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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the Headmaster should realise that rural schools don't run like a town school (transport related).

171 replies

Sunnymeg · 07/05/2018 20:31

I'm not personally affected by this, as we drive DS to school. DS goes to a rural secondary school, three quarters of the children travel to school on transport provided by county.

The school buses are all times to arrive by at least 8.45am. In previous years, GCSE students have caught the bus as normal and gone straight to the exam rooms. However we have now been told that GCSE students have to be in school by 8am. No reason has been given. I can only assume that it is to give school time to do their admin etc and make sure everyone has turned up.

We received an email about this over the weekend. The secondary school is in a village location and I would imagine that lots of parents already have their own work commitments and probably work in one of the two nearest town's, both some 20 miles away from the school.

The more I think about this, the more unreasonable it sounds. The Head has only been in city schools, previously. Some children have a journey in excess of 20 miles , due to the rural location.

I cannot understand why he is doing this and why he has only given a few days notice, what does he expect people to do. The majority of them will probably continue with their existing routine and put their children on the bus.

However the kicker to all this, is that the email says that if children don't arrive by 8am their names will be taken and repeat offenders will not be allowed to attend prom!!

OP posts:
CalF123 · 07/05/2018 20:32

Unless the HT is planning to put on an alternative bus for these pupils, I really don't see how it's at all practical.

Original poster
Sunnymeg · 07/05/2018 20:36

No alternative transport is being offered. To be honest the only way they could do it is to send the normal school buses earlier and have the whole school in earlier, which they won't do as they won't have enough staff in to supervise.

OP posts:
gillybeanz · 07/05/2018 20:42

Maybe only go to a rural school if you live close by.
We used to live rurally and dc came from one of 3 nearby villages.
They could mostly walk or bike (at this age) if they had to be in early.
It's the summer and GCSE's will be done before winter.
Why would parents of GCSE students, be putting them on busses?

Pengggwn · 07/05/2018 20:45

Has anyone asked the HT why this is so important?

grasspigeons · 07/05/2018 20:55

oh just let him write their names down and they can organise their own better prom

It lacks any understanding of family life and rural living.

meditrina · 07/05/2018 20:56

The parents affected need to make it abundantly clear that their DC can travel only on the (free) transport to which they are entitled.

They all need to tell the school that they will happily put their DC on the school transport that gets them there at the start of the school day, and look forward to the school confirming that the council has accepted their change of school hours, has rearranged the transport and can tell them what time pupils need to be at pick up locations for the new schedule.

EdithWeston · 07/05/2018 20:57

"Why would parents of GCSE students, be putting them on busses?"

Presumabkg because they are entitled to free transport. Either because of distance, or because there is no safe route,

Original poster
Sunnymeg · 07/05/2018 20:58

It's the children's catchment school, which is why county provide transport. The catchment area is over 150 square miles, it's a very rural area.

OP posts:
cardibach · 07/05/2018 21:01

Um, gilly, this makes no sense - Maybe only go to a rural school if you live close by
Rural schools are in rural areas which might mean rural soreD our farms and villages. My DD was 9miles from school and Many pupils came from further. When you live rurally, attending a rural school is the only possibility!

cardibach · 07/05/2018 21:01

Spread out not soreD

MissEliza · 07/05/2018 21:04

Maybe only go to a rural school if you live close by. This makes no sense. Rural schools serve rural communities which are spread out. Sone people just like being argumentative.

Dermymc · 07/05/2018 21:05

This is madness in a rural school, especially to link to prom attendance.

Phone/email the HT tomorrow and explain. He may not have even thought about it.

Scrowy · 07/05/2018 21:07

Errrr Gilly that's even more ridiculous than what the head has suggested.

You do realise what rural means right? Lots of fields as far as the eye can see, lots of farms miles from villages let alone towns where secondary schools are, not many services? That probably is the nearest school.

ToriaPumpkin · 07/05/2018 21:08

This is ridiculous. Where I went to high school the catchment was an entire county and it could take 45 minutes to an hour to get to school. Longer if there were sheep on the road! It needs to be made clear to the HT that the students will be using the provided transport as normal, as accepted by the local authority in all previous years.

LadyLance · 07/05/2018 21:10

gillybeanz If all the children could walk or bike to school, although your school might have been in a village, I'd suggest that there were other schools pretty near by and it wasn't representative of most rural schools. If a school can be filled by children from 3 villages, they sound like very large villages.

I went to school in Cornwall, and many children were bussed in from up to 8 miles away (some came from further away by taxi). This was their closest school and the only one with buses provided. The school was in a town, but also served many outlying villages. The routes to school for many children went along major A roads- not safe to walk or cycle along (and also very hilly). Many of their parents were farmers who might not easily be able to drive them in, or worked in tourism and had commutes in a different direction to the school.

Children reliant on these buses weren't usually given after school detentions, because the teachers understood it might be impossible for them to be collected.

I agree it sounds like the head doesn't understand the school. If your child gets a bus, I would send them on a bus as usual. At this stage, how much can the school actually punish them? They won't be prevented from sitting exams!

SluttyButty · 07/05/2018 21:14

Absolutely lunacy. Rural bus services run nothing like towns and cities. The bus my dd got when we lived rural sometimes turned up late or failed to turn up if the driver didn't t arrive.
I don't drive and my dh did the other school run drop off to breakfast club. The only bus dd could have got was the school transport that picked up from our village at 7.55am.
If that HT wants them there at 8am then that HT should be forking out for a taxi pick up!

Topseyt · 07/05/2018 21:15

My DD3 is doing GCSEs. School is 6 miles away. I will be sending her on the school bus. Why wouldn't I?

OP, this doesn't sound reasonable of the headteacher. I would email and say that you will be unable to comply unless additional transport is going to be provided because work commitments make it impossible. Say also that you are happy that the normal school contract bus will get him there in good time for the start of any exams so that is what will be happening.

AlexanderHamilton · 07/05/2018 21:16

That’s madness.

My dd lives a long way from school & due to unpredictable traffic she is actually going to be living on a caravan park with dh during her GCSE’s as I’m paranoid about her being late. (This is only possible as dh works there too).

Linking this unreasonable request to prom attendance is not in. Can the LA intervene? If they have 50 sets of parents on the phone demanding the transport is outvon earlier they might act maybe.

LadyLance · 07/05/2018 21:19

Sorry, I've just seen the bit of the OP about prom. I think that's totally unfair and would be making a complaint about that. I would highlight that they may be discriminating against pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds with this policy- those who are "rural poor" won't have a parent able to drive them, and will be unable to attend prom.

SenecaFalls · 07/05/2018 21:21

Where I went to high school the catchment was an entire county and it could take 45 minutes to an hour to get to school.

Same for me (but in the US). My high school was 20 miles from our farmhouse and the bus could not take a direct route because of where everyone else lived.

The.HT needs some education on rural life.

GnotherGnu · 07/05/2018 21:22

The parents affected need to ask for an urgent meeting with the head, or failing that they all need to write to explain the problems. If he won't see sense, they should contact the governors.

Original poster
Sunnymeg · 07/05/2018 21:24

Thanks everyone. DS isn't affected as we can drive him anyway as DH drives past the school on the way to work and DS can catch the school bus home. DS was asking about offering lifts to some of his friends who will have problems. However I think it is the schools/Head's problem to solve as he is the one who has created it!

OP posts:
GnomeDePlume · 07/05/2018 21:24

All parents of students in GCSE year need to reply with 'no can do' unless alternative transport is made available.

As the email has come over the weekend it is possible that staff with more experience of the school transport will point out that this is just not possible. This to be followed by a backtracking 'clarification' email saying that students can arrive from 8am.

Original poster
Sunnymeg · 07/05/2018 21:26

I can't make my mind up whether he is being naive or stupid, or bloody minded!

OP posts:
Topseyt · 07/05/2018 21:28

Linking this to prom attendance is even more unreasonable.

I'm not generally one for complaining to schools, but I think that in this case it could be warranted.