snow business

[3duracellbunnies]

What is the position re absence if the school is open, but we can't get there. The school nearly never shuts. It will be inaccessible by car, the footpath is offically condemed by council as too steep (though we use it everyday), the pushchair will be useless, and just tried 2yr old on sledge and won't be able to do that there and back twice. We might be able to beg favours but they would be stuck there if they were ill etc. The children are 4 and 6, and it is our nearest school.

The school's policy is to come if parent considers it is safe for you to do so. If I consider it unsafe will it be authorised or unauthorised absence? Of course if dh doesn't make it to work we can juggle the school run anyway.

In my experience it would be authorised.

Everyone's journey to school is different, with different obstacles to over come on a snowy day.

Unless they are prepared to check out every single route in, then they would take your word for it.

The path sounds like a nightmare!

There was a change recently that means schools can take situations like yours into consideration www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/behaviour/attendance/a0063911/amendment-to-the-education-pupil-registration-england-regulations-2006

does it really matter? If you judge that you can't get them there then you can't, just e-mail and let them know that they won't be in.

with a path this bad, you can't be the only one who will experience problems?

Presumably if it is inaccessible by car the staff won't be able to get in either.

I wouldn't not send them on the basis they would be stuck if they were ill. If you can beg favours I'm sure there's someone who would be glad to only do one way and you do the other.
Anyway the temperature round here is going up and is due to rain by morning so I'm assuming there will be no snow by school time.

The path is passable on a normal day- we walk every morning, although it is very steep, and for the purposes of calculating walking distance for secondary school, it is considered not to be an appropriate route. Having said that, I would probably have no worries about taking a 10 yr old, 8 yr old and 6 yr old on it in the snow. Everyday I have to help the 4 yr old on it as she does sometimes slip, and that is with the pushchair. I had to carry 2yr old on a short walk today, as he couldn't cope with sledge. I couldn't carry him there and back morning and evening.

I will see in the morning what the situation is, having said that they were on top of each other all afternoon, so maybe a bit of a break at school would do them good, if I can find a way to get them there and back!

Sorry DeWe cross posted, the 6yr old already has a bad cold. As does 2yr old, on a normal day I would send her in, on the assumption that if she gets worse I can get her. I won't be able to do either run, as the return trip is 1.5 miles, 'up hill and down dale', I just don't think I could carry ds that far on slippery paths and be safe. If it is a favour I beg it will have to be the return trip unless the snow goes, at the moment the forecast doesn't seem to go above 0.

Thanks too for the link Banter, I don't think either are poor attenders, the odd stomach bug and medical appointment, but nothing major, you just never know if they are going to be ill, and I like to keep their attendance up.

Hopefully by next year the older two will be able to walk without assistance on the steep bits and the youngest will be able to walk some of it.