School Parking - Is this fair?

[Powerless]

Just a quick one!

My 3yr old DD goes to a Pre-School within the grounds of an Infant & Primary School. I am disabled and have been told it's ok to use the Disabled Bay to park when picking DD up. Great!

She finishes at 3:20pm

Problem is, they close the gates at 3pm until 3:40pm, during which a coach reverses in (which they open the gates for, obvs) and this unfortunately, blocks us in!

The blocking in until 3:40 I'm not overly worried about. Plenty of play equipment for madam and it's no big deal. But having to be there by 2:55-ish before gates closed, then sit for 25 mins in my car before Nursery finishes is really getting to me.

Yes it's only 25 mins and yes there are worse problems in the world. However she's there 4 days a week so it's 1 hour & 40 minutes per week of wasted time. It also means that from setting off to getting home, it's an hour. Just for pick up. When we live less than a mile away.

I had a word with Reception today and the lady just told me it was tough luck! That if I want to use Disabled parking then that's what has to happen!

Do I complain further? Or just suck it up?

Please be nice, I'm not insisting on special treatment, I'm not insisting I'm right, I'm just asking your opinion on it....? Thanks

Our school closes the gates for 20 minutes morning and evening at the time the majority of kids are entering or leaving school. No exceptions.

Unfortunately they had to start doing this for the safety of the kids because too many parents are inconsiderate and downright dangerous drivers. The nearby school who didn't used to do it have also had to start doing it for the same reason. They still have to patrol the car parks as well due to the behaviour of those who come in before the gates close and wait it out. It makes me rage how self absorbed, entitled and dangerous some people are. (Not you op)

It is unfortunately one of these cases where the few are such utter assholes that they ruin things for everyone including people like the OP (and us) who have no other choice.

Just a thought, I sometimes take a hot water bottle with me when I have to wait around in the car at school pick up. Make sure you're cosy!

I'd use the time to read, podcasts, write Christmas cards, catch up on phone calls/texts/diary planning etc. Or snooze!

Just to clarify, when I said it doesn't sound that different, I meant the amount of time taken out of the day sitting around in a car. Sometimes I see parents up at school at half two to get the good spots - swooping in and out in ten minutes isn't an option for anyone who has to drive the school run.
I KNOW this is a blue badge spot, but that's not what the concern is, it's about the 'wasted' time. You could get through quite a few good books in a few weeks.

You either have to pick her up early or park outside somewhere. It is pretty common for the gates to be closed or the car park to be inaccessible at the end of the day for safety reasons.

OP You might find this useful:

Under the Equality Act there is a requirement for public sector bodies, including schools, to promote equality for disabled people in every aspect of their work.

The Equality Act 2010 introduced a single Public Sector Equality Duty that applies to public bodies, including maintained schools and Academies, and which extends to all protected characteristics. This combined equality duty came into effect in April 2011. It has three main elements. In carrying out their functions, public bodies are required to have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act

Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

• Foster good relations across all characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

• This duty requires schools to adopt a proactive approach, mainstreaming disability equality into all decisions and activities.

The duty applies also to parents, members of staff, visitors to the school, local community members and to potential pupils of the future.

How is it discrimination? Surely the same rule would apply if the school let non-disabled people park in the car park - they’re prioritising the safety of the children

What exactly can the school do to solve this?

The school bus obviously needs to be on the car park for the safety of 30+ children, and the car park needs to be closed while it manoeuvres, and while the children embark.

As far as I can tell, it's a staff car park but they're making reasonable adjustments by allowing you to use it. You are, in fact, very welcome to use it but must be committed to being there 2:55pm - 3:40pm.

Surely preferable to parking elsewhere.

Or send her to after school club and pick her up later.

Why doesn’t whoever opens the gate for the bus let you in and out as well? Or couldn’t the bus driver do the gates for you?

You are, in fact, very welcome to use it but must be committed to being there 2:55pm - 3:40pm

Which puts the OP at a disadvantage compared to people without a disability. The Equality Act is very specific about schools' duties, including "mainstreaming disability equality into all decisions and activities."

booboost excellent suggestions

It's not ableist to suggest OP arrange to pick up a bit early or a bit late if the gates need to be closed to protect ALL the children at the school. That would be a reasonable adaptation to be made so she is not trapped in the car park.

Definitely just email the Head, thank them for the use of the space and ask if they can open/close the gate for you when you arrive/leave. They do it at our school no problem.

"Which puts the OP at a disadvantage compared to people without a disability."

Not really, they're all parked a walk away while op is on the staff car park.

Just doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Park elsewhere, ask a friend to walk dd down. Arrive late, pick her up from after school club. Arrive early, kill time on the car park.

If they have a policy of no vehicles entering while the bus is there, and it seems they do, then just work around it, assuming you've already asked for an exception and been told no.

Use the time wisely, read, admin, mumsnet, knit

Some excellent suggestions on here.

@GloomyMonday What friend? I don't have any in this area. My DD is also autistic and won't go to anyone but my Mum who can't do it.

That was one suggestion op. I don't know what your friend situation is like do I.

@DBN1 How on EARTH could I get an electric wheelchair into my car when I can't lift? (I'm not wheelchair bound either).

Also my DD is 3 (and as mentioned above has ASD) If I'm in a wheelchair, how the hell can I stop her if she tried to run into the road?

@defectiveinspector I see what you're saying, but it would cause a whooole load of drama from staff and other people. I want to find a workable, long term solution that doesn't put ANYBODY out.

As a PP touched upon, I think I'm going to have to apply for a different school for her to attend after leaving this Pre-School. Can't cope with this drama every day.

People are just suggesting things op. We are not privy to your entire life. If they don't work, ignore.

I think the car park being used for bus loading probably makes it an unsuitable place for parking for pick up (difficult to know without being really familiar with the actual situation) since any driving around when there are a lot of young children who might run into the area is very difficult to manage - that's presumably why they shut the car park gates.. I'm horrified at some of the things my kids' primary school did to load buses - seemed really unsafe.

However, are there any other bays in the car park that wouldn't be blocked in by the bus and where you wouldn't be endangering children if you drove off early? Could you ask that the disabled bay be moved to that spot? Alternatively, is there another rarely used entrance to the school where you might be able to park on yellow lines without causing an obstruction and would the school consider giving you access to that entrance/letting DD out via that entrance?

You need to get them to sort it. If you park elsewhere, a member of staff can bring your DC out to you.

When I had the exact same predicament, we came to a solution where I came 15 minutes later and DC waited in reception and read until their allocated time to come out to me.

If you have a blue badge, the coach needs to not block you in. If they did that to me, I'd be complaining all the way, as my bowel condition would make sure I needed to be out of that space pronto.

None of this has anything to do with having a blue badge. The BB would enable the OP to park on nearby roads on yellow lines, or to park in car parks that have disabled bays which require a badge to be displayed. There is nothing about having a blue badge that means she cannot be blocked in, besides I don't think the coach is the issue, rather that the school - like many others- shuts its gates between 3 and 3.45.

We have some similar issues at my DD’s school. There is a section of lot that that can’t leave or enter during certain times. There is a car pickup loop where you basically have a choice of arriving 45 minutes early or end up with the line full and no where to go. It’s a huge hassle. I always bring a book.

If the car park is completely blocked by the bus so it is closed for the safety of pupils then you probably won't get very far on the "reasonable adjustments" requirement of the Equalities Act. Is there a space you could park but would still be able to get in and out in front of the bus? Are any staff allowed in and out (with a key fob or similar) at that time? At my school we have a car park that is totally closed for safety reasons (staff, visitors and parents alike), and a separate car park that is open but only for staff/parents/pupils who need accessibility allowances.

Have i got this right?
They close the gates at 3.00 not reopening until 3.40.
Nursery out at 3.20.

What time does the school come out?
I'm another who thinks there has to be a better way to solve tbe logictics of you getting stuck every day.

My DS school has the janny man the gates around going in and coming out times.