Does this sound ok? School run…

[Mrsupanddown]

I tried to get all the kids in to one school which is 5 minutes from us but the appeal was rejected. So I have left oldest DS at the school and DD is joining him. Youngest DS is at the school nearest to home.

I plan to drop DS (9) at school with DD (8) at 8:35. There school gates don’t open until 8:40.

So they will queue up outside with the other kids and parents. DS will wait until DD goes into her class then he will go to his.

I will be able to drop youngest off then in time for his gates opening at 8:45.

Does this sound ok and safe enough?

If your DC are sensible then that sounds perfectly safe, OP, especially given there are two of them. If they are prone to silliness, running off or fighting with each other you may need a rethink, though it seems like a very difficult position for you.

I absolutely would not do this, and presumably you will have the issue in reverse at the end of the day with 2 kids left waiting for you? If the schools are so close in travel time, why not have all 3 in the school 5 minutes further away? Not perfect I know, but I think best.

All those saying their school wouldn't allow it, what exactly will the school do? They can't stop it. Social care will not be interested - they barely act when children are in truly difficult home settings; they certainly don't have the resources to deal with a couple of KS2 children being dropped off 5 minutes early.

I do feel for you. As my username, I walked to school on my own from age 5 and home one mile each way,and when 7 took my brother aged 5.How times have changed!

This won't be allowed by the school as parents need to be present for safeguarding and you can't expect other parents, who may well be in an equal rush also, to be responsible for your DC.

Best thing would be to put them in breakfast club so you can take your time woth second drop off. If you need to get to work after then this will be a less stressful start to your day, albeit a bit earlier.

To add, yes it's crazy how times have changed but because of so many cars parked outside of schools and stricter rules it is what it is.

My Mum used to walk me to 'junior' school, be able to leave me in the playground as teachers were on duty and there were no fences and gates, then walk siblings to infant school. Then I used to walk on my own, it was only round the corner, all one pavement but also far less cars.

Society, including school runs, is all rush, find the most obtrusive place to park because it's only a few minutes, drive at speed to get to work. All because every second counts and what one has to do is more important than everything and everyone else, so blocking driveways, emergency exits, zig zag lines with signs stating keep clear at all times, it's horrifically entitled and more importantly dangerous!

Nothing the school can do about it except report to Social Services, who will roll their eyes, call OP up to check all is okay and close the case.

Moving kids from schools they are settled in is pretty detrimental to them.

It might not be allowed at the schools you know about but it certainly would not be an issue at the junior school my DC went to.

Why do parents need to be present? and at what age is this not needed?

if this is the best route to get them all to school, then speak to the second school and explain you can’t get there until 8:50 and that’s the way it is.
Don’t they have a 10 min drop off window?

I would feel totally fine doing this with my non SEN 9yr old but our school would not be okay with it as they have to be in year 5 before they can come/go independently. So if school agree I think it’s a totally reasonable plan.

I think it's the youngest starting that will be going to a different school. The older 2 kids are already together at the school extra minutes away.

Are we talking at cross purposes? OP's entire first paragraph is about how she couldn't get all three kids into the school her eldest is at, isn't it. So either she moves him from the school he's settled at, or she has them at different schools doesn't she?

I'd do this. Its a one form village school & I know all the other mums/dads, I've kept an eye on others kids in similar situations before.

This. Schools can't actually require it and social services would consider it a waste of their time to be rung about this.

Its utterly ludicrous to expect op to spend £100 a week on two lots of breakfast club (or even £50 for one) so that two junior school kids don't have to wait 5 mins at the gate with their friends.

Same, I walked our eight year old to school on his first day here and the teacher on duty thought there was something wrong.

People are very precious on here. I don’t think anything could happen in that situation whatsoever and it seems batshit to pay for breakfast club for the sake of 5 mins. Other people will be around, they’re hardly going to run away or do anything crazy at that age!

Having said that, I’d be inclined to just put all in the same school tbh. You’re doing the school run there anyway so makes more sense than two drop offs.

OP hasn’t come back to the thread so I still don’t understand why the above suggestion isn’t possible.

The younger one’s gates can’t open and shut at 8.45, they must be open for a 10 minute window surely.

In which case it isn’t at all necessary to leave the older ones, all kids just get dropped a bit later.

this seems like a non issue?

She says the eldest 2 are in the school further away and the youngest is going to the school closest?

Absolutely ridiculous that kids can't walk to their local school aged 8 and 9, or be left outside to wait for 5 minutes. Something's really wrong with society if that's the case.

Yh I wondered this – but maybe the OP has to beetle off to work at 8.45 and no later to get to her desk by 9am?

Thank you. I think I misunderstood the OP.

I wouldn’t do this, I’d ask the school to let them in 5 minutes early or tell the other school your youngest will have to be 5 mins late. Absolutely ridiculous making them go to different schools!

Surely you have grounds to appeal. You should not have to have these concerns.

Unfortunately the system does not account for children at different schools and it is not a grounds for appeal.