Boarding schools - planning for Brexit?

[Tonsilss]

My DD is at a UK boarding school. We are also in the UK, but hundreds of miles away.
We now have only 50 days to a likely no deal Brexit.
I've asked the Head what contingency plans are in place for the effects of a no deal. This is in the current context of expected serious food, medication and fuel shortages, the possibility of contaminated tap water, no facilities for disposing of waste, civil unrest and an increase in crime (eg looting / burglaries).
He has told me that the school has not made any plans in respect of Brexit. And that other schools haven't either (the school is in some kind of independent schools association). Apparently it is too early to be making any contingency plans. The school has not written to any parents (whether UK or international) in relation to Brexit. I imagine that some international parents will have little or no idea of what is going on in the UK.
Can I ask whether anyone else has a child at boarding school and is worried about what will happen, both in respect of the Easter holiday (shortly after Brexit), and in respect of the summer term? Have your schools made any preparations or even just plans to do so?

[Boardercontroller]

Hello hello...
I’m deffo not a brexit shit stirrer, but I think the op has a good question

[TheWomanin12B]

I would imagine a journey from an outlying island could take that long?

[Arkos]

I don't understand whether it matters if my child's school is preparing or not. That's the question you keep repeating for no reason. Surely it should only matter to you if your school is🤔

[Boardercontroller]

Well it’s good to compare I guess. Because you know, the reality is you’re paying a fuckload for boarding school so you want to know if your boarding school is running properly. Or if they’re taking your money and taking the piss....

[Dapplegrey]

What do you think the school should be doing, op?

[errorofjudgement]

I’m sure all boarding schools (& day schools) have all sorts of contingency plans that can modified and put into action if needed. I don’t need to know what those plans are unless they need to be actioned - at which point I’m confident they’ll share them.

[Seniorschoolmum]

I think that most schools have a secure place in their local communities. They know their local suppliers, Even if there are problems getting certain foods with a short shelf life, there’s plenty of local food, frozen food, dried food etc.
So I expect schools will maintain normal service while staying in contact with the ISA for guidance, if needed.

I’d expect them to look closely at any international travel plans for their pupils during April and be prepared for delays but that’s all.

[Windyone]

When do your Easter holidays start OP?

[RomanyQueen1]

My dd is a boarder and we haven't heard anything either. I wasn't expecting to tbh, if there are shortages and school closes, we'll collect her, keep her at home and H.ed
Stop listening and reading about speculation, which is all it is.
What are you so scared of, it's not good for your mh to be so anxious.

[Weetabixandshreddies]

Maybe if you had asked the school for their Brexit contingency plan they may have discussed it with you? But you kind of presented some sort of Bruce Willis disaster movie script - perhaps they thought you were a bit deranged?

[NotAnotherJaffaCake]

I am a governor at a bog standard state school, the kind where children go home every day and live a max of 20 mins away, and e have fairly serious contingency plans in place. Colleagues in Kent who may face serious traffic disruption have even more robust plans in place, and th DfE has advice and guidelines out. At the very least, you need to know that staff are eligible to remain and work in the Uk in the event of a no deal Brexit, and that our caterers can provide food - our obligation to provide infant free school meals remains, even if our caterers can’t get food.

Your head sounds completely incompetent, and shows a serious lack of judgement if they really are doing nothing. It’s not about whether or not it will happen/be fine/be a disaster - it’s like the Y2K bug, you plan based on the risk involved with a worst case scenario.

[Boardercontroller]

Exactly @notanotherjaffacake

[Boardercontroller]

The bloomin beast from the east felt like the apocalypse!
It’s not unreasonable to plan for disruption , especially where kids are concerned. And I have not bought so much as a tin of zombie beans.

[Tonsilss]

In fact, what I did was ask for a copy of their Brexit contingency plan. I was told there was none and no current plan to produce one.

[Mumsmet]

Erm....remember the Millenium? This all sounds very familiar.

I am fully expecting this conversation to appear on Mail Online tomorrow.

[Tonsilss]

As I've explained, I'm trying to find out what good practice on this looks like.

[SmallAndFarAway]

There is a poster on the Westministenders thread (check the Brexit topic) with a child in boarding school - as far as I remember their school has no plan either. Not good enough, in my view.

[NopeNi]

Programmers worked hard to avoid chaos with the millennium bug. Companies across the world checked and fixed things.

I now almost wish it HAD messed things up. Maybe people wouldn't be so fucking, monumentally stupid.

[BoardingSchoolMater]

Can I ask whether anyone else has a child at boarding school

I do

and is worried about what will happen, both in respect of the Easter holiday (shortly after Brexit),

No, I am not

and in respect of the summer term?

Not worried about this, either.

Have your schools made any preparations or even just plans to do so?

No idea!

DC is at school 250 miles away. I am an ardent Remainer hoping for a second referendum. The school has shown itself to be superb in every way. I have not thought about what their Brexit plans might be, but given that you have asked the question, I am quite sure that they will find a way to cope admirably, should the need arise.

[Mumsmet]

You wish there HAD been a Millenium bug? I cannot even be bothered to bite.

[MareofCasterbridge]

Dd attends boarding school, she is around 2-3 hours drive away. We're due to pick her up next Sat for half term, but there are parent/teacher consultations in the morning. I may ask her head of house regarding contingency planning for Brexit.

Tbh though, I haven't really thought about it in that regard. I would imagine for security reasons it wouldn't be widely disclosed. The school takes in loco parentis seriously so I have no real worries as such.
(Dd said most of the older pupils (and teachers) were celebrating when Leave won )

[AnotherNewt]

The journey to and from school for international students is the responsibility of the parents or their UK-resident appointed guardian (boarding schools all insist on there being one when the parents live abroad).

That is the person who wouid deal with flight dislocation, or pick up in event of unexpected school closure.

OP: if you are abroad,, and not happy with the person you currently have appointed, then you've still got over a month to find or hire a better one.

[HPFA]

Do you honestly think if the UK had a shortage of bare essentials that the EU wouldn’t put into place emergency ruling to ensure these items got through?

Whilst I suspect this is probably correct it's a little odd how "take back control" has morpled into "we will be relying on the EU to take pity on us and protect us from the consequences of our own stupidity."

[Boardercontroller]

Oh I didn’t realise that @anothernewt. Our Eu school only insists on a local responsible person for children from outside of the Eu.