AIBU to continue turning in the school gate?

[NortonBuns]

I drive my dd to school everyday and once I drop her off I turn around and drive home. I approach the back gate of the school and use this entrance to turn my car round so I can head back home.
The school have now put up a sign saying keep our children safe, no stopping, dropping off or turning in the entrance.
So where am I supposed to turn around? If I carry on I reach the front gate which is busier and has the busses. If I turn before I reach the back entrance I am doing a three point turn in busy school run traffic with lots of children walking and cycling.
So AIBU to say I am safest turning in the large double gate and ignoring the new sign?

So you’d have to drive 4 minutes out of your way before turning round? (Assuming 30mph limit for the 2 miles). Just add 8 minutes onto your planning. I get why that would be frustrating but reversing into an entrance where dc are walking isn’t an appropriate solution. How embarrassing you needed the school to explain that and make a sign.

She’s saying that she doesn’t understand why the rules are as they are, and they don’t seem the safest option. HTH. Unless you were just trying to stick the boot in?

I’m guessing it’s caused a problem or accident. Even if you don’t know the rationale, just get on board and comply otherwise where will the school be if everyone chooses to ignore like you?

Typical OP choosing what to reply to.

They will probably have turned down closer schools or are private. Living rurally isn’t an excuse. I lived very rurally growing up and I got a taxi (provided due to location) to the nearest bus stop. Clearly OPs child is too good for something like this.

Living rurally doesn’t mean you should have to send your kids to a crap school. Probably yours was fine.

This. 😂

No to avoid turning in the gate in a forwards direction I would have to continue on to the busier front gate. There is no 2 mile alternative. I thought I had explained well but most people on this thread have got hold of the wrong end of the stick so maybe I didn’t.
No reversing at the moment but if I changed my plans I would have to three point turn which would obviously involve reversing.

Why not turn somewhere in the two miles before the school?

If there is no sign at the front gate, and you are therefore allowed to turn there, that’s what you should do. The school have clearly assessed the risk the back gate and want that to be free of cars.

I have no idea what goes on at the front gate. On one occasion when dd had just started there I needed to travel onwards into town, so went past the front gate. It was absolute carnage with busses and children walking and cycling so I vowed never to go that way again. I drive miles out of my way to avoid it if I do need to go into town.

If it's all so safe and unremarkable to turn at the back gate why do you think the school have put up the notice? There must be a reason they'd prefer to have parents turn at the front entrance or elsewhere - if you can articulate or understand those perhaps you can better decide whether your counter arguments are sensible or selfish?

Being a parent is sometimes inconvenient. You are incredibly self involved and hard work.

my recommendation is make an appointment with the headteacher. Explain your time is incredibly valuable and you really can’t be bothered driving any further. Your child also doesn’t want to have to walk any distance. Your only possible option is turning your car in the gate. Explain how special you are, how you are a much better driver than all the other parents and promise that you won’t run over any children when you turn there.

I reckon the headteacher will give you a special badge for your car ‘bus and important - rules don’t apply’.

If it's six miles away and your nearest suitable school, it's not your problem because you're entitled to free home to school transport from the council.

In that case you could probably turn nearer to their premises or using their driveways.

Tbh it doesn't really matter what you think, they see the proprietors and if you carry on they will just ban you (or all cars) from the property. They did it at our school. It caused people to park over driveways. Residents started parking on the road the night before and blocking people in who parked over driveways and so the cars eventually started parking further afield.

You might win a few weeks of the battle but you won't win the war.

Stop in a side road where you can turn safely.

Even if the school is not the nearest school and there is no free transport, there will be a bus that you can pay for, as other children are getting the bus.
Drop your DC at the bus stop. Buy a bus pass. Your child is not made of sugar.

Is it a dead end? I just drive in a big circle it takes a few minutes or park on the road and walk the last bit. Clearly there is an issue or they wouldn’t have put a sign up. They’ll probably put out traffic cones if you persist.

Why would you pay for the bus and drive to a bus stop when you can drive to the school?

@NortonBuns I would talk to the school, and ask them what solution they suggest for drop off.

I think OP has said at least 10 times that there are no side roads.

This diagram needs a banana for scale 😂

While I understand how ridiculous it can get around schools, and have several roads I won’t let my DC walk across unaccompanied, the school has said you are not to use their entrance for drop offs/collections. Sorry, end of. You don’t get to decide that, actually, you will.
As annoying, disruptive and time consuming as it may be, you’ll have to get out of your car a bit away and then return to it and turn it back home (or try out other ways).

I went to school at the end of a mile long cul de sac and we didn't have this problem. I was dropped off at the edge of a nearby field and we all walked across the fields, only school staff and Y7 new starter parents drove up the cul de sac and then did 3pt turns to get out.

Have you asked the school what they suggest is the safest option?

Why wouldn't you? Lots of reasons to encourage bus travel over driving.

• the buses go up to the school gate by the sound of it, and cars are being discouraged
• pollution
• taking the bus will likely be cheaper, save petrol
• social aspect - friends on the bus
• independence, responsibility
• quicker to drop at a bus stop than drive all the way to school and back (even to drive and drop), useful for someone WFH, getting home quicker!

Etc etc.

Ask the school what they suggest OP!

Paraphrased......"I've been told what to do, but I think I know better and what I want is more important than the rest of the entire school's parents"

This ethos is lot of why Teachers are so cheesed off they're leaving the profession, and why the country is going downhill in general.

"I'm alright and fuck everyone else."