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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have not sent DD to school in the snow?

67 replies

Resultsday · 30/01/2019 11:14

It's snowed heavily overnight.
Her school is seven miles and two buses away (the only suitable school that had space when we moved her due to bullying issues)
The bus company cancelled all regional services from a certain depot for the first of her two buses until 11am.
All three local secondaries including the one on my street are closed due to 'dangerous and icy conditions.'

She COULD have walked forty minutes in the snow from village to town to see if the other bus company was running a connecting bus.

She could have walked an hour to town in the snow and ice to see if her second bus was running.
If it wasn't she would have had to do the walk in reverse.

She is in year 11 which is why I'm more stressed about it, she has some additional needs if it's relevant and up to yesterday had had 100% attendance since September 2017.

OP posts:
TheCowboy · 30/01/2019 11:16

It's one day. I wouldn't stress over it.

BarbarianMum · 30/01/2019 11:18

As a 1 off it wont matter but what's your plan if it happens again?

Original poster
Resultsday · 30/01/2019 11:22

I don't have one BarbarianMum that's my worry!
She's been there three years and we have had snow and other schools have closed and hers stayed open but she has always got in.
I rang my Mum but they can't even get off the estate (they drive I don't)

The bus company (Stagecoach) ended up snowed in at their depot and couldn't get the buses out at all.
We are in a village but on a route into a major city so usually they still run.

OP posts:
underneaththeash · 30/01/2019 11:22

No I wouldn't have sent her either.

BarbarianMum · 30/01/2019 11:25

Emergency fund for a taxi? Or could the school email work?

CaroBB · 30/01/2019 11:26

Don't sweat the small stuff. She's home, warm and safe.
I have a child with additional needs and there are so many stumbling blocks and stresses. To worry over one missed day of school is pointless when there are so many much more worrying things to deal with if you have SN children.

She's off for a day, not a month. It won't make much difference I'm sure.x

1happyhippie · 30/01/2019 11:27

If her transport isn't running then I would have done the same.
There's bound to be a few off that can't get in.
Hopefully it will be better tomorrow.
All our schools are still on, no snow though just very icy this morning.

MrsJayy · 30/01/2019 11:29

School will understand buses were off conditions were so bad I really really wouldn't worry about it.

EatsFartsAndLeaves · 30/01/2019 11:30

No that's fine. The bus company will start services as soon as possible, probably whenever the roads are gritted and made safe.

MacarenaFerreiro · 30/01/2019 11:34

Is year 11 an exam year? I would have sent her. I have a child heading for exams in May and I don't want him missing a single day.

arseabouttit · 30/01/2019 11:36

I can't see how it's unreasonable in any way to have her at home today? In fact I think you would have BVU to let her walk for 40 mins to an hour in the snow on the off chance another bus was running. I really can't see a problem - do you get some kind of special prize for 100% attendance?Confused

MrsJayy · 30/01/2019 11:38

Really you would send your child to walk an hour to catch a bus that might not be running sothey would need to walk back risking a slip onthe ice because it is examyear ?

steppemum · 30/01/2019 11:38

My son is also year 11. He was hoping for overnight snow, we got rain.

He has gone to school grumpy, and he wanted a snow day.

When there is snow near his school, most of the students come in on buses. The bus company makes the decision to run or close the service. That is my cue. No school buses = no school. I am not going to drive down roads that the bus company has said are unsafe for their buses.

Not worry. If you are concerned, sit down withher and go over he plans for revision, or her homework, or somethign related to school. Use the day for a reflection on how year 11 is going.

Original poster
Resultsday · 30/01/2019 11:38

Yes MacarenaFerreiro that's why I'm stressing.

arseabouttit Yes many schools do prizes for 100% attendance but I'm worrying because of her being year 11 and sen really.

OP posts:
flamingofridays · 30/01/2019 11:39

nope I wouldn't have sent her!

schools round here close as soon as the roads are no longer clear, they don't wait for the busses to stop running!

1 day will make no difference (even in an exam year!) there is tons of revision stuff she could do at home if you have internet / subject books!

MrsJayy · 30/01/2019 11:40

You need to take a breath it is fine.

arseabouttit · 30/01/2019 11:41

Ok - well ask her teachers to email you any work she's missed and get her to do a bit of work or reading at home today, she must have some books with her? It doesn't have to be a wasted day!

PopCakes · 30/01/2019 11:42

It's a one off and I assume she's not sitting a GCSE exam today so it's fine. If you're worried have her do some work at home.

Original poster
Resultsday · 30/01/2019 11:42

Thanks MrsJayy rather , I know. I'm rather stressed in general at the moment so it was just more stress.

OP posts:
MrsJayy · 30/01/2019 11:44

Are you somewhere that doesn't usually get a lot of snow? Maybe that is why you are paniking

MrsJayy · 30/01/2019 11:47

We are used to snow days where I am so it was normal when Dds were school age. We have bright sunshine no snow today but I saw on the news some places are at a standstill

marymarkle · 30/01/2019 11:51

I had a similar journey to school. Buses usually ran even in quite bad snow, but if they didn't, I didn't go. Unless its becomes a common occurrence (extremely unlikely) don't sweat it.

tillytrotter1 · 30/01/2019 11:52

I recall being on Teaching Practice, it had snowed like mad, no transport running from College so I walked into town, got the train, walked up through a big park to get to the school to be told by the Caretaker You're mad! The school was closed but this was before the days when school closures were notified on the radio, it was a long, cold, wet journey back!

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 30/01/2019 11:56

So it would have taken up to an hour and a half to get there and presumably similar to get home, walking miles in snowy, icy conditions or she could use those three hours to revise at home and maybe still build a snowman in her lunch break. Not too hard a decision.

KatherinaMinola · 30/01/2019 11:57

I wouldn't have sent her either. Schools will normally close under these circumstances (if local buses stop running). Because there's a chance that all buses will stop running by the end of the day and children/staff won't be able to get home.