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Covid

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Original poster

Single parent with no way to get my son to school

168 replies

wobblywinelover · 23/11/2021 20:59

I've had a PCR test today and awaiting results... BUT if it comes back positive i'm not sure what i'm going to do about getting my son to school if his PCR comes back negative (he currently has no symptoms). I'm triple jabbed and he had his first vaccine a couple of weeks ago. I normally have to drive him 15 minutes to school, there's no way he can get there on his own unless I send him in a taxi (which are few and far between in the area I live in). No one else to take him. He's in year 10 and i'm concerned about him missing yet more school work. What have other people done in this situation? I know worst case scenario i'm going to have to keep him off but this is not ideal obviously. Thanks.

OP posts:

megletthesecond · 23/11/2021 22:40

I'd drive him.
If I get it I'll still have to walk my DD the first 10 mins to secondary school. It's too risky for her to walk alone (underpass) and she's a school refuser so I can't just let her miss it. Hence why I am still the boring gym and restaurant avoiding double masker. I've had too many years of lone parenting while ill.

newterritory · 23/11/2021 22:41

If you have absolutely no other options available to you, you are permitted to continue to drive him to school, just don't get out of the car.

Pat123dev · 23/11/2021 22:43

Ours would have to stay home. We're 6 miles from school, don't get transport either as not in catchment.
You could drive if you feel well enough,but there's a lot of what ifs!

Can school help at all?

Watapalava · 23/11/2021 22:46

Don’t know about others but no school here provides school work or remote learning anymore given there is no contact isolation

Isolation for covid is sickness so schools don’t have to provide home learning similar to how they didn’t when people were off with flu or sickness

As far as I can see here, remote teaching stopped when isolation stopped

Rhannion · 23/11/2021 22:46

@MumUndone

I would drive and stay in the car.

That’s what I would do too.

RaininSummer · 23/11/2021 22:51

Many years ago when my kids were small, I got a call out if the blue from social services asking if I could take a lad to school with my girls for a month or so. His mum had broken her leg. No idea if that is still a thing. Was kind of odd really as I could have been a child stealing lunatic.

Horizons83 · 23/11/2021 23:01

For everyone telling the OP to just drive him, you do realise it’s a £1,000 fine if she’s caught? Then if she’s caught a second time, £2,000. It may not be fair, it may not be sensible or proportionate, but that is what the law says. I don’t think she’s going to want to risk that. I wouldn’t.

Original poster

wobblywinelover · 23/11/2021 23:01

@newterritory

Why can't you continue to drive him to school?

I could, but i'm not sure it's legal, though many people are saying they would drive theirs and not get out of the car. I never get out of the car on the school run anyway. I just think it's so sad that after missing so much of school he misses out again at such an important time of his education.. but alas I don't make the rules. If i'm positive i'll ring the school and see what they say, they may not want him in anyway, different schools seem to be doing different things. The remote learning provision is really minimal and he struggled with it last time during the lockdowns. Thanks all for the advice

OP posts:

NeedAHoliday2021 · 23/11/2021 23:03

@Watapalava we have home schooling option due to so many outbreaks. Dd1 had covid over half term and by school time she felt totally fine. They set her work via the online portal until her isolation period was over. Dtd’s primary has so many outbreaks public health stepped in with added guidance where dc with a positive case in their household have to still isolate. They had work set and ended up playing Lego for 2 hours on their first day back because at home they had completed their tasks faster than the class had (we only did what was set so that was weird).

Original poster

wobblywinelover · 23/11/2021 23:04

Two negative LFTs for me tonight so i'm hoping it will just be negative, but just wanted to be prepared..

OP posts:

Heartofglass12345 · 23/11/2021 23:06

@newterritory you really aren't permitted to do it, even if some people do.

Original poster

wobblywinelover · 23/11/2021 23:06

@newterritory

If you have absolutely no other options available to you, you are permitted to continue to drive him to school, just don't get out of the car.

is this official somewhere in the guidelines?

OP posts:

Horizons83 · 23/11/2021 23:10

@wobblywinelover. What @newterritory said is incorrect. It is not legal.

There is a very specific list of exemptions from isolation after a positive test and taking someone to school is not on it.

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1045/regulation/2

The only one you can possibly argue is to access critical public services, but you would be arguing that in a courtroom, it’s certainly not permitted in any legal guidance.

Original poster

wobblywinelover · 23/11/2021 23:15

Thanks Horizons, thought as much, was just interested in where newterritory got her information from

OP posts:

BungleandGeorge · 23/11/2021 23:16

Bit surprised by some of the replies, Many villages may not have public buses but councils have to provide school transport if there’s no safe walking route or it’s further than 4 miles to the nearest or catchment school (or allocated school if they don’t get a catchment place). Private charters are also common if there is a demand. So yes some people will have to drive if they choose other schools but you don’t have to drive just because you’re in a village.
The confined environment of a car for 15 minutes would increase chance of transmission if you decide to do that, so windows down, mask on, he sits in the back passenger side
Any emergency services will presume that anyone they come into contact with may have covid, it’s not like they aren’t regularly in contact with people with covid is it?!

Cocopogo · 23/11/2021 23:16

I drove, there has to be a certain level of common sense applied. I was still isolating, in my car. I didn’t need petrol, I had a face mask and hand gel in the car. The chances of a crash or break down are so slim it’s not worth worrying about.

Watapalava · 23/11/2021 23:21

No one is going to be fined for taking their kids to school and not getting out of the car

Half the people on this thread alone would do it - half in reality likely have done it too
We need some perspective

Yes people can be fined but hardly any fines AT ALL have been given since this pandemic started - police don’t just rock up fining parents

It’s proportional and police would 100% not be interested in this

Keladrythesaviour · 23/11/2021 23:22

[quote Cherrytart23]@shouldistop she is clearly not in the middle of no where as school is 15 min drive away so there must be a bus service even if it means 2 buses.
Can he not ride a bike either lots of high school age kids bike to school.

I like said independence is a great thing.[/quote]

It must come as a surprise to you that not every village in the UK has a functional bus service.
We are 15minutes drive from our local high school. To walk would take 3 hours, or you could cycle up a dual cariage way or across some boggy fields.
Or you can get the one bus at 10.30am.and then return the next day at 10.45am.

Horizons83 · 23/11/2021 23:23

You are right to check @wobblywinelover. You need to know the potential ramifications of any decision you make. I am sure that driving him would be minimal risk both to legal and health consequences but only you know what your risk tolerance is. Anyway, with your negative results hopefully this is all hypothetical!

Cherrytart23 · 23/11/2021 23:43

So what do the children in the village do who's parents don't drive?

Warhertisuff · 23/11/2021 23:44

@squee123

For those saying it makes no difference to anyone if the OP drives him... what if she breaks down? What if she has an accident and requires emergency care? I really do think it is selfish to break the rules and drive given that you could be putting others at risk.

What if she fell down the stairs at home. What if she slipped in the kitchen floor and broke her neck.... What if, what if... Your catastrophising is ridiculous.

Do you have any idea what the risk is of crashing your car on the school run to the extent that you require emergency treatment? For a short journey it's about 1 in 10,000,000....

Cherrytart23 · 23/11/2021 23:45

@Keladrythesaviour So what do the children do if parents don't drive?

Warhertisuff · 23/11/2021 23:47

@Watapalava

No one is going to be fined for taking their kids to school and not getting out of the car

Half the people on this thread alone would do it - half in reality likely have done it too
We need some perspective

Yes people can be fined but hardly any fines AT ALL have been given since this pandemic started - police don’t just rock up fining parents

It’s proportional and police would 100% not be interested in this

This. If you're well enough, just take your child to school. Some people have lost all perspective... Probably the same types who were livid at people eating a snack as they went on their daily exercise in March 2020.

FuckingFucksicles · 23/11/2021 23:49

The most stupid thread I have seen! Not because of OP because if your son is in your house anyway then what difference is it taking him in the car!? He shouldnt be going to school if there is a positive case jabbed or no! The rules are made up by clowns

claymodels · 23/11/2021 23:50

@Cherrytart23

So what do the children in the village do who's parents don't drive?

What village?

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