There's the last-minute scramble to find pencil cases, gym kits and those brand new shoes bought for the new term. Then it's out to the car and a mad dash to the playground before the school bell sounds.
It shouldn't be a rush though - the key to ensuring a safe journey is to leave plenty of time for the school run. With the uncertain weather that seems always to greet the September return to school, the number of cars on the streets of Britain soars by 20 per cent. Sometimes it can feel as if this huge volume of traffic has been wilfully redirected on to your route - and it can be frustrating for both you and the children on board.
Allow for delays and, if you hit a traffic jam, don't panic. If you're late it's not your fault, and even the most hard-faced school headteacher will know that the safe arrival of the children is everyone's priority. Road accidents are the biggest cause of death and injury among children between the ages of one and 15.
On the long haul as well as the school run, for Samantha Green, a nanny to a five-year-old and a ten-year-old in Hertfordshire, the key to transporting children safely lies in checking the car's roadworthiness. 'The car must be mechanically sound, with the water and oil checked regularly,' she says. 'And always make sure you've got plenty of petrol. The last thing you want is to be stuck somewhere with a car load of kids and an empty tank.'
Insurance
Even if the car is up to scratch, is your insurance? If you are using your own vehicle for your nanny duties, you are responsible for fully comprehensive insurance, although some employers offer to pay for some of it along with petrol expenses. Many employers prefer to provide a vehicle, or use of the family car, because they know that the child seats and safety belts are adequate. If you are using your employer's car they are responsible for the insurance. If you are under 25 and do not have a no-claims bonus, the cost can be high. You could also consider having your own liability insurance against charges of negligence.
To share or not?
Sharing lifts to school with other nannies may seem common sense as well as being better for the environment, but it shouldn't be done without the consent -preferably written - of the parents of the children involved. Many parents will not agree to car sharing, especially if it is their own car, because they feel your job is to care for their children, not anybody else's. If you get involved in a car share, be sure that the other drivers are properly insured and their vehicles have adequate seat restraints. If you have any doubts, don't share.
Overloading
Be careful not to overload a car. Dr Mike Hayes, road safety officer at the Child Accident Prevention Trust, says that the number of passengers - children or adults - should correspond to the number of seats in the car, usually three in the back. Children may be smaller than adults, but that doesn't mean you can carry more people!
If you are going out with more than one child, always put the liveliest one in the car first - a baby dozing in a buggy is going to be less work than a bouncy five-year-old who is careering down the pavement. Do it the other way round when you take them out of the car, with the liveliest out last. Loading and unloading children should always be done on the kerbside. Always put luggage in the boot, not on the back shelf where it could fall on children in an accident.
Belt up!
'Oh, do I have to? We're only going around the corner.' It's an all too familiar refrain, accompanied by unco-operative wriggling as you struggle to find the buckle. The answer is an emphatic yes.The shortest distances and speeds as low as 5mph can result in crashes and serious injury, especially if a child is not strapped in properly.
It is the driver's legal responsibility to ensure children are properly restrained in appropriate seats, whoever the car belongs to. The law states that if a child restraint or adult seat belt is in the car, you must use it.
Fitting seats
Rule number one with child safety seats is that under no circumstances should a rear-facing baby seat be fitted in the front seat of a car that has passenger airbags - when a bag expands in an accident it could cause death or serious injury. The seat must be fitted according to manufacturer's instructions and be suitable for a child, based on weight rather than age (see box). If the child's head sticks out over the top of the seat, it is too small. A recent Automobile Association survey found that between 60 and 80 per cent of child car seats were fitted incorrectly. If buying a car seat on behalf of your employer, get a garage to check it for you. Never opt for a second-hand seat since it could have been in an accident and be damaged.
Make sure the adult seat belt passes properly through the correct guides, and check that the child seat fits tightly into the adult seat by pushing your weight against it while tightening the belt. The belt buckle should not be bent and should not rest on the child seat frame, as it may spring open.
A seat that fits your employer's car may not suit yours, says Grant Longmuir, who runs a car components company in Jersey. 'Choosing and fitting car seats requires greater care than 20 years ago. Then, seats were generally suited to most cars, but now they have been improved in quality they are much more tailored to suit specific models.'
Mobile phones
Having a mobile phone with you on car journeys is useful if you break down or have an accident. But don't cause a crash by using it while you are driving. Keep it switched off, and use voicemail or divert calls so messages can be left for you. If you have to call or check messages, find a safe place to park first.
Your employer cannot expect you to answer the phone while you are driving.
If you have a hands-free phone, tell anyone who calls you that you will ring them back. Using a hands-free phone can be a dangerous distraction and it is hard to hear and make yourself heard around children.
Safety locks and parking
If the car has child safety locks, use them. Park only in designated areas, and never leave children in a car by themselves. They can injure themselves on electric windows or cigarette lighters, and there are the obvious external dangers of being struck by other vehicles or being approached by strangers, or something happening to you that prevents you from returning to the car quickly. There are also real-life horror stories of cars being stolen by thieves who didn't notice the baby in the back seat.
Are we there yet?
Whatever distance you are going, children have an amazing capacity to get bored and restless quickly - and worse, if you don't supply some entertainment, they'll start to bicker. Take plenty of story and music tapes, books and soft toys. If the children in the car are playing 'I spy' or listening to a Harry Potter story tape - even if it is for the umpteenth time - you can concentrate on driving. You can find more ideas for in-car games to play in a good bookshop.
Finally, mark 1 October in your diary - the start of another National Walk to School Week. All right, if it's anything like last year's autumn floods, you will have a rebellion on your hands. But if there's a hint of Indian summer, a walk to school will do children a power of good. Of course you will still be asked repeatedly: how much further is it?
Useful contacts: The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents: 0121 482 000, help@rospa.co.uk
Child Accident Prevention Trust: 020 7608 3828
CHOOSING THE RIGHT SEAT
Type of restraint; Child's weight range; Age range (approx)
Baby seat; up to 10 kg (22lb); Birth to 9 months
Child seat; 9kgs to 18 kg (20-40lb); 6 months to 4 years
Booster seat; 9kgs to 25 kg (20-55lb); 6 months to 6 years
Booster cushion; 15kgs to 36 kg (33-80lb); 4 years to 11 years
Source: Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
STRAPPED IN
Follow the check list from car seat manifacturer Britax when putting a child in the car:
* Adjust the harness for every journey so that one or two fingers only can be inserted between the child and the harness.
* Position the harness buckle low over the hips, not over the stomach.
* The diagoanal seatbelt should rest on teh child's shoulder, not the neck.
* Never modify the seat harness or buckles, as this may affect the seat's quick release mechanism.
Britax, along with Safeway supermarkets and GMTV, is campaigning for the safe installation and use of car seats. Its customer service helpline is 01264 386034.
In Hertfordshire, the council's local road safety unit runs a 'fit safe', sit safe' campaign, in which local garages provide free checks. Call 01992 556 800 for details of the nearest road safety unit in your area.
Car seat maker Maxi-Cosi is now providing a free CD-Rom that shows exactly how to fit its seats with every seat sold. If you already have a Maxi-Cosi seat you can still get the CD free by calling 020 8236 0707.