Upton Court school and leaving in Reading

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danny11
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 5:33 pm

Upton Court school and leaving in Reading

Post by danny11 »

Hi, I live in Reading and would like to know if any parent here got a DC in Upton Court school.
I know using M4 is not an easy journey but would like to know how other parents are doing.
Any advice welcome. Thanks
mad?
Posts: 5621
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Re: Upton Court school and leaving in Reading

Post by mad? »

If you are near the station it is a quick and easy train journey. I believe there may be some private arrangements from Earley but obviously these limit DCs' opportunity to participate fully in school and need to be thoroughly vetted in each case.
mad?
mumdd
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 7:10 pm

Re: Upton Court school and leaving in Reading

Post by mumdd »

Hi ,
I have the same concern as danny11. I too live in Reading but would like to know if there is any bus/car pull sysytem to Upton Court from Reading .If there are dcs already going to Upton Court,would anyone share their commute .Thanks.
anotherdad
Posts: 1763
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: Upton Court school and leaving in Reading

Post by anotherdad »

Someone wrote down a very helpful list of reasons why a car-share isn't a good idea. It included things like what happens in the event of a child's illness, what happens if the other parent smokes in the car or holds inappropriate conversations, how do after-school clubs and events get dealt with, how would you assess the legality and road-worthiness of the other parent's car, what happens if the two children fall out and so on. It's a minefield of potential problems. Many parents have organised selection tests and are choosing schools because they understandably want to give their most precious thing in the world the best possible opportunities in life. It seems a bit strange to then bundle them into a stranger's car for hours every other day or week to save a bit of time and money.

If there's a convenient rail option, I'd use it. If that isn't practical, you may wish to reconsider the practicality and cost of the journey involved and the risks involved with car-shares.
tiffinboys
Posts: 8022
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: Upton Court school and leaving in Reading

Post by tiffinboys »

mumdd wrote:Hi ,
I have the same concern as danny11. I too live in Reading but would like to know if there is any bus/car pull sysytem to Upton Court from Reading .If there are dcs already going to Upton Court,would anyone share their commute .Thanks.
On another thread in Surrey, you mentioned travelling from Guildford. Are you sure about your address?
scary mum
Posts: 8841
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Upton Court school and leaving in Reading

Post by scary mum »

Checklist when considering a car share:

• How much do you really know about this parent from a child safeguarding point of view? (Remember, anyone working with children, e.g. bus drivers for the school service, must have a current DBS form.)
• How much do you really know about their driving skills? Have you seen their insurance and car roadworthy details? (Remember that public transport and dedicated school services are required to have these, to a high level.)
• How would you cope if your child fell out with the other children in the car pool, or wanted to do different after school activities, or didn't want to stay after school when the other children were staying late?
• How would you cope if one of the other car pool parents had their car break down, or off the road for some other reason, at short notice?
• What if it's your turn to drive, and you or your child is sick?
• What if the other family turns out to be unreliable, or the driver/their child is regularly late, or ill?
• What if the other child moves to a different school?
• What if one child needs to stay after school for an activity or event?
• What if the driver smokes when driving?
• What if the driver's conversation turns out to be objectionable or age inappropriate?

This is the standard reminder about the risks of car sharing.
scary mum
danny11
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 5:33 pm

Re: Upton Court school and leaving in Reading

Post by danny11 »

Thanks for your contributions. The best option for me seems to be the train as I live close to the station.
tiffinboys wrote:
mumdd wrote:Hi ,
I have the same concern as danny11. I too live in Reading but would like to know if there is any bus/car pull sysytem to Upton Court from Reading .If there are dcs already going to Upton Court,would anyone share their commute .Thanks.
On another thread in Surrey, you mentioned travelling from Guildford. Are you sure about your address?
@ mumdd, where to you really live?
anotherdad
Posts: 1763
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: Upton Court school and leaving in Reading

Post by anotherdad »

tiffinboys wrote:[On another thread in Surrey, you mentioned travelling from Guildford. Are you sure about your address?
:lol:

I think you've stumbled across a new 11+ phenomenon: the "Schrodinger Parent".

You do not know exactly where the parent lives until their child qualifies in a test. Since you can only know the result of a test, it leaves open the interpretation that in between tests, the parent can be in more than one place at a time.
BlueBerry
Posts: 1014
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:05 pm

Re: Upton Court school and leaving in Reading

Post by BlueBerry »

anotherdad wrote:
tiffinboys wrote:[On another thread in Surrey, you mentioned travelling from Guildford. Are you sure about your address?
:lol:

I think you've stumbled across a new 11+ phenomenon: the "Schrodinger Parent".

You do not know exactly where the parent lives until their child qualifies in a test. Since you can only know the result of a test, it leaves open the interpretation that in between tests, the parent can be in more than one place at a time.
But I really don't understand how this works? Surely they need to apply via their own LA for a GS place? How can they provide different address for different schools :shock: :? :shock:
tiffinboys
Posts: 8022
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: Upton Court school and leaving in Reading

Post by tiffinboys »

I wonder if mumdd was only interested in knowing car pool (or car pull, as she states) arrangements in different areas.
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