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Primary education

school safety!

10 replies

crkm · 16/12/2014 20:29

Am so angry today, have emailed the head at my daughters school, but need to vent!! My friend was supposed to pick up my 9 year old today and take her home for tea. The teacher knew this lady takes her home on occasions. However today my friend got her days muddled and didn't pick up my daughter. Having worked at this school I know that teachers wait with the children on the playground until they have been picked up, any children still there go to the office to wait. Today the adult with the class (not the usual teacher) left several of the children on the playground before they had been picked up, and went back into school. So my daughter is left on the playground with no one due to pick her up. Another parent (thankfully one I know) approached my daughter and made a comment about mum being late, my daughter explained who was picking her up, and luckily this lady had my friends phone number and rang her. She then took my daughter from the school and drove her to my friends house. While I am very grateful that this lady troubled herself to look after my daughter, I am shocked that someone could remove my daughter from school without my consent! The 'teacher' should have waited for all children to have been collected, or seen her to the office where they would ring me. am so angry!!!

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Expedititition · 16/12/2014 20:31

Is that year 4? From year 3 in all of the schools I have worked in the children have walked to the gate without a teacher.

Your daughter should have had the common sense to take herself into the office.

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Iggly · 16/12/2014 20:32

I'd be pissed off at the friend too! Didn't you check or remind her in the day?

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crkm · 16/12/2014 20:41

At my daughters school the children stay with the teacher till they are picked up, unless they are year 6 and have a letter from parents to school with permission to walk home. She is a sensible child, and knew to wait by her classroom to be picked up. I am sure she would have made her self known at the office (which would have meant a walk round the school, as classroom doors are all locked 15 mins after end of school, through both car parks) if this parent hadn't been there.


The arrangement with my friend was made yesterday evening, I didn't feel it necessary to check an arrangement that had really only just been made. We often pick up/look after each others children and had no reason to think today would be any different.

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3bunnies · 16/12/2014 20:43

From yr 3 ours are sent into the playground, they know to return to the classroom if the person who is collecting them isn't there. In fact I rehearse with my dc what to do if I am not there or if I have collected them and then we are separated. Probably worth discussing with your dd what she needs to do if the person she is expecting isn't there.

I can see why you are upset because they aren't following their own policy (maybe a supply teacher who didn't know), however at 9 she is old enough to know what the contingency plan is and follow it.

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TeenAndTween · 16/12/2014 20:43

I think the school messed up.

But also I think that at 9 years old a child should know

  • to go to the office if not picked up
  • never to go in a car with someone else if it wasn't pre-planned.


So yes the school needs to tighten up / make clear its procedures for juniors (particularly with supply staff), but you also need to do this too with your own child.
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crkm · 16/12/2014 20:51

I worked at my daughters school from when she started in nursery until the end of the last school year - so I had always been there to pick her up at the end of the day. I acknowledge its a conversation I should have had with her!

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H3adt3acher · 16/12/2014 20:53

Firstly, the headteacher will want to know what happened - I would. You have no idea what caused the other adult to leave. That being said, I'd be pretty PO'd if one of my staff did not follow standard procedure.

Secondly. The person who took your child from school without your consent did not let the school know. What on earth was she thinking? All children are told to return to school if the person collecting them does not arrive. This happens in every school, every day. Your child, UNDER INSTRUCTION FROM THE PARENT WHO TOOK THEM did not follow the school rules.

Thirdly, who phoned the school to say that the child would not be collected. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure your child is collected on time and by a responsible person. If they forget, that is their fault; not the school's who are dismissing hundreds of pupils.

In most schools junior children are dismissed straight from class. If you are not there, that's your problem. The very fact that the school has a system in which the junior children are brought to a place to wait until collected means that the school takes the issue very seriously - more seriously than most others. Indeed, it was this system that allowed your child to remain safe until a known person (albeit a stupid one) arranged for them to be transported to where the other stupid person was.

In this situation, if it wasn't for the school's system, your child would have been wondering the streets alone because of your inability to have them collected by a responsible adult.

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spanieleyes · 16/12/2014 21:04

We certainly don't let children leave the school without a responsible adult. ALL children ( except year 6 who have written permission to walk home) are escorted onto the playground and handed over to an adult who is on the "permission list" Anyone who is not on the list will not be able to remove a child unless the class teacher speaks to the parent by phone and receives permission. If no one turns up within 5 minutes of the end of school, the child is taken back into the classroom to wait until the playground gates are locked (10 minutes after the end of school) any children still left are taken to the office and stays there whilst we contact their parent. We certainly wouldn't permit a " different parent" take a child without express permission. Nor would we just leave a child on the playground to wait on their own.

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crkm · 16/12/2014 22:12

thank you - spanieleyes - that is the same as at my daughters school, and the reason I am upset. Yes I accept that I should have prepared my daughter for this eventuality. - My friend is certainly NOT stupid h3adt3acher, and I will always trust her, we all make mistakes, and she feels dreadful. Also in this school the children are not told to return to the class room if no adult comes, because they are supposed to be with the teacher at all times until they are collected.
As a TA at this school for 6 years, I stayed with the children in my care until they were collected, it was my responsibility to ensure the children all went home with the correct adult, I expect the same standard of care for my child!!

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H3adt3acher · 16/12/2014 22:39

Don't get me wrong - if the school has a system it should be followed and in this case it appears it wasn't (though - of course, you weren't there were you and you're relying on the story of someone who knows they screwed up). I'd be really cross with my staff for not following procedure.

It was your friends who screwed up though. But, as they're your friends, that should be ok then. Rather than being cross with the person who failed to collect your child or the person who was stupid enough to take another persons child without permission, it's much easier to blame the place where it happened.

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