Childcare at 7.45am

Poppie68

I have'nt read all the replies but i have read the few that do say the OP is a teacher and has to be in school a certain amount of time before class starts to set up for the day as this can't be done the day before...
I would'nt do what the OP is suggesting but i do have my reasons for that, but in the end the choice is that of the parents.

Mojisola

bylromarha wrote: »

I am - and my school is a 40 minute drive from my kids school. Doors open at 8.40 for my class. Trying to set up a classroom for the day in 0 minutes is never going to happen. TAs are employed from 9am, so they can't do anything or be asked to be setting up. I can't arrive in my classroom when the kids do.

Already struggling with the thought I'm giving myself only 15 minutes pre class arrival to get ready for the day if I drop kids off at 7.45am.

onlyroz wrote: »

I haven't read all replies but...

As a parent you have the right to request a flexible working arrangement from your employer and they have to give a sound business reason for refusing. How about you put in a formal request to arrive at work 15 minutes later and either take a shorter lunch break or leave work 15 minutes later to make up the time.

How about - No chance, you're a teacher and you have to be there to take registration?

duchy

onlyroz wrote: »

I haven't read all replies but...

As a parent you have the right to request a flexible working arrangement from your employer and they have to give a sound business reason for refusing. How about you put in a formal request to arrive at work 15 minutes later and either take a shorter lunch break or leave work 15 minutes later to make up the time.

You probably missed where the OP said she is a teacher so flexible start isn't an option. So teacher starting after the kids rrive for school is going to be a sound business reason to say no.

I'm a bit confused as to why if the kids changed school last month why it was to a school that doesn't seem to be near either work or home ?

In all honesty I don't think it matters if the OP thinks dropping the kids off to walk the rest of the way is acceptable or not as it is pretty clear from this thread that to a lot of people it wouldn't be and that is likely to cause issues with the school as it would only take one person to report it to SS to cause issues to her as a teacher. (I realize the OP said her old head said it wasn't a problem in her opinion but she isn't the head of either the OP or her children's school )

I do think one way or another the OP needs to find another option.

twigpig

Ironic that the child minder won't make an exception for 15 mins and that seems a little unreasonable but your boss is also saying the same to you..... which is accepted as reasonable as you have a job to do, tee hee

Is there friends of your kids maybe from their classes who also use the breakfast club - could their parents maybe walk, take them in or maybe share the responsibility over the week if you don't work every week day, or you could pick all the kids up as returning the favour....

onlyroz

Mojisola wrote: »

How about - No chance, you're a teacher and you have to be there to take registration?

At 7:45 in the morning?

GobbledyGook

onlyroz wrote: »

At 7:45 in the morning?

That's when she has to leave to get to work in time for registration.

LondonDiva

OP if you're happy with the route, I can see no reason why the kids can't manage the 10 mins walk to school.

We moved halfway though my school year and at 8/9 to get to primary school I would:

• walk 10 or so mins to the tube (across busy roads:eek:!)
• get on a tube, changing after one stop to another line before getting off after three stops
• get out of the tube (making sure to use the correct exit :eek:!)
• walk 2 mins to the bus stop (there were 3 bus stops next to each other :eek:!)
• get on the right bus out of a choice of 4
• get off at the correct stop after about 10 -15 mins
• cross the road to school

Given the above a 10 min walk in a fairly straight line should not be an issue for a couple of robust children who are likely to be making more complex choices when playing computer games (I had to make do with playing Spannerman on my brother's Amstrad:()

OP I hope the above gives you some reassurance - it can be done and doing so does not make you a bad mother!

rach_k

I don't think I would have a problem with my kids walking to school on their own at that age, although we do live only 5 minutes away. I'd be okay with 10 minutes too I think, especially if there were no roads to cross and the area is decent. However, at 8am it might still be dark in winter - would the kids be okay with that? The responsibility might weigh heavily on your oldest's shoulders, if she is the type to worry about things.

Could you ask the breastfast club staff if they know of any parents who use the club who might be able and willing to help? Is there a notice board at the entrance to where you drop the kids in the morning, or would you be allowed to put up a poster? If you can get in touch with other parents using the club, you could also find out if other parents would use the club if it opened at 7.45am and ask the school to consider changing the opening time. Our school opens at 7.45am - I assume because lots of parents will have an hour commute into London and will want a few minutes' grace!

You could look into the taxi option but I would be wary of that. You could ring your local authority and ask if they can share the names of any transport companies they use for children. I know many local authorities here have contracts with local taxi firms who do school runs for children with special needs. Those trips are usually longer (hence the council-provided transport) but you might find the companies have drivers who have been approved by the council but don't have a regular school run to do. They might be able to take the kids when you need them at normal taxi rates but you have the extra peace of mind that the driver is council-approved to transport unaccompanied children. They'll probably have access to things like booster seats too.

quidsy

Have you asked around at the school via the teachers? my sons school has quite a lot of teachers & TA's making a bit of extra cash on the side by looking after kids & taking them into school for the paretns.

I would in no way leave 2 kids that young alone for 10-15mins every morning, regardless of how "sensible" they may be.

Otherwise advertise or ask around for a teenage sitter, someone happy to make 5quid a day by sitting with the kids & walking them to the gates.

FBaby

I've read the 5 pages, but don't think I've seen anything about whether the breakfast club would allow the children to arrive alone. I mention it because my kids have gone to three different ones, and each required the parent to drop them off. They wouldn't even agree for the child to walk alone from the car park, they had to see the parent, which I failed to understand, but the rules were the rules. Especially odd as their last club had no issue with the afterschool club (they were happy with my son walking from his football class after school to the club until I could pick him up). But mornings? No, parents HAVE to drop off.

If that was the case for your kids' school too, clearly that won't be an option. Otherwise, it all comes down to how confident your children are about it. Does the oldest have a mobile and can she be responsible for it? Is the youngest reasonable in her own accord, or would you expect the oldest to discipline her? Ie, would the youngest one decide that she wants to walk on the other side, the eldest says no, youngest crosses the road regardless etc...