Not designed for pedestrians but they still need to use it at times ie get children to school. I live in a rural area but it is totally different here the roads are safe to walk or cycle on, we have decent cyclepaths off the road but everywhere is different which is where the safe walking route comes into play, it has to be adequately lit, keep pedestrians separated from cars and ensure safe crossing points if this doesn't exist then free transport needs to be provided. Those are the rules but cost cutting is going on everywhere.

Keep your strength up you are not at fault for your local authority not playing by the rules.

Original poster
KrazyKurls · 06/08/2013 13:25

I have pm'd as many of you lovely people as I could with a 'happy' update! If I have missed you off I apologise, my internet has been crashing all morning. If you would like an update and I have missed you off just drop me a message and I will reply.

Thank you all again, today is a better day and so will the next, and so on Smile

OP posts:
HerculePoirotsTache · 06/08/2013 13:39

I'm so pleased. Onwards and upwards Smile

ICanSeeTheSeaFromHere · 06/08/2013 13:43

Hope it was a good news Smile

ilovesooty · 06/08/2013 13:57

Glad things are looking up. xx

fedupofnamechanging · 06/08/2013 14:55

Glad you have had some good news.

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