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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To support DS to break school rules?

399 replies

Woffa · 20/05/2015 22:52

My DS's secondary school has issued a written ban on sixth formers driving to school and parking in the local roads nearby (even though there are no double yellow lines etc) to avoid upsetting the residents.
The bus fare for DS is expensive and the saving helps pay for his insurance.

AIBU to support him in ignoring the ban?

OP posts:
quietasamouse · 21/05/2015 16:57

School are just trying to keep their neighbours happy! I'm guessing they have written a rule as they have tried suggesting nicely that people don't drive but have still had lots of complaints from neighbours as these suggestions haven't been taken up by many.

So no, school can't enforce this rule, but won't have come up with the idea just for the sake of it! Us teachers really do have better things to do with our time! I think I'd be trying to be understanding to residents and support the school if I could, or if this bus thing really is an enormous burden, be doing as others have suggested and try to reach a compromise .

lljkk · 21/05/2015 17:59

Park 20 minutes walk away and nobody will complain, I bet.

TedAndLola · 21/05/2015 18:12

No Ted. It is the slip of paper you sign to confirm the course and any add ons you are doing. It has been a legal requirement for decades.

Wonder if schools have form teachers sign them?

I don't remember ever doing that but I suppose it isn't a big deal that I would necessarily remember.

LazyLouLou · 21/05/2015 18:17

I doubt m/any students notice, unless there is a error and they enrol on A level Latin instead of BTEC in Animal Care Smile

madreloco · 21/05/2015 18:21

It is the slip of paper you sign to confirm the course and any add ons you are doing. It has been a legal requirement for decades

And since when did it include agreeing to any and all school runs they have or may dream up during the course of the school year? Since never.

madreloco · 21/05/2015 18:21

rules not runs.

LazyLouLou · 21/05/2015 18:26

Oh, please! I have explained that a few times, already. As have others.

Move on...

sashh · 21/05/2015 18:31

The school can't just ban him from doing something he's legally entitled to do off their premises, surely?

They can and do all the time. Many schools have rules about behaviour too and from school

maddy68 · 21/05/2015 18:41

I'm a teacher. We will write to parents re their parking etc put of courtesy to our neighbours. As long as he is parked legally then don't worry about it. I think you will find the school are paying lip service to the community.

madreloco · 21/05/2015 18:42

You've talked an awful lot of waffle that is rather meaningless in the context of a school, where almost none of your said waffle applies.

There is absolutely nothing the school can do to this young man if he chooses to drive to school and legally park where he chooses to. They can make whatever rules they like, they can threaten whatever they like. There is nothing they can actually DO.
Thank fuck for common sense.

FromSeaToShining · 21/05/2015 18:45

YANBU. I would support him under these circumstances. It is more convenient for him to drive, he is parking legally and considerately, and I think the school would be overstepping the boundaries of their authority to dictate where a pupil could park.

(Entirely irrelevant aside: I used to live in a place (not in the UK) where 14-year-olds were allowed to get a special licence that permitted them to drive to school.)

Iwasbornin1993 · 21/05/2015 18:49

My school tried to implement a ban exactly like this when I was in sixth form but no one took any notice! The school were able to tell the neighbours that they had introduced a ban but they couldn't do anything to actually enforce it other than to give a few casual reminders throughout the year.

TandemFlux · 21/05/2015 19:25

Carry on and if they cook up a fuss ask them to pay the bus fare as it presently goes on car insurance

TTWK · 21/05/2015 19:56

School are just trying to keep their neighbours happy!

Why? They don't owe their neighbours anything. They'd be better off keeping their customers happy (the pupils and their parents).

MrsHathaway · 21/05/2015 22:45

The student turns 18 soon and has asked us for help drafting a 'shut up I am an adult now' letter

There is so much that goes on under the radar that it does get to be quite hard to maintain a human outlook. We really cannot say ODFOD, much as we may want to!!

I worked in a FE exams office whilst trying to work out WTF to do with my life temping, and we had a similar contretemps with a woman who was livid that her 18yo daughter had racked up several hundred pounds in fees for re-marks. She was emphatic that all the requests were invalid because they did not bear her (the mother's) signature ... and she simply would not accept that the college's contract was with the adult daughter and not her.

Fun times.

I didn't stay in FE. Or education of any kind. Or in fact dealing with the general public. Because DAMN.

Icimoi · 21/05/2015 22:59

If you do not like the rules, go soewhere else.

Ridiculous thing to say. OP's son must be coming to the end of the first year of his AS level course. The chances of finding somewhere else able to offer places on A2 courses in the same subjects with the same syllabuses are close to nil. Why should he be subjected to that detriment because the school has chosen to change the rules suddenly?

Icimoi · 21/05/2015 23:08

Home school agreements are not contracts and are not enforceable through the courts - see www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/393757/home-school_agreement_guidance.pdf

fredfredgeorgejnr · 22/05/2015 00:02

They can use any normal school disciplinary procedures they want for anti-social behaviour when travelling to and from school, in Wales they even have to legally have and enforce policies about travelling to and from school - gov.wales/docs/det/publications/100304tbcstatutoryen.pdf

So, yes, there are sanctions they could do, although I expect it's unlikely that they would, it's about pretending to do something.

DoJo · 22/05/2015 00:03

There is absolutely nothing the school can do to this young man if he chooses to drive to school and legally park where he chooses to. They can make whatever rules they like, they can threaten whatever they like. There is nothing they can actually DO.

Surely they could ask him to leave their establishment.

Icimoi · 22/05/2015 00:11

No, they couldn't, DoJo. They are bound by the DfE's school exclusions guidance. Under that guidance, a pupil can only be excluded:

"in response to a serious breach, or persistent breaches, of the school's behaviour policy; and
where allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school."

Clearly pupils driving to school and parking legally are not going to harm the education or welfare of others in the school.

TheAnalyst · 22/05/2015 05:43

Where I work - I work for an ENORMOUS local employer on the outskirts of a very small town - we are not allowed to use local roads as drop-off points, because it does annoy local residents.

However, we have thousands of on-site parking spaces.

Unless the school can promise similar parking facilities, they are being unreasonable and should take a hike.

TheAnalyst · 22/05/2015 05:43

I said "similar", I meant "adequate". Obvs a school is not going to have that much parking space...

Charis1 · 22/05/2015 05:59

i have not read the whole thread, but absolutely the school can and should ban this totally, and are within their rights to expel your DS if he breaks their rules.

AuntieStella · 22/05/2015 06:35

It would however be 'persistent breaches, of the school's behaviour policy' if it was written into the pupil agreement.

Pupils cannot be excluded if their parents fail to sign of comply. But have to face the consequences if they do.

Someone asked asked 'since when?' and the answer is Tony Blair's government.

leemur · 22/05/2015 06:43

I also can't understand the logic of using the car if you consider the environmental costs! everyone driving themselves everywhere just isn't sustainable. Regardless if he's able or allowed to park.