The senior school two of my kids went too was 12 miles from home, no foot or cycle paths, before that the schools were closer and they always walked, despite us always being a two car family.
Schools Out...
- Thread starter cosmicbike
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The senior school two of my kids went too was 12 miles from home, no foot or cycle paths, before that the schools were closer and they always walked, despite us always being a two car family.
Julia9054
Guru
- Location
- Knaresborough
You obviously don't live in a rural area. Outlying villages are allocated to town secondary schools. You can live 10 miles away and still be in catchment.
Also, as I have already explained, staff may live further away than that. If they can't get in you have insufficient supervision ratios.
byegad
Legendary Member
- Location
- NE England
A secondary school I know of had a 'no closures ever' head. Then one afternoon the buses got stuck and 200 pupils de-bussed and started walking up the hill they were all stuck on, amid cars coming down sideways and others sliding and spinning as they tried to climb the bank. The drivers didn't even attempt to stop the kids leaving the buses and the next time it snowed, the school closed. Apparently the head had got a severe dressing down from County Hall over his insistence of opening when several hundred pupils relied on the school buses being able to climb a severe country hill in order to get home.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
A small percentage of the pupils though. No reason cannot open for the rest living in town.
I remember snowy days at school when I was a kid. We had a number of unfamiliar teachers.
That was because the normal practice at that time was on days when transport was not practical, teachers were told to report to the closest school and work there.
A friend, who is a teacher, explained to me in great detail why this is not practical now. But I think he was talking nonsense.
Julia9054
Guru
- Location
- Knaresborough
Julia9054
Guru
- Location
- Knaresborough
Well I'm sure your friend, who actually works in the education sector, couldn't possibly know about current rules and practices compared to you.
What is to stop any old randomer turning up at the local school claiming to be a teacher?
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
The ID badges you have to wear and show in school.
“Hello, Thistown High School”
“Hi, it’s Dave Jones from maths department, I won’t make it in today because of the snow, I’ll go to my nearest school, Thattown Academy, and help out there”
“Ok, thanks for letting us know”
Turns up at Thattown Academy
“Hi, I’m Dave Jones, maths teacher at Thistown High. I can’t get there today, so am here instead”
“Yes, we know, Thistown were just on the phone, saying you were coming. Now, can I just check your ID badge...”
“Hi, it’s Dave Jones from maths department, I won’t make it in today because of the snow, I’ll go to my nearest school, Thattown Academy, and help out there”
“Ok, thanks for letting us know”
Turns up at Thattown Academy
“Hi, I’m Dave Jones, maths teacher at Thistown High. I can’t get there today, so am here instead”
“Yes, we know, Thistown were just on the phone, saying you were coming. Now, can I just check your ID badge...”
What would be the point of that? Anyway around these parts I would say more kids are coached in than walk in at some schools.
A system can be put in place but the total mix of employers we have now makes it harder or should I say lack of common sense and empire building. It's not difficult some other public services have a way. If Mrs 73 can't get to work than all she needs to do is call in and say she will cover nearer home as it's the same NHS trust. Since many like me are now sadly employed by an Academy chain I can be asked to work at any school in the chain. My employment is with the Academy not the school in the end it come's down to not seeing a school as an essential service. The other thing that's a bit odd is when a school is closed for bad weather but they say open to staff and expect you to turn in. If I had to and I have been know to I walk the 6 miles to my school. In my other job I'd not get very fair if I did not turn up to support a YP facing bail, remand or fail to turn up at court for a hearing due to the weather.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
That's very unlikely. What are the numbers for the schools, and which schools?
Just Google schools in Horncastle. I would imagine from this smallish village 6 or 11 miles from a secondary or grammar school that about close on 80 kids will get on a coach each morning.
