Son doing 1 week of summer school and transport there

Spendless

My yr 6 son has been offerred a 1 week place at summer school at a 6th form college due to being on the G & T register in a particular subject. It's a fantastic opportunity for him and he really wants to go.

I had been told that a mini bus would pick him up from his Primary school and drop him off each day. I've now been told that's not the case, there is not transport, you have to get them there and back yourself. It starts at 9am and finishes at 3.30pm but it's in a different county from where we live and totally in the opposite direction of where I work 9-3 4 days a week.

Hubby works f-time. I don't really want to take this week off work as DS is already 'occupied'. I'd rather me and hubby took different weeks off for the kids (we also have an 8yo).


I have got some vague ideas of what we can do, but am open to suggestions just in case someone has an idea I haven't considered.

Fang_3

Grandparents? Friends? Aunts and Uncles? Other parents?

LittleMrsThrifty

Is there anyone else going from his school or the local area with whom you could share lifts?

Spendless

Fang wrote: »

Grandparents? Friends? Aunts and Uncles? Other parents?

These are in my vague ideas but
Grandparents 3 drive and have cars, 1 would not be keen on the motorway drive involved, all 4 have health issues, so we would need a contingency plan. Maternal grandparents will likely be having other set of grandchildren due to it being school hols.

Friends, mostly discounted, as they either don't drive, will have their own kids to look after and or work themselves.

Aunts and Uncles- 3 in total, 2 working f-time, other working and with own children to look after.

Other parents- there is 1 other child going in my son's year. I don't know them but am going to seek out and ask what they are doing and see if we can come up with an arrangement.

Just wanted to know if anyone else had any ideas. Thanks for your response.:)

mountainofdebt

depending on how far away the college is, what about booking a taxi for him to be picked up and dropped off at your house?

I know alot of taxi firms are quiet that time of year as there aren't any school runs to be done and may give you a discount for such a block booking.

Kimberley82

could you talk to your boss and go part time that week, work half a day and use the other half as holiday?

rachbc

any flexibilty at your work to start late/ finish early for a week? What will you other child be doing as this will surely have a bearing...

Is there public transport he could use?

Spendless

LittleMrsThrifty wrote: »

Is there anyone else going from his school or the local area with whom you could share lifts?

There is 1 child from his school. The HT was vague about how many others are also going, he thought it might be 2 from a Primary in nearby village and 2 from the Secondary school. I'm going to talk to the parent/s of the child at his school, though I don't currently know them. I can understand that other people might not feel comfortable if offer to car share (and do the run on my day off) when they don't know me or my driving standards.

mountainofdebt wrote: »

depending on how far away the college is, what about booking a taxi for him to be picked up and dropped off at your house?

I know alot of taxi firms are quiet that time of year as there aren't any school runs to be done and may give you a discount for such a block booking.

I did AA route planner earlier and it gave 35 mins. Not sure how much mileage that would be? I'll check in a min. Ok it's around 25 miles so 100 miles round trip. How much would that be per day. I'm guessing expensive??

Kimberley82 wrote: »

could you talk to your boss and go part time that week, work half a day and use the other half as holiday?

I am p-time 24 hours per week, but I'm an agency worker and I accrue hols as I go along and I'd worked out that I would be able to take 1 week off in the summer hols, which I wanted to spend with both kids, rather than take when 1 child is going to be elsewhere.

floss2

Why not contact the school where the summer school is to be or even the education authourity, and ask them what the travel arrangements are? The HT may have got the wrong end of the stick & you may find that there are some plans already.

Spendless

rachbc wrote: »

any flexibilty at your work to start late/ finish early for a week? What will you other child be doing as this will surely have a bearing...

Is there public transport he could use?

When I'd been told that a mini bus would pick up from school. What I thought I'd do was drop DD at the holiday playscheme on the school site for 1/2 day put son on mini-bus which I'd worked out would leave no later than 8.30 and then I'd set off for work. I intended asking my grandmother who lives nearby tog et my DD from holiday scheme at 1pm and keep her till 3.30 when I got home and I'd pick up son from school when he got dropped off.

There is only school holiday playscheme with 7.30am drop off. The others that she normally does with older brother are later 8-8.30 drop off.

Public transport went through my mind, but it would be at least 2 if not 3 buses,unsure if any trains serve area and he's only just 11, so he has not done the getting himself to anywhere yet, his Primary school is on our doorstep and he has never caught a bus or train alone.

juggling of hours went thru my mind cos I'm an agency worker, so I could ask, but that in turn gives me issues about the childcare of youngest. nan is too elderly to do more than the couple of hours I mentioned.

Spendless

floss2 wrote: »

Why not contact the school where the summer school is to be or even the education authourity, and ask them what the travel arrangements are? The HT may have got the wrong end of the stick & you may find that there are some plans already.

Now that I hadn't thought of. That's agood idea and if they confirm they are none, I'm still no worse off.