Staggered drop offs and siblings

[Werk]

If your DC's primary school is implementing staggered drop off times when school returns do they have a policy for siblings?
Mine will be going into nursery and Yr1.
There will be 45 mins between each drop off and collection, in normal times there were 5 mins between each (in the same playground, so you would just wait) but I will have to queue up, drop/ collect One DC and then find somewhere else to wait with for 45 mins before going back to collect/ drop the other. They have categorically said that they cannot make other arrangements for siblings. They have also reduced the school day by half an hour.
Assume usual lazy/ unhelpful DH rules apply (he said he will try to help me on the days he WFH 🙄).
We live a 20 min walk from school (3yr old speed). I do drive but try not to for health/ environment etc.
I work a 15/20 min walk from the school. I used to work 9-3pm 3 days a week but I am going to have to do 9.45-2.30 and make up my hours in the evening/ other days when I have my youngest still - I am fortunate that I can work flexi time as this news was dropped on us this morning and they go back next Thursday.
I am going to have to drive, aren't I?
Wraparound care is for key workers only, I am a key worker but DH isn't so apparently we are on a wait list as those with two key worker parents take priority (fair enough).
Just when I thought that things might get a little easier for me....

Any other suggestions about how to work this? There are shops and a cafe nearby but I can't be buying coffee and cake twice a day 🍰

Yup this is us. Loads of hanging around in the rain (we are in scotland). It’s grim. We have a gap of 45 minutes at drop off and a similar wait at pick up. The kids all play in the park together outwith their bubbles

We are staggered.. But on surnames.. So families are together...

Oh and I don't really need wraparound care from 8am until 6pm (which is the next collection time) but it seems to be all or nothing.

@happytoday73 that makes so much more sense.

We have staggered pick up/drop off times but have been told that for siblings you can drop them all off at the earliest ones time slot and collect at the latest. They’ll stay with the teacher in the classroom and look at a book. Although that’s for the infant school (we’re separate rather than primary) and I’m not sure how they’re managing it if you have a child on the junior side too.

I have two faffy weeks when my daughter goes into reception for half days and my Eldest son starts Year 2 properly. That involves a 40 minute wait which is too short to warrant walking there and back and just that bit too long to wander around.

Thankfully after this fortnight they both are in at 8.40 then leave at 2.40 pm
The School Policy is all siblings start time goes with whoever is earliest which in this case it’s my son .
I don’t think they’ve thought it through though since each class will have a maximum of three different start and finish and break and lunch times. Far too much coming and going for the teacher and the class. They will spend at least an hour and a half of every day welcoming or saying bye to some pupils. Settling other after lunch and pay possibly.

What a headache

Staggered here but drop off all kids together at earliest drop off and collect at latest collection. School is on a little road on an estate, it's crowded at the best of times and most walk as it's a smallish catchment so they know everyone would just stand around and wait. I think there's 30 minutes max between earliest and latest as two groups have the same time (two sides of a gate, two ways around school).

I'd drive, the local cafe is gonna likely be ranked from the none drivers

Here they have split into none-siblings who go in and out earlier, and then siblings go in together, and get collected later after the no-siblings. It should ease parking and reduce the hanging around. Seems quite a good set up compared to most.

Siblings from all year groups have their own dedicated drop off time in our staggered times, in the middle I think. It's all very well organised for us thankfully

I assume it's your nursery child who is the latest drop? If it were the Yr1, I'd be tempted to tell the school I was dropping them both off at the earliest time and they could make it work. It's insanity for them not to have a sibling policy and I would complain long and loud, I think.

Ours says they understand drop-offs for siblings will be together - please inform school if it will be the earlier time or the later time, and they will note it and react accordingly. Don't chop and change once you've decided. They would prefer the later time if possible, if it is the earlier time the children will need to wait (without a parent) in a designated spot, socially distanced, until collected by their class teacher. So they're discouraging you from dropping them too early, basically, but not saying an outright no. It's a single intake school, perhaps this makes a difference.

Our school has been sensible and has organised three times for drop off and three times for pick up. Siblings are in the same group because they recognised this would be an issue for parents.

I'm really baffled by schools who haven't done this to be honest. If siblings aren't collected together then logically there will be a lot more parents at school than there needs to be?

Our primary now has a specific drop off time for siblings, before this was clarified I simply emailed the headteacher and told him I would be dropping them both off at the same time, I think many other parents did the same, a 'family drop off time' suddenly appeared on the schedule.

Whats the street parking like? If you don't want to drive every day, you could drive once then leave your car there and use it as a dry place to sit and wait/eat biscuits/practice reading in. Of course that is a PITA if you need it in the evenings...

No! Nursery is first at 8.45, yr1 at 9.30
Collect nursery at 14.45, yr1 3.30

I think I could probably get away with asking to drop off at nursery at 9.30, what do you think? Doesn't help with work though.

@happytoday73

We are staggered.. But on surnames.. So families are together...

That's the same at our school. It seems to be most sensible option.

Yes, could drop Nursery with Yr 1. Collecting is more difficult though, I would feel awful playing hardball and leaving smallest to wait.

Practically speaking, do any of these work?

1. Complaining loud and long with anyone else in the same situation - there will be loads. Collective power will help.

2. Informing DH he needs to commit to WFH on your working days and doing Yr1 drop-off in the morning and Nursery collection in the afternoon.

3. Asking a Yr 1 parent to collect your DC on their way to school - does anyone go past your house/is in similar situation with waiting around but not need to get to work? Offer to reciprocate on your days not at work.

4. Telling school you'll be dropping Yr1 with Nursery at 8.45.

I think Def call school and all. Possibly with a view to sending both at the earlier time as you have to get to work and so no one misses anything

Don't just let your DH off the hook, though. Make it his problem too - and then HE can get onto the school about it...

Luckily mine have all been put in the same collection times.

Our school's policy on siblings is that they should all be dropped off at the later time and collected at the earlier time, which seems sensible (though presumably lots of parents would prefer to drop them at the earlier time and collect at the later time).

I have a similar issue though, in that I have one at Nursery and one in P2, in schools about 5 mins drive apart (not including time taken to get them into and out of the car etc), but have to collect them both at 1.30. I think school and nursery are both happy to be flexible though, so I'm going to ask whether I can do Nursery pick up early (school pick up is supervised by teachers so is more awkward to change).

Staggered drop off/pick up by surname here.

Ours is staggered by distance, rather than year group, which means siblings can go the in same time.

Is there a year 1 FB group or what’sapp group?

Can you swap start times with someone?

All nursery are the same time and all yr1 are the same too.
The only other family I know in the same situation are key workers and so have 8-6 hours... so many people working in City banks seem to be key workers
I do know another yr1 family with just one child who live round the corner who could possibly take my elder one.
I am pretty self sufficient though so I will hate to ask.

DH is definitely going to have to step up, the short notice is very annoying.

So can you swap children? One does year 1 one dies nursery and mix with another family?