If DC normally takes bus to school, what are your plans?

[ColouringPencils]

The bus is the main thing I am worried about.

My child has a choice of public or school bus, but either way it is packed, standing room only every day.

We live about 2.5 miles from school but it is not a nice walk along either a busy main road or a little used and slightly scary footpath. I wondered about families helping to tidy up the footpath and setting up 'walking buses' and whether these would work for secondary school or if they would be rife with bullying and bad behaviour. Has anyone any experience of walking buses?

I have a car but DH doesn't drive and we both work full time so usually share any pick up responsibilities (walking to pick up younger DC at primary and older one taking the bus to secondary).

I am concerned about the journey to and from secondary school. Not because of DS catching covid-19 but because of reduced numbers currently being allowed on, and no one giving me an answer on will they run more buses?

This worries me too. There is only one public bus through our village that is totally packed. Some children aren't allowed on and literally have no other way to get to school. It's packed like the London tube.
Too far to walk or cycle. Parents have been complaining about this for years but the council and bus company don't want to know.

Take them in for the first term (10 miles) then see how it plays out. I don’t want to do anything that increases the risk of them having to self-isolate.

It’s a 40 mile round trip to DS’s school (very rural). He will be getting the bus as we don’t have another option, it’s in the opposite direction to where I work and primary age DD goes to school only 3 miles away so it would be impossible for me to drive them both to school even on my days off.

Thankfully we live in one of the LAs with the lowest rates of coronavirus throughout, so we aren’t too worried at this time.

@IfIHadAHeart

Very intrigued as to your location as I never ignorantly knew one could take such an exhaustive long distance daily commute just for schooling. And that's in normal times and all weather conditions let alone with additional Covid risk challenges.

I wish you luck!

I'm strongly inclined towards car-sharing. DS is about 7 miles from his school and there are two other kids in the village who will be in his year group bubble (of over 150 kids ...) plus a sibling going in the same direction - I'm going to see if the other parents would like to do a car pool. I can't see how this is more risky than a completely packed, standing-room-only school bus (and school buses aren't subject to the social distancing and face covering rules that public transport is). I'd stipulate that we all wear face coverings in the car and probably have windows open. Since the company running the school bus has said that face coverings are 'recommended but not mandatory' I can't see masks being worn on it, and it'll be packed out anyway.

We're lucky I can do this - I know many others won't be able to.

What is the bloody point of schools bending over backwards, staggering timetables and breaks and finish times etc and segregating year groups, only to have half the school arriving on packed buses that have all year groups crammed in together?!

@GlomOfNit

I think that sounds wise and sensible. At least you can have some control of the journey and impose sensible Covid risk measures to do what is necessary given the distance to and from school. I am assuming the school bus will be packed and not half empty with social distancing as I doubt there are enough additional buses and drivers for this.

The whole point is obviously making sure all families do whatever it takes to keep Covid out of the school setting on the daily commute. You then hope the school is as safe as it could be.

I have altered my work hours to drop off and pick up.
I may well share with another yr10 parent as they will ge bubbled by year group.

I am in a lockdown area, the majority of the bus is from the community where the virus is prevalent.
Although I am not looking forward to the 12 mile journey twice a day, needs must.

@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia Lincolnshire. It’s not that unusual here - big county, mostly villages. DS doesn’t mind the bus journey under normal circumstances, although it does make for a long day.

Walking sounds sensible. Followed by car sharing. Otherwise a bus, wearing a mask if it makes you feel better.

I take primary DS to school in the next village anyway and then go to work and vice verse on the way home (he goes to after school club a couple of days)
Secondary age DS and DD school is 5 minute walk from my work so I can juggle my hours a little and drop them off everyday and pick them up. On the 2 days I work later They will either have to get the bus or they can come to work and sit in a lounge next to my office possibly. That’s normally fine in normal times, only 7 of us in a massive 3 storey building but might be not allowed during the pandemic.
Saying that I am still furloughed so no idea if I will be back at work once kids go back to school or not!

www.standard.co.uk/news/education/walk-to-school-second-wave-coronavirus-a4520746.html

Evening Standard Monday 10 August 2020

Pupils and teachers told to walk to school in bid to halt second wave of coronavirus

Mine are at different schools in different directions. We can't drop them due to work, so both will need to get public transport.

we also live in a high risk area.

Previous message relates to London and is the front page headline in today's London Evening Standard.

In London we have local schools pretty much everywhere as most schools have small catchment areas as intended for local residents. Handy in a pandemic as exposure time, distance and method of commute would impact likelihood of both be infected and contaminating the school bubble.

The daily school commute seems like the biggest risk and logistical challenge for larger multi school families as it will be very important to get right to minimise potential exposure and onward transmission and to keep your own household bubble Covid free.

I think school morning arrivals and afternoon discharge of children needs very careful risk minimisation replanning and flexibility to allow parents to safely conduct this as efficiently and as Covid risk free as possible.

We will know soon from Scotland if these issues are thought through in all scenarios with larger families with siblings attending different schools etc.

Depending on which day off the week it is and and his timetable my ds could be on the college or public bus and he will have to take between 2-4 buses a day to get there. He’s willing to wear a mask but he’s already told me he’s dreading it. I can’t take him or pick him up as I have another dc to take to school so he’ll have to manage unfortunately.

I am really worried about this. DS1 is just about to start at secondary so it's all new anyway. We had arranged for the school bus, but he has to wear a mask and he has ASD so there is SO much anxiety for him that I'm wondering if I should drive him instead. However DS2's school is in the opposite direction and I don't think I can get between one and the other in time to get DS2 there on time. I don't know what to do about it either.

I have been thinking about this and think of the school really encourages walking that would help. I would worry about her walking alone, but if it became the norm for loads of people to walk she would get to know others on her route.

@ColouringPencils

Have you considered a pooled parent lead local walk to school social distancing bubble? So a version of the parental bubble car pool but without the car?

@Reslpsa the problem is that that would take the parent around 1 hr. 45 to 2 hours each morning and afternoon (assuming they had to walk to school and return home)

www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-buses-extra-schools-go-back-a4534346.html

Dozens of extra London buses rolled out for pupils as schools go back

I'm driving them halfway, then they'll walk the rest. Reverse in the afternoon.