Daughter new high school but we haven't moved house yet! Taxi?

[foel]

Plan to get moved by Sep not working out just yet.

Daughter goes to high school in Sep so ideal time to move. Good news is even without an address shes been accepted.

Bad news, as I say is, we're unlikely to be moved by then, and its 30 mins drive away.

Its going to be a nightmare for one of us to drop her off and collect her.

Uber every day would be a bit expensive!

I know at the moment, because we're out of catchment for her current junior school we pay £150 a year to the council for a taxi but we live in the same county as the school. This new school is a different county.

Wondered if anyone had ever done anything similar and got a "deal" from a taxi company?

Public transport?

30 min drive in Yr7 not unusual.
Answer is public transport

Just checked, 2 trains, walk, one bus, 2 hrs public transport.

We're in wales but not a particulary rural area - this is how bad it is in wales for public transport.

A über wont take a child alone under nay circumstances (it is their policy) and neither will many taxi firms. They need to be DBS checked and some insist on an escort.

Drive them to a point where they can catch a school bus

As it'll just be short term, hopefully until you move, is there any way you could drive her/pick her up part way. So drop off/pick up somewhere that's just a single bus or train to finish the journey. Would be easier and less time for her than all the way on public transport. But you'd be dropping off earlier and picking up later than if you drove her the whole way.

Presumably you are expecting to move fairly soon after she starts, so I would just opt for the most convenient option and not worry about the expense for the short term.

hmm. good point didn't think of that....

Well as short as possible but who knows with house moves....

@foel If you are rural, I’m assuming there’s not so much traffic. 30 mins is ok really and obviously all of this was your decision. If it’s just a term or less, just suck it up. Could be worse - could be an hour!

ha ha not exactly rural its just the public transport is crap

You can speak to a local taxi firm, but many won’t take a lone child.

my dd gets a funded taxi to her school, but the same taxi company won’t take solo children outwith their school contract (we tried to book them for an activity).

I drive half an hour to drop kids off at primary school then another 15 minutes to work, it’s not that bad. I drop off and either DM or ex DP picks up.

Can you drive to a bus or train stop ?
Alternatively speak to admissions and find out if anyone lives near you that she could travel with?
When I was little there was a time when my mother paid a 'nice lady' to pick us up once or twice a week. Do you know anyone trustworthy who might be prepared to do something similar short term?

Might it be worth considering trying to get her into a local school and moving schools when you actually move? As you say, house moves can drag on and you don't know how long it will take. Journey doesn't sound practical right now.

Any school bus service available?
Enquire with the PTA for the school - WhatsApp channel for incoming Yr7 students to see if anyone is willing to lift share?
Suck it up on the basis it's short term hopefully.

30 minutes drive is not at all unusual at that age. Where is her new school in relation to your workplaces?

You can probably drop her off a lot earlier than school starts, and collect later - she can go to the library or clubs etc. Could you manage like that for a while?

Yes a few options.... Public transport being none of them :-(

We both work from home (I do 100%) but dear wife is out visiting patients. Could be worse like having to be in office strictly 9-5 but its still hassle.

She's 11 - you both wfh

Ffs take your child to school by car until you move.

You've made the decisions now it's up to you to get her there

Don't worry @foel ,our family have done the exact same thing. Our son has been at his new school for two weeks now but we still haven't moved! - originally thought we would be moving at the end of August after accepting offer in March. Our buyers have been a nightmare and all of a sudden don't seem to be in any rush to move. We of course feel really stupid for having moved him before completion and my husband is having to take half days to drop him off and pick up and I don't drive. I'm now looking at taking two buses there and back but hey ho. Fingers crossed it'll only be a couple more weeks. Praying our buyers aren't going to pull out as it'll mean going back to his old school, which we didn't like, with our tail between our legs. This is our third attempt at moving! Just don't feel bad about what you did. Hindsight is a wonderful thing as they say. Hope things work out for you.

OMG thats awful - dont tell me!

Fortunately, we both drive. And both of us don't have an office we have to go to.

At a push, I can drop her off 830 and be home to log in to work at 9am

If it would mean that the traffic is less and there is no facility to go in to e.g. the library at school before registration, is there a local cafe that one of her local friends (has she made any yet?) would be willing to meet her at half an hour earlier for a cuppa and walk to school together?

I did a 40 minute commute to school for a year when we moved areas.

It was pretty awful but doable. The DCs used to have breakfast in the car and post school snacks on the way home.