Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that 8.35 am is too late for a secondary school to give notice if they are open or not!

96 replies

Beehivesandhoney · 28/02/2018 22:19

It's snowing really heavily outside.
Dds school because of its type and the area. has a catchment area which is huge. Some kids are 25 miles away. Many are 5-7 miles away. Most do two buses.

Two days ago when the snow wasn't as bad they announced they were open at 8.30am they were still open. They are expected to be there for 8.50am so most will have already set off well before that.

Aibu to think that most secondary schools have people in earlier than that?
What time does your school let you know?

Dd has two buses. One out of the village and then the main one. So if she gets stuck we are knackered.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 28/02/2018 23:22

The public transport carrier contracts with the council to transport the secondary school pupils. They drop the kids off and carry on the rest of their route. No shopping centres, either.

LoniceraJaponica · 28/02/2018 23:25

In our case the schools round here have staggered starts, so when the bus company that DD uses drops off at her school they then do other routes for the other schools in the area.

Some people don't get it do they expat

blaaake · 28/02/2018 23:25

Ds1's college emailed at 9:30 to say they were closed when lessons start at 9:00 usually - he was already there and got turned away on arrival Confused. Other dc's school was closed but thankfully I got a text at 7:45 before I'd got the car out to take them

Penguinsandpandas · 28/02/2018 23:26

If the school is open you are supposed to send them in, no kids there are walking distance, its a grammar and most commute an hour. Mine are closer but school is compulsory and very much frowned on to not send in. DD was keen to go, if they don't go they get 6 hours lessons to catch up at the weekend and told off.

expatinscotland · 28/02/2018 23:32

'Some people don't get it do they expat'

Nope. They seriously think people are all near shopping centres, cafes, libraries, no real understanding of even semi-rural places, or ability to think outside the box and understand that Things Work Differently In Different Areas of the UK. Imagine Hmm.

amyrose00 · 28/02/2018 23:37

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

raspberryrippleicecream · 28/02/2018 23:39

Another one with DC at a very rural school with one of the biggest catchments in the country. My own DC have a comparatively straight forward journey, we only live 10 miles away. But some of the DCs have a very long journey and like previous OP have 2 buses.

I actually think the school would keep them if necessary, but it is a very small rural town. Some local shops, no cafes open at that time. School no longer uses money, (computerised canteen) so most students don't carry any.

And in the conditions that we had at 9.00 this morning, you'd need proper outdoor gear to walk 5 or 6 miles, not the black school shoes and school blazer.

QueenOfQuacks · 28/02/2018 23:46

Libraries Grin Some people don't know they're born!!!

My secondary age child isn't going in tomorrow. The school is technically open but my vehicle access to a main road is already impassable and the school seem to think they can send them home early on buses if the snow falls as it's forecast to. I've made a judgement call that it's not safe. It's 5 miles along a road with no pavement to school - she can't walk. And if the buses can't operate (this isn't unheard of - last time it snowed school was "open as usual" but the bus companies weren't running school buses) I am unable to step in. So as the final responsibility lies with me I'm making the decision that she stays home.

QueenOfQuacks · 28/02/2018 23:51

Honestly some posters have no idea how the world operates outside a city!

My kids have a mile to walk over fields to reach the school bus stop, then a 4.5 mile bus journey. Our vehicle access is entirely blocked by even fairly light snowfall. We are not on a gritted road and it's very VERY steep.

So if it gets to the stage where I can't rescue her if necessary then no, she can't go to school. It's not safe. School buses aren't under the control of the headteacher -no matter how much he wishes they were and so if I think they will stop running then she stays home.

HeddaGarbled · 01/03/2018 00:09

It's difficult. Last year, our college made the decision and put out the news that we'd be closed the evening before based on the forecast and then on the day, there was just a sprinkling of snow and we got all that "one snowflake and they close the college, what a bunch of softies, in my day we trudged for 3 weeks in 8 foot drifts to go to school" etc. Whatever they do, someone (probably lots of people) will criticise them.

I think you have to make your own decisions. Only you know what your own children's journey is like. The school may be open and accessible to children who live nearby so stay open but that doesn't mean children who live further away can get there safely.

Look out of the window at setting off time, check for notices from the school, check the travel information and then make a decision based on that. If you make the wrong call, well, we all do that sometimes, including people who work in schools.

tinkywinky2018 · 01/03/2018 00:25

And tbh no reason an able bodied teen can't walk 5/6 miles at 9am. Maybe not all the way home if the route isn't safe, but certainly far enough to find a main road or small town etc.

What planet are you on? secondary school is from 11, so nowhere near teens, and 6 miles in the snow and ice wearing the stupid thin soled leather shoes the school insist they wear? To a main road to do what? What small town? The nearest town to us is 15km away and in the wrong direction!

CantSleepClownsWillEatMe · 01/03/2018 00:54

And tbh no reason an able bodied teen can't walk 5/6 miles at 9am.

The reason would be the weather warnings in place that are actually causing the schools to close in the first place! Or are you one of the competitively blasé who refuses to see what all the fuss is about?

Frankly, I don't see why a teen should walk 5/6 miles in snow and ice, I'm not prepared to do it myself. They can catch up on school work and it's not as if this is a regular occurrence.

Beehives if you feel that it is too difficult or dangerous to get dc to school tomorrow, or that the situation might deteriorate resulting in difficulty getting dc home again, then frankly I wouldn't be waiting for the schools decision. This is a very unusual weather event for us, I think it's ok for responsible adults to decide that in these particular circumstances you're not going to school.

Dixiestampsagain · 01/03/2018 01:01

Our whole local authority instructed schools to close for Thursday and Friday, even before we’ve had any snow. We knew this at about 3 pm today. This is far more helpful than kids (and staff!) turning up at school tomorrow and having to work out how to get home when they have to shut early, or than waking at the crack of dawn to keep refreshing the LA page of closures. Some parents will complain whatever the situation, but I think this was a sensible move.

mommy2018 · 01/03/2018 01:27

Sorry can I just pick up on the 5/6 miles at 9am as a WTAF???
on average that teen is going 2 do 3 miles in an hour. So normally without snow those 6 miles would take 2 hours. You want 11 year olds to walk for at least 2 hours in snow and temperatures that are predicted to be -5 at 9am?
I have a good amount of extra fat on me and i was all wrapped up but after just 10 mins school run I was frozen through.
I mean I know teenagers can be a pain in the arse but trying to kill them is illegal u know!!

mommy2018 · 01/03/2018 01:34

Op does ur local county council have a school closure website? They are normally updated before the texts r sent out I think.
Also, regarding buses see if ur local bus company is updating twitter. If there's disruption on the buses in the morning then I wouldn't send her regardless of schools status
X

LoniceraJaponica · 01/03/2018 06:23

Well, DD's school tweeted at 6.02 am today to say it was closed. It was put on the local radio station website shortly afterwards.

Sallystyle · 01/03/2018 06:36

10.00pm last night for college and one school. However, yesterday it was 6.30am.

One school just sent a text saying it is closed today.

Mummyoflittledragon · 01/03/2018 06:59

My dd is still in primary. My friend has a y8 dd and says she has the same problem with the local secondary school. At just after 1pm the school posted on their website that they were closing and buses would be taking the children back at 1.25pm. When her dd was in y7, they announced the school was going to open at 10am on their website. Then when her dd arrived, it was all shut up and she and her dd hadn’t seen in time. Luckily her dd has a phone and could get hold of her grandparents.

It’s bloody outrageous. Especially if coupled with a no phone policy.

Personally in your situation, my dd would be off sick. She will only just be 11 when she goes to secondary. Far too young to be walking miles along country roads with minimal grass verges.

ClaryFray · 01/03/2018 07:04

We've know since 7am all three days.

It's not unreasonable, but I doubt sanctions will be issued.

MiaowTheCat · 01/03/2018 07:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sophisticatedsarcasm · 01/03/2018 07:13

My sisters high school gave some sort of notice last night, but on Tuesday they let everyone know at 8. Luckily most of the kids live nearby. My dc primary school take thier time though

MaisyPops · 01/03/2018 07:30

mommy When svbools were all under LA control they did.
Now it's all different with academy chains.

And tbh no reason an able bodied teen can't walk 5/6 miles at 9am
Why should they? There are weather warnings for a reason. If they're good enough for adults then they are good enough for children.

I'm all for being Hmm when parents on facebook are planning on keeping their kids off because they can't be arsed walking around the corner/ they blame traffic when it's easily walkable and excessive car journeys cause all sorts of issues on the roads.

But expecting kids to walk 5/6 miles during weather warnings is ridiculous.

thewhitechapelfatberg · 01/03/2018 07:32

My DD school has just tweeted to say they are open. Only in London so yes, we can get there, but it’s currently billowing snow with more forecast, and very icy out there. Yet they were sent home at lunchtime yesterday when the sun was out; a cold but glorious afternoon. I am feeling very confused!
Would much rather know one way or the other and not struggle in, only to have to pick her up a few hours later. I’d love to know the thought process behind the decision.

Notso · 01/03/2018 07:33

I think if you can see how bad the snow is and the weather forecast you as a parent need to make the descision to keep your child home. The same with over riding uniform policies, DS1 went to school in brown walking boots yesterday I put a note in his planner. Teachers were fine about it as they should be.

GnotherGnu · 01/03/2018 07:46

But, I would expect her to be capable of finding a roundabout route home, or the nearest shopping centre/ library etc

I love the sheer blind naivety of this. Do people seriously believe that if you live in, say, the middle of the Yorkshire dales, there are buses buzzing around all over the place and shopping centres and libraries in every village?