Can I drive my children to school if I have covid?

[petitdonkey]

Sorry to ask here but I’ve searched and searched online and just this.
Advice is clear that children have to attend school but how do I get them there? There are no buses as we are rural.
Dh took them yesterday and today then came home and tested positive. Putting them in a taxi is an (expensive) option but seems to put the driver at risk…
So I’m wondering if I’m okay to get them if we all wear masks and keep windows open? Obviously wouldn’t step foot out of the car.. Have any of you done this?

I asked a similar question to track and trace. The response was that driving them to school, and dropping them off without getting out of the car was "the most sensible thing to do". Ths lady reassured me that she hadn't heard if anyone being fined for doing so!

Fuck it, just do it. No one will know. I went to get petrol with Covid, it was during the shortage and the (self-service) garage nearby had some.

(when I say self-service, I mean I paid at the pump)

Absolutely drive them to school. Eye roll at hysterical types who tell you it's illegal and dangerous etc.

Surely it’s safer if there is covid in your house to drive your kids than to have them in someone else’s car.
I would, OP

@Peppapigforlife

I don't understand why your children are going to school if you've got covid. Surely they're putting the staff and pupils at risk? Or have the guidelines changed?

Wakey wakey. Changed months back- how can you not know this?

I had covid and my DD had an accident at school. School told me I Needed to pick her up.
Had arranged other parents to take and collect but no one was around in the day.
What else are you meant to do?

Ugh. I really worry about this! My DD is five so can't go to school alone and I don't drive. Single parent household, no family except older vulnerable parents, so if I get it no idea how she'd get to school!!!

I would use my common sense. If I decided to drive I would take as many precautions to avoid giving it to the DC in the car as I do at home.

What I wouldn't do is post on Mumsnet, where common sense can be a bit thin on the ground.

Legally no, you are not allowed to, and the official answer is that if they cannot get themselves there safely, and you cannot find / pay someone else to take them, then the school needs to provide access to home learning until you are allowed out of isolation. Self-isolation is a legal requirement, however anyone tries to justify not complying

@Silverswirl - some schools have gone back to not allowing siblings in if positive test in the house to try and mitigate the spread. Some school have closed full years, or even the whole school for 10 days to try and break the pattern of infection

No. Test and trace should have informed you it’s illegal for you to leave the house for ten days.

If you are well enough to drive perhaps you have the symptomless variant, which is only life-threatening to Covid Cultists.

I would. I don't need to get out the car either. Masks on, windows open.

@Adarajames Are you quite sure it is illegal to leave your house if you have the symptomless variant?
You really think a mother will be arrested for driving her children to school?
This kind of Covid fanaticism is getting really wearing.

@Wnikat No it’s not “illegal”. Get a grip.

I had this a few weeks ago, some people were quite outspoken. My dd can’t get to school any other way, nobody else to easily ask, we are in a village and not on a public bus route. I did take her in, I had no reason to get out of the car, also dh and 8 tested positive, 2 dds did not catch it.

I did. Mask on. Windows open. Slightly later drop off and pick up. A TA came out to get them and their teacher brought them back to the car.

[quote FreshFreesias]@Wnikat No it’s not “illegal”. Get a grip.[/quote]
Actually it is, under the emergency legislation. Chsnce of being caught may be small, but possible fine is £10k.

How are there no school buses, isn't it a legal requirement? Even Amanda the Yorkshire Shepherdess has a school mini bus provided and you can't get more rural than that. Ditto college buses, we're rural and you can't move on a morning for a plethora of buses.

Pay the school/college transport and no don't take them yourself, you aren't allowed to leave the house y'see 🙄

Our local authority is telling parents not to do this and asking schools to not facilitate parents doing this.

'Our local authority is telling parents not to do this and asking schools to not facilitate parents doing this'

Honestly I'm surprised people need telling yet here we have a thread full of people doing it.

If you have covid stay at home fgs.

In our case, we don't normally use school transport as I drop the kids at school on the way to work. So the only way to get a school bus place is to apply for one in advance, and pay for the entire term. It is no help in an emergency.

@JaniieJones - you are flinging your exasperation about but what would you seriously offer as an alternative? As pp notes, you can’t just opt in for ten days of school transport.
We are in the fortunate postition to throw money at the problem and I have booked a cab for the rest of the week but what would you honestly suggest if we couldn’t do that? My nearest friend that goes in the same direction sent me such an apologetic voice note saying that she wants to help but she really wants to avoid getting covid as she’s self-employed.

I drive 15 mins on a busy A road to take dS to the station where he gets the 7:50 train to a town 14 miles away.. he can’t really cycle that before school that starts at 8:30…

There are actually a whole host oflegal reasons to leave your home during covid isolation - anything from providing care to seeking a vet! One reason inc 'to carry out legal duties' - since kids are legally obliged to attend school this could cover the school run