Ds1 wandered off out of nursery and no-one noticed.....

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

This happened a couple of weeks ago and whilst I've heard of it happening in a few private nurseries I've not heard of it in a state run school.

When I went to collect him at 3.30, I found him just about to wander out of the nursery gate onto the pavement outside the school. This is a good distance from the nursery building itself, as the path leading down to the nursery is quite long.

I spoke immediately to the teacher and classroom assistant who were apologetic.

I'm a pretty laid back parent, but since it happened I feel uneasy about the place. When I was teaching, the wherabouts and safety of the children was the number 1 priority.

Has anyone else had this happen in a state run nursery?

[dinosaur]

Something very similar happened at the community nursery that DS2 attends - dozy childminder seemed unaware that one of her charges had left the building and wandered up the ramp and was just about to walk up the road.

[codswallop]

there is a thread about his swomehere but htink it was a r eception child

[Chandra]

No idea about statistics but don't see why it can happen in private nurseries but not in state run schools (they also get tired, or distracted).

I understand how you feel, it's perfectly natural to feel aprehensive, after all you have trusted them and they have failed you. It may be a one off accident which is VERY unlikely to repeat, however if you feel you can't trust them anymore... I would find another nursery, but it's all about putting things in a balance, I'm sure there must be other things you really like about them.

[zephyrcat]

Have seen it happen a few times in a private nursery i recently worked at and dd went to. I also worked in a private nursery when i left school and found some of the staff more interested than gossiping than watching the kids. DD has just started a pre-school playgroup and its better than all private nurseries i've worked in!

[zephyrcat]

Sorry meant to say a pre-school playgroup run a by a comittee of parents

[KBear]

You mean the doors aren't locked? I would go mad. So the staff were apologetic - I should think so. At my DS's pre-school the door is locked and you have to ring a bell to enter.

[zephyrcat]

On the last nursery i worked at the door had a code thing on it you had to use to get in if you were staff and the parents had to ring the bell. Both parents and staff would 'forget' to shut this door. The gate had a catch on the outside of it so the children couldnt openit. The parents were always leaving the gate open!!

[agy]

I think you should complain to the education authority - too dangerous to take lightly.

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

I think the uneasiness has continued because it would be so easy for it to happen again. The doors don't have any proper security and parents are allowed to crowd in 10 deep, making it easy for a small child to slip through unnoticed.

Some of the problem is with the way the staff "manage" the parents and the other is a resource issue to do with investing in better doors/locks with codes etc.

I'm going to raise it with the school - I've been trying to avoid being "Mrs Busybody Teacher Who Thinks She Knows It All", but will now have to cast myself in that mould!

[fio2]

OMG thats awful

It happened at a playschool in the next village to us. An old lady found the girl and the girls own mother spotted her talking to this old lady. She took her daughter back to playgroup and they hadnt even noticed she had gone. Needless to say, it made front pages and is very very distressing

[LunarSea]

Am I the only one here who has a serial escaper? And it's not the nursery's fault.

ds's nursery has a large gate, opened from the outside by a combination number-punch lock, and on the inside by a latch over 5 feet from the ground. It is also surrounded by a 6 foot high fence. ds (3.2), however, has worked out how to scale the (not easily climbable) fence, hang on with one hand and lean across to the gate so he can open the latch. He's been thoroughly told off for this and hasn't done it again since. Subsequently though he's worked out that up and over the 6 foot fence is possible. Again thoroughly told off, and he hasn't attempted to repeat it.

At home he knows how to operate both bolts and mortice locks, and has been known to fetch a chair, climb up onto the kitchen worktop, retrieve the spare keys from the cupboard and open our front door with them (this took less than a minute to achieve!).

And then this morning, carrying him in to nursery, I stopped just by the gate to wait for one of his friends and the next thing I knew he'd leant over and punched the correct combination in to the lock and opened the gate!

Bearing in mind that this is the child who also knows not only how to open stairgates, but to remove them completely, and who had conquered childproof cupboard locks within 2 days of being able to pull himself up high enough to reach them, do you think he has a future as an escapologist?

Seriously though, I'm not sure that if they are determined enough (and this probably isn't the case with Puff's ds), you are ever going to be able to physically prevent them breaking out 100% of the time. I'm just hoping that ds will eventually learn some sense and realise that it isn't a good idea!

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

LunarSea, I know its serious, but your post has given me a laugh . Thanks!

[Caligula]

I seem to be reading a few threads like this and it has got me worried tbh. I'm wondering exactly how much supervision is going on in these places if children can wander out onto the street, literally risking death. DD is about to start one after Christmas, and after these threads that's one of the searching questions I'll be asking!

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Forgot to mention earlier - by COMPLETE coincidence, someone elses child went awol up the path this pm!!!

There was a parents powow (? sp) going on about as I came along to collect ds. Naturally I added my experience - the nursery pta rep was there and she's going to sort it!

So, now I don't have to play "Mrs Know It All Teacher Parent" lecturing school on its shortcomings. There'll be plenty of chances to do that later in the coming 9 years as my two will both be spending their primary years there!

[mumeeee]

I work in a small private nursery. We have a policy on lost children and its stated in thre that children should never be left alone and that risk assesments are done regulary. All nurseries should have a simular policy that parents can see. I should ask the schoo;l if you can se the policy The front door of our nursery is always kept shut and the latch is too high for a child to reach. The outside play area is at the back of the nursery and is enclosed. I

[essbee]

Message withdrawn