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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To complain to 6th form about a timetable change?

105 replies

AGurneyAunt · 15/03/2021 19:21

DS is in Yr13 at the "local" 6th form to do A levels (it's part of the closest secondary school to us but is still 7 miles away). He gets the school bus there and back every day because I work and also have a younger child with disabilities who isn't in school.

He went back today for the first time since before Christmas (Wales). At the start of this term, one of his subject teachers was replaced great timing so today was the first time he met the new teacher. Said teacher has told the class that he is moving their Wednesday morning lesson to 7th period for the rest of their time at the school. This means it will finish at 4, which is 40 minutes after the school bus leaves.

There used to be late buses for those doing extra curricular activities/clubs, which students who had 7th period lessons (usually only those doing 4 A levels or extra classes, or of course detention 🙄) could also use. But they don't run any more, because all clubs are off due to covid.

There also used to be a public bus that served our village and passed the school at 4.15. But the service has been temporarily suspended, because covid.

So. DS now can't get home after the lesson. I can't pick him up because Wednesday is one of the two days a week I pay for childcare for my younger disabled child so I can work. This is non negotiable. DS is pissed off because he feels he needs to attend all the lessons, due to having missed so much and having very poor online lesson provision for the last year (it has been shocking but that's another thread altogether!).

AIBU to complain?

(And yes, I will probably end up paying for a bloody taxi, but that's a pita and cost that I don't need. This is Buttfuck Nowheresville, taxis are £££, there isn't even a proper taxi firm here and it's not as easy as just calling a cab when you need one).

OP posts:
Original poster
AGurneyAunt · 15/03/2021 19:57

Cafe? They're all closed. Ditto the library.... I guess he could sit and wait outside somewhere but it's frankly a massive pita for me to load an unwilling autistic child who's routine is being disturbed into the car and trundle out after a day's work when I should be sorting a meal out.

OP posts:
Custardandnoodle · 15/03/2021 19:57

See if the school can cover the cost of a taxi. I'd imagine they would have a 'hardship' type fund you can apply for.

LaurieFairyCake · 15/03/2021 19:59

Is there an activity he could join on that day after school to capitalise on having to be out late - Scouts/Cadets/ etc

Or he could get a job in a supermarket and work the evening shift Grin

VerbenaGirl · 15/03/2021 20:00

Definitely raise this with the school, as this may just have been an oversight - something they really hadn’t considered. They might be able to resolve things.

MadeOfStarStuff · 15/03/2021 20:12

YANBU

Changing time table is not unreasonable in itself but changing it to after the time school buses leave so pupils have to get home by alternative means is not ok. Not everyone can ferry their children around or afford regular taxis, schools shouldn’t assume anyone can.

MuddleMoo · 15/03/2021 20:14

The school/Council might be able to pay for a taxi?

GravityFalls · 15/03/2021 20:19

I’m a sixth form teacher and I would complain, I wouldn’t be asking nicely - he can’t do it. It’s unreasonable for them to add this lesson at this time at this point in the year. It may be that he just misses the lesson and has to catch up with notes, but if that’s so there should be some provision for him to have access to the lesson materials. A lot of our students get buses and so we never assume they’ll be able to stay late as many just can’t. And lots are not in the position of having people to ask for lifts either.

2bazookas · 15/03/2021 20:21

Just speak to the Head Teacher .

Original poster
AGurneyAunt · 16/03/2021 11:25

Spoken to the school (very nicely and calmly, in the manner of asking why it was changed and had anyone considered the impact on students, before anyone accuses me of being unreasonable and shouty!)

They told me that there was plenty of notice of the change because the timetable was changed in January. The fact that the timetable hasn't been in use since the school closed for lockdown in the middle of December, so nobody would know if it had been changed, is irrelevant because students should have been checking the online version of their timetable every week for changes (even though DS has never in 7 years at the school had a mid year timetable change before so we didn't know it was even a possibility). The online learning hasn't been scheduled according to the usual timetable slots, it's been 1 lesson per week per subject yes I know that's a pathetic offering at random times that were emailed out weekly, so how we would have known we were meant to be checking the timetable is anyone's guess Confused .

Oh and I've been condescendingly helpfully informed that it's my responsibility to make sure DS can get to and from school because he's a 6th form student so the LA is under no obligation to make any transport arrangements.

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 16/03/2021 12:54

Well, that's really unhelpfully SHIT of them, isn't it? Blimey - I'd be appalled at that response.

Who did you speak to? Receptionist, or decision-maker/teacher/Head of Year?

You'd think they'd want to support their sixth formers after all this disruption.

Knitterbabe · 16/03/2021 13:10

Do you live in a village/rural area ? Several villages in our area have a hardship fund which is open to help those in need. One village has a fund specifically to help school age children/students with things to aid their education; books/computer/special sports gear, etc. Might be worth making enquiries. Is there a facebook group? Someone always knowd!

starbrightstarlight8888 · 16/03/2021 13:21

Surely he can cycle with proper lights etc regardless of it being on country roads? It's only 7 miles once a week and he's virtually an adult.

peak2021 · 16/03/2021 13:23

I suggest raising it with the chair of governors. It seems a form of indirect discrimination however well intended.

The transport responsibility has been the case I think for many years.

Pinkdelight3 · 16/03/2021 13:31

Sorry this sounds like a big pita with your set-up, but I think it's fair for a college to assume a student can get home at 4pm. Bigger picture, this sounds like one of the issues that comes from living in Buttfuck Nowhereville and things will only get worse when he leaves sixth form and needs to go places. Hope you've got a masterplan cooking.

Ilovemaisie · 16/03/2021 13:35

I wonder how many people would be suggesting "he could ride a bike" would say that if this was a female 17 year old?
How much would a taxi cost? If it's just once I week maybe it will have to be that option.
This isn't good though. Do any of the other students in the class have the same problem? If they all have the same problem they should all collectively talk to the teacher.

halcyondays · 16/03/2021 13:36

It’s not a college, it’s part of a secondary school. Which should be holding all their lessons within the normal school day so pupils can catch the school bus.

starbrightstarlight8888 · 16/03/2021 13:39

@Ilovemaisie

I wonder how many people would be suggesting "he could ride a bike" would say that if this was a female 17 year old? How much would a taxi cost? If it's just once I week maybe it will have to be that option. This isn't good though. Do any of the other students in the class have the same problem? If they all have the same problem they should all collectively talk to the teacher.
I am female and cycle to and from work every day (well I did pre covid). Whats the issue?
starbrightstarlight8888 · 16/03/2021 13:44

Plus it won't even be dark at that time of day

GravityFalls · 16/03/2021 13:48

Where I teach it is perfectly possible that a student cannot get home after the buses have left due to distance/lack of public transport to their area, and so we would have to accommodate this - it does happen, the student does ordinarily have transport so if we arrange things at different times that mean the transport isn’t accessible it’s our fault! I can also easily imagine places 7 miles from here that would be a dangerous cycle ride away which most parents wouldn’t be happy with. And these places aren’t necessarily remote.

Lexilooo · 16/03/2021 13:52

Have driving lessons started again yet? You could book him a driving lesson for the end of the lesson to drop him home after. Loads of us did that when I was at a rural ish 6th form.

FluffyHippo · 16/03/2021 13:52

So what do you want to happen?

People are making practical suggestions and you're shooting them all down as impractical, so it looks like your son will have to miss this class. According to you, there's no practical way for him to get home.

If you're going to talk to the school, it'd be helpful if you could articulate what you would like them to do to solve this problem. Otherwise you'll just have to lump it.

FluffyHippo · 16/03/2021 13:56

@peak2021

I suggest raising it with the chair of governors. It seems a form of indirect discrimination however well intended.

The transport responsibility has been the case I think for many years.

Don't be ridiculous - 'indirect discrimination' indeed! How the hell do you work that out? What protected characteristic is being discriminated against here - living in rural Wales?
Ilovemaisie · 16/03/2021 13:56

starbright are you 17? Do you cycle along country roads?

Original poster
AGurneyAunt · 16/03/2021 14:49

Apart from it being a genuinely dangerous route to cycle - he would have to cycle there as well in order for the bike to be at school for him to cycle home on, which would mean he arrived sweaty (it's uphill a lot of the way there) and potentially wet and muddy if it wasn't a dry day. There are no facilities he could use to wash and change in before school at the moment, because covid. So I think that idea is a non-starter for multiple reasons.

In terms of what I expect - well, tbh, I think they should move the lesson back to the original timetabled slot. They're not going to do that though. Oh and no, the lesson content won't be put online because all students are expected to be returned to face to face learning now.

I didn't post asking for practical solutions as I had considered most of them already (except the driving lesson idea which we are exploring tonight, thank you to whoever suggested it as that one hadn't occured to us!), which is why I wanted to know if IABU to raise it as an issue with the school. It isn't just a case of "waaah waaah something's different and I don't like it" Hmm

OP posts:
HeyDemonsItsYaGirl · 16/03/2021 15:09

People are making practical suggestions and you're shooting them all down as impractical, so it looks like your son will have to miss this class. According to you, there's no practical way for him to get home.

No. People are making suggestions and the OP is explaining why they won't work. Nothing she's said is unreasonable.