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?

Tonsilss international parents will know about possible problems with flights unless they're totally ignoring the news - I live in an EU country and my colleagues (in an industry unaffected by Brexit and with no special ties to the UK) are fascinated by Brexit and watching it in bemused amazement like some kind of grand scale reality show.

Aren't we all blueskies!

Brexit doesn't officially happen until 11pm GMT on Friday 29th March - private schools break up for the Easter holidays at lunch time on the 29th - 10 hours earlier.

A House of Lords Committee reported last year, that those who can afford it will still be able to buy high-quality local produce - I would put boarding schools in that category as most of them will have access to several hundred thousand pounds in the bank - some of which can be spent on higher priced, locally produced food. Even if a few pupils are stranded at the school for a few days, the staff can take them to the nearest restaurant for lunch if necessary - local restaurants will have stockpiled food and drink.

What medications are you expecting the school to stockpile other than paracetamol?

Our school breaks up earlier than that.
I don't think that boarding parents in places like Hong Kong, Russia and the Gulf will have much of a clue about Brexit.
I talked to a businesswoman from the Gulf about Brexit recently. She had never heard of it.
The majority of UK citizens don't have a clue about what's happening with Brexit, so do we really think that people in other continents will understand the implications?

Our school breaks up earlier than that

Earlier than lunch time or earlier than the 29th March?? In which case why are you worried about your dd getting home? Or did you mean to write later than that?

Previously you posted;

Tonsilss Fri 08-Feb-19 18:24:11
^I'm worried about whether she'll be able to get home, 1 week after Brexit day

Why would your dd's boarding school break up for Easter 1 week after all the others?

If you are going to fabricate a Brexit story at least be consistent!

I talked to a businesswoman from the Gulf about Brexit recently. She had never heard of it

Took me 30 seconds to find this;

gulfnews.com/world/europe/brexit
Masses of Brexit news.

GN Media is the publisher of Gulf News, the biggest selling English newspaper in the UAE. It is also home to the most visited news website in the UAE, gulfNews.com

Why would I fabricate this story? Easter hols are after Brexit for us. Again, this post is a request for info, that's all. Are your schools making contingency plans?
I guess not everyone in the Gulf reads UK news stories. The vast majority in the UK still haven't bothered to read up on Brexit. Their lives will be massively adversely affected, and they still ignore it.

Not a UAE citizen either. But it's true that Brexit is not a secret. The implications are a different matter.

Tonsilss

Are your schools making contingency plans?

Not that I'm aware of - private day schools. I haven't made any Brexit plans either. I can afford to stock up two weeks before if absolutely necessary, or spend an extra £500 pm on food etc. instead of a holiday.

A lot of people are likely to experience, very soon now, that the UK needs the EU a hell of a lot more than the EU needs the UK. And it's not their job to save us from our own politicians

But it is their job to watch out for own citizens - 3 million of them living here, plus all the British who have dual citizenship. I do think there will be a shortage of some things (and so am eg stockpiling tinned fruit and multivitamins) but the idea that the EU will let us die of contaminated water is a joke.

I was a remainer. I'm quite happy to go now. A lot of this is scaremongering, deliberate or otherwise. I think the EU have been disengenous and slippery throughout and that we really will be fine, if not immediately better off.

Give me strength....

How can he adequately plan for this when the uk gov't have been unable to do so?? I think you're being a touch unreasonable here...

I went to a boarding school. There was an emergency at a nearby (an Hour's drive) boarding school (massive forest fire) that started overnight and took the other school by surprise. Guess what happened! They came and stayed with us for a week!! They camped in our gym, slept on dorm room floors, etc. The fire then approached our school, and so it closed two weeks early for Christmas so firefighters could use it as a base.

Emergencies happen. People can't always plan for them. That's what the whole business of risk assessment is about. You honestly cannot plan for unexpected or unrealistic risks!!! But you can respond to an unfolding situation. And that's what schools do to factor's beyond a school's control. That is what reasonable and rational people do too...

Yes but physickate the whole point of the OP's point is that everyone knows Brexit is coming, your school fire example is the complete opposite, it came out of the blue - plus it only happened to the one school which could then lean on the others. ALL schools will be in the same boat with Brexshit - apart from the ones who have made contingency plans!

Actually the fire then affected my shcool too (if you read my post) and several dozen others. The fire spread so that the burn areas were visible from space.

The reason it's a relevant comparison is because you can't prepare for the unknown!! Brexshit May have a very very large impact, or relatively little impact on people's day to day lives. Because so much is unknown there so nothing you can do to 'adequately' prepare for it because you don't know if you're planning for a shortage of avocados and strawberries, or a full-on zombie apocalypse. Too many possible outcomes to plan for!!! The govt have whole departments (mis)handling this; what is reasonable for one school who has no real inside knowledge to do???

You deal with the situation as it unfolds.

Whilst everyone might know Brexit is coming. No one knows what it is going to be like and there has been so much scare mongering

I can’t help wonder if all these scare mongering things don’t happen that people will suddenly think everything is going to be great and everything will bounce back.

Instead of the certain things that aren’t going to be good and we can try and do something about are getting lost in the panic forecasts

It has just occurred to me that the op's dd must be attending a state boarding school - that would explain why the school breaks up for the holidays a week later than the private boarding schools. State boarding schools have forces dc - I can picture food parcels and SAS personnel dropping from the sky as I type.

Duckshead
This advice was published by the Association of Colleges (FE colleges/sixth form centres):

It is less than 2 months from Friday 29 March 2019 which is the date when the UK is due to leave the European Union (EU), but there is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen at that point

No deal contingency planning

Colleges could spend - and possibly waste - a lot of time preparing for a variety of scenarios

Supplies and services

Colleges have a web of contracts with other organisations to supply everything they need. The range of courses on offer in a typical college makes a wide range of supplies and it is hard to generalise about where the weak points are. Each winter many colleges close for a day or two because of snow disruption. Colleges stayed open in September 2000 when petrol started to run dry but land-based colleges had to shut up shop in April 2001 when foot and mouth closed down large parts of the countryside. More recently, colleges have been affected by riots or terrorist incidents. A no-deal Brexit is different to this because change - and disruption - could last for weeks, months or even longer. There are a range of scenarios for what might happen so it is pretty much impossible to do any serious planning An obvious first step is to ensure that the college has information on its suppliers and key contracts up to date and available

Schools managed during the war; they'll manage a disorderly Brexit. Most schools use contract caterers who will probably have made some plans, otherwise there will just be a rather unvarying menu for a bit. If there are travel difficulties, schools may stay open during the holidays, although most require overseas pupils to have a UK guardian with whom they can stay in just this sort of circumstance

I get the point about uncertainty. But this close to Bexit day it would be good to be able to see plans in place to cover a worst case scenario. Even if they put off implementing them. And perhaps a warning to overseas parents?

But I'm sure there ARE contingencies. They may not be specific to brexit! There will be contingencies if students can't fly (local parents, guardians or school staff). Food issues? There will be other suppliers... etc... they probably don't have a contingency specific to your hold, your specific travel issues...

And I'm sorry, but parents don't send their kids to a foreign country without knowing the situation (at least what they glean from the news).

I recently worked at a boarding school where about half a dozen parents pulled their children after the referendum because of uncertainty with going to British university etc.

It's sort of the parents' job!!!! You worry about you. Let them worry about them.

Beer and Crisps. 100% British ingredients, no border issues. And maybe some Iron-Bru for the children.
Suggest OP buys an electric car TODAY.

It has just occurred to me that the op's dd must be attending a state boarding school - that would explain why the school breaks up for the holidays a week later than the private boarding schools.

Sorry only half s message there!
Not sure
a) why that’s relevant
b) if its true
c) @Clavinova - my DDs private boarding school also breaks up the week after Brexit

Are you off your heads?!

The EU has been extraordinarily patient with the unicorn-chasing UK in the past two and a half years. Humanitarian aid to a country that voted for suicide and then went ahead might be beyond its tolerance...

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).

FFS!!!!