School run

[Sophiesmummy20]

How do those of you with children in different schools cope with the school run?
Eg a secondary school drop off then a primary school drop off in the opposite direction. Mix in with a childminder drop off for a baby then go to work and repeat for pick up. Is it doable with no help?

I don’t know any secondary school children who don’t make their own way there. By walking, getting the bus or by a school bus.

If you had to you would probably need to take the secondary ones first as they will probably start earlier and then at pick up you would have to collect the primary ones first and the older ones would have to wait.

Can the older ones make their own way? Not an issue for us yet, but that is what I plan to do.

I've never taken secondary age kids
to school; they have feet and know how to get on a bus if need be.

I’m asking for my sister, the secondary school is surrounded by countryside with no paths so it’s impossible to walk to unless you live on the estate which she doesn’t, and the bus pass is £50 a month which she can’t afford so he has to be dropped off regardless. The primary school isn’t walking distance either and as my nephew is 5 he can’t take public transport alone. I’m hoping to reassure her it’s doable even if it will be very tiring!

Assuming from your update she will be driving (originally thought she was walking with a teenager), should be doable. Don't even need to stop with the older one, just pull over somewhere safe in the vicinity, and they can jump out and make their own way.

Has she got a childminder already, or is this still in planning stage? If she can find someone whose dropping off before school kids then she could do a hand over at the school so it's only one proper stop.

I think a lot of parents are concerned about secondary students getting on school buses full of other students at the moment. We won't be having ours on the bus if they go back in June. We'll figure out how to get them there some other way.

She needs to check home to school walking distances - she might be entitled to free transport if over a certain number of miles.

I have to drop my secondary school dc half an hour early (school is a 12ish min drive away in the opposite direction of work) and then I drop of my primary school dc on the way (15 min early) and then get to work myself. Collection is even more hilarious though...youngest at 1.40, middle child at 2.40 and secondary child at 3.20.

Secondary child dropped in the closest point to house that it’s safe for them to walk from (on the estate?). Primary child after as they need taking into school (unless year 6?).

Baby to childminder at whichever point it geographically makes sense first, middle, last.

Not everyone lives within walking distance of the schools they attend. Ours are all rural except for the secondary which is in the nearest town...no bus either. 🤷‍♀️

Thanks everyone
Dodolally do you find it difficult or has it got easier over time? Is traffic an issue where you live?
Re childminder, that will begin after the Christmas term so hopefully she is well organised by then as she will have until 9 to drop all 3 off.
(This will begin from September assuming the schools are fully open and it is safe)

We have 5 dc aged between 5 and 13. DH drives older 2 to secondary and then younger 3 to primary in the morning (secondary school starts 20 minutes before primary). Then in the afternoon (both finish at the same time) dh drives to pick the younger 3 up first and then the older 2 wait for him to drive to their school.

Our secondary school starts earlier in the morning and the kids are often there even earlier! They even offer free breakfast. If I need to drop them all off I drop the teenagers off early and they happily hang around with some mates and then drop off the youngest. Luckily if I am early enough there is not much traffic but it is very much a drop and go. If I am late and in a hurry it is a 'kick them out the door' for everyone as ds3 is old enough to go in by himself.

Older child would just get me dropped early and has to wait. A bit crap for them especially in winter but needs must.

Look to see if there are breakfast clubs at the schools.

My DD's primary has one that is open from 8am, and the local secondary offers breakfast from 7:45am. Both are free. Might make mornings easier.

My dc all walked when they got to Secondary, but, if you say that isn't realistic, it still wouldn't have been an issue as their secondary schools have registrations at 8.30 and Primary 8.50 or 9am.
Childminders from 8am (though that is up to each one as they are self employed).

As someone else asked, have you (your sister) checked with the LA about travel ? Or did your sister choose a school that wasn't the nearest ?

Thanks, it’s good to know many other parents are in the same situation and manage
Re the free transport mentioned, does this only work if they go to the nearest school? They are 4 miles from the school he will be going to which was second choice, but there is a school 2 miles away that was his first choice he didn’t get offered as he failed the exam.

I believe it is the school offered to you. So in this case he would be eligible.

The distance is over three miles FROM THE NEAREST SCHOOL HE WOULD HAVE GOT A PLACE AT. As he failed the exam for the nearest he wouldn't have got a place so he qualifies for free transport - problem solved!!!!

Perfect, thank you both!

I would say drop secondary school child off on the estate they can walk from they can meet up with mates

Eldest gets dropped at the bus stop at 7.05am and then walks a mile when she gets off. I do this on my way to work. Younger three are then dropped at Breakfast Club at 7.30am (the second it opens!) I then get to work ready for 8am start.
If DH is working from home, he sometimes takes the younger DC to school for 8.30 drop off so they can sleep in a bit longer.

We have a similar situation. The older children go to school in two different towns near to where I drop the toddler for childminder and then I go onto work in another town. Public transport is not really an option for the older two to get to school because we live rurually, there is a limited bus service and the times/duration of bus journey just doesn't work for the big kids. It is a military operation and I wouldn't ideally have it this way but it is a case of needs must so it is doable.

7:00 Leave the house with the big kids
7:25 (ish) Drop toddler to childminder
7:35 (ish) Drop big kid 1 to his friends house, they then walk to school together
7:45 (ish) Drop big kid 2 to school, the children are allowed on site from that time and can do home work or go to gym.
8:00 (ish) Arrive at work
It is all very tight and bit of fine juggling act but it works most of the time.

The way home really depends what day it is and what sports/training/activities/school matches etc they have. Again it is all a military operaration but somehow we do it.

Everything has to be arranged the night before, clothes sorted, snacks sorted and bags packed (including homework) for the days activities. Somedays we have three different kits required for the big kids! Just need to be super organised. The hardest part is getting everyone out of bed.

Would it be an option to drop the big kids part way at all?

That sounds exhausting circles I don’t know how you have the energy!
I’m expecting my 2nd and will make a mental note to avoid this situation
Thank you all for replies my sister applied for the free bus pass so he can make his own way and she will only have the middle one to drop to school for now.

Dh gets the train with dd1 as they both use is for getting to work and school. I take twin dd2 and D's to primary school in the car aling with dd3 who I take to preschool afterwards. Dd3 is picked up from preschool first, then the twins and we go and pick dd1 up from the train station at 4.30/5