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Advice RE school/weather

15 replies

CardyMow · 09/01/2010 02:00

Have just read on red button that my county's education bosses are 'urging the schools not to shut because of the bad weather'. As of tonight, there has been no gritting on my bus route, which means there are no buses. The weather report is saying that we are due around 8 inches of snow this weekend. My question is, as DS2 is physically unable to walk the distance to his school, and I have to use the bus to get him there, and 8 inches of snow is far too much to try and push his mac major through for a 45min-1hr walk (possibly more in snow that deep), AND I'm not meant to put that much strain on myself because of my epilepsy (too much physical exertion can bring on my seizures), where would I stand in relation to the EWO if I chose not to take him due to the physical impossibility of getting him there? It would also mean me keeping DS1 off as well, unless I can persuade his dad to pick him up tomorrow as he lives a 5 min walk away from the school. (DS1 & DS2 have got different dads, DS2's dad lives at the other end of town, so can't help). WWYD? OR more precisely, what should I do?? I'm half considering contacting the LEA and speaking to the EWO myself if the school is open on monday. There is also the added thing of DD having to walk in 8 inch to foot high snow (we already have 4 ins sitting) to get to school, when she has a heart condition that makes her a lot more susceptible to hypothermia (she's already had it 3 times before). On Wednesday when we first had the snow and her secondary school was open for the morning, the school said not to worry as it was safer for her health, and they were shutting at lunchtime anyway. It would not be safe for her to sit in cold wet clothes IF she can even walk through it with her hypermobility Syndrome, she's barely managing through 4 ins, she has to be held/helped. Should I contact EWO on monday? What should I say to the schools if they are open?

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Phoenix4725 · 09/01/2010 05:57

loudlass pretty much same here noway will ds wheelchair go through the snow and since i live just over mile away uphill he is simply not going have had it before last year they will mark as absent but just ask or do a note to be added to file the reason.

theres 3of us at least at ds school wont be going out though feeling ours wont be open due to snow and fact our towns cut of and we have no power still

CardyMow · 09/01/2010 11:57

NO POWER??!! OMG! How are you managing? How long has it been off for? Surely they have to get a generator to you, they had to when a whole estate was out up here. It wasn't as much of a problem last year as the buses only stopped for one day...So you can ask them to put a reason down then? What do I do about DS1, his dad has said he can't get to mine to get him? What will the EWO say about him when he hasn't got any medical reason why he personally can't get there, but I can't exactly send a 7yo on a mile and a half walk on his own...I'm just concerned because they were off quite a lot before christmas, DS2 because he had 2 chest infections in 5 weeks, and spent 3 weeks at home, DS1 because he was attacked in the playground and got a severe concussion that meant he had to be at home for 2 weeks. I've never had the kids at home so much, ever. When DS2 was off, I was getting his teacher to send work home for him, but DS1's teacher was criminally too disorganised to sort any out for him. Wondering if I could/should ask the school to email me some work for them?

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Goblinchild · 09/01/2010 12:03

Loudlass, contact the school and the EWO asap. Tell them all the reasons why they're not attending that you posted here.
Put it in bullet points so they get the message good and clear.

Phoenix4725 · 09/01/2010 12:19

we got power back at 10am was of for just over 24 hrs we camped in the one room but brrrrr as heating went to ,all nicely defrosted now but have put everything back on charge ready as its been snowing again and in some areas we have a good 18 inches

Is there anyone nearby who could walk him with their children for ds1 or ask the school see if they can help try doing in email or writing so you have evidence least that way you can say to ewo you did everything you could.

yep you can ask for note to be added or best way is write letter and ask thats added to file and keep copies of it as they have tendancy to lose things

CardyMow · 09/01/2010 15:43

I don't have the primary's email addy, and I moved here mid year 5 yrs ago, all people with littlies up here either go to one of the three closer primaries or have teenagers now. And OMG just opened curtains and looked outside...NOT 4 inches, almost 10 now!! Am glad your power's back on now. I think I will phone the school on monday and also the EWO. I also have my DD stuck at a FRIEND'S house (OMG! she has actually found a friend, she had a sleepover yesterday!!) and is now stuck there!! Friend's dad has a 4x4 so is going to try to get her back when he gets in from work later, house is very quiet!!

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CardyMow · 09/01/2010 15:44

And STILL f'ing snowing. Enough now....purleeeze??!!

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Phoenix4725 · 09/01/2010 17:57

enjoy the peace sure wont last .

yep is here and lights flickering again so am waiting see if it goes

Goblinchild · 09/01/2010 18:42

Loudlass, if your school has a website the email address will be on it. Just type in the name of the school and town into google.
Enjoy the quiet, we've had another 3" with more on the way.

CardyMow · 09/01/2010 21:32

She's had to stay over there another night, friends dad had a (thankfully) small prang on the way home from work, so rather than drive in the dark, they're going to try again in the morning. This is the longest I've EVER spent without DD. In almost 12 years. It's really odd not having her here. . Will try the website, cheers goblin. Hope your lights stay on Phoenix.

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PeachyWillNeverVoteBNP · 09/01/2010 21:39

DS3 won't go in if we get rpedicted snow,can walk but its a long drive to his SNU (10- 15 km) and a nightmare ofsteep hillsand drops if he needs collecting fro the weather,as he did Tuesday.

EWO not an issue for us but really, when schoolsa reborderline surely reasonable services would allow for complicated cases?

daisy5678 · 09/01/2010 21:46

EWOs won't give a shit in this weather unless they are a) stupid or b) vindictive and have an axe to grind with you anyway. TBH, even if either of the above apply, it would be hard to 'use' absence in times like this for any kind of solid purpose!

Hope dd is better.

ouryve · 09/01/2010 22:14

I couldn't push our Major thorugh 2 inches of slush, never mind 8 inches of snow and I hurt myself trying to do so. Even the bigass 3 wheeler I keep in the garage for bad weather can't deal with more than a couple of inches. DS2 can't do the walk to school and back without needing carrying in the dry, never mind in the snow.

I took DS1 home with DS2 on Thursday lunchtime because I was in so much pain from Tuesday's exertions - I do 1km each way, 3 times a day, normally, with 1 boy on half days and the other all day. Given the catastrophically terrible day DS1 had had on Tuesday when the school was open, no-one gave me an argument, since the head didn;t even manage to get in that day.

I'd make sure the school knew my intentions and understood why. If I htought it was going to be more than a couple of days, I'd speak to the LEA.

CardyMow · 10/01/2010 01:00

Yeah it's just the worry is, with all the time the boys had off before christmas due to illness, I personally am getting worried about their attendance, so if I'm worried, then surely the school and EWO will be? DS2 was off from 17th November for 2 weeks with his chest infection/asthma, DS1 was off for 2 weeks from 19th November due to the concussion he got in the playground (on hospital/head injuries nurse's telephone advice), then DS2 was off again for the last week of term due to his chest infection recurring. Then DS1 didn't attend on monday when the school opened for the first day (DS2 did) because he has an ear infection that's burst his ear drum. God I'm sick and tired of us all being sick and tired . It's just I know that given my LEA's advice to the schools, it's going to look quite bad on me...

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chopstheduck · 10/01/2010 08:24

Our school were fine about us keeping ds1 off, but probably would have been less supportive if I hadn't got the others in. I jsut told them he can't do it and that was that.

I'd try to get ds1 in via his dad, and hopefully they will understand.

CardyMow · 10/01/2010 11:17

Have spoken to his dad, he can't get here, he lives down the same road as my DD's friend....the one who's stuck and can't get my DD back to me, so he can't get up here to get him. Not that it matters for DS1 anyway, as I've had to stop his antibiotics for his ear infection as we've discovered he's allergic to amoxycillin, and he's in pain with his ear, so he can't go in now anyway. So the one who CAN walk is too ill for school anyway, and the one who can't would be fine for school, but I wont be able to get him there. . Isn't this white hell just wonderful!!

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