Dangerous or not? AIBU?

[BelleBoyd]

My year 3 daughter has a large balcony outside area attached to her first floor class. It has a 4 or 5 foot ledge and obviously a big drop below.
I'm really uneasy about it. The kids probably wouldn't try to get over the ledge but there are big planters up against the ledge that are easy to climb on and from there the ledge is much easier to get up on.
My 3 year old at a open afternoon climbed up on said planters and I grabbed him down of course and disallowed him to go out there.
Her teacher has said pupils are allowed out there unsupervised and she didn't think it was a problem.
So anyway I won't take my 3 year old in there again but what about other little siblings being safe or indeed the older ones? Only takes one of them daring the other to climb up and it could be fatal.
Maybe I'm just being overprotective just seems mad when they go on about health and safety re low climbing equipment in the playground but allow this?

[SonicBoomBoom]

I'd be very uneasy about it too, OP.

But I do fall on the anxious side of "normal", I think.

[00100001]

Well, how many kids have climbed the fence and fallen?

[BelleBoyd]

Well none as if they had they wouldn't have survived the fall. It's a fairly new building and this balcony has only been accessible this term so 3 weeks.
As I said it's not a fence you would have to scale. It's a ledge made very accessible from big planters built next to it.

[firawla]

I would be worried about this too.

[AntiHop]

That sounds really unsafe. My 3 year old is an excellent climber and takes any opportunity to climb.

[BelleBoyd]

Not sure who to approach about it. As I said I've asked my daughters teacher who is also head of year and assistant head and she was adamant it was safe.

[Loopytiles]

If you remain concerned (I would be) follow the school's concerns/complaints procedure.

[pudcat]

This does not sound safe if they are allowed out there unsupervised. Children love to climb.

[Allthebestnamesareused]

If it is a purpose built school then surely there must have been some form of risk assessment about a balcony from a first floor room.

As the teacher is assistant head and you have not received a response you are satisfied with ask the Head and if you are not satisfied then go to the Governing Body.

One point though , why would little siblings even be out there at all?

[Quartz2208]

Year 3 are 7 and 8 surely old enough to understand that climbing on a ledge is wrong (and anyone with SEN presumably would have a one to one).

Any younger siblings on open afternoons would be the parents responsibility

[BelleBoyd]

There are events on that take place in the classroom weekly that parents come to sometimes with younger ones. The door is left open to the balcony at these times. I've asked for it to be closed but the teacher has said no. Obviously I've taken the decision not to bring the younger one along to any future events but other siblings will go and anyway I'm not sure I'm comfortable with it for the year 3s although they are a lot more sensible.

[Madbum]

Year 3 are old enough to know not to climb there.

[BelleBoyd]

Yes that's what I wondering about..whether it's ok to trust that all 7 year olds will be sensible and mature enough to not take that kind of risk?

[user1499786242]

Oh god stuff like this terrifies me
Just because no one has fallen and died doesn't mean your child couldn't!
Say something and make them change it
Or remove your child from the situation!

[VickyRsuperstar]

If you don't get any joy from the school, then ask at your local council if it can be investigated for safety. I wouldn't be happy with it either.

[Corcory]

I wouldn't be happy with that. I have two children with ADHD and ASD,. When they were younger they would climb up anything they could find and have no fear so I don't think that has been taken into account by the school.

[rightsofwomen]

I heard that primary schools are built single level only, for fire safety reasons.

I don't know if this is true.

[guilty100]

It sounds as though they need to move the planters, and then the ledge will be far less accessible. I'd raise a query as you sometimes find that things like planters have been put in as an after-thought and break the safety rules!

[RatherBeRiding]

I wouldn't be happy. I'd ask to see their risk assessment and H&S statement.

[hardhatfirmlyon]

I know that my sisters child would climb that (Year 3, no SEN but also 'boisterous' and no sense of of danger). She always blames other people when he climbs things and falls off/hurts himself on something he shouldn't be touching/gets pushed back when he intentionally hurts other kids. To a certain degree it 'might' be a good idea if she actually taught her child some manners/empathy/difference between right and wrong/that he can't always do everything he fancies regardless of the consequences for himself and everyone else....but it doesn't look like that is happening any time soon.

However, as you say there could be younger kids around at some point and there will ALWAYS be a child like my nephew (I can just imagine he would think a great hide and seek hiding place would be hanging off the balcony) so it sounds like a health and safety risk and you should probably mention it as you would regret not doing so if something happened.

I thought the local council do the health and safety sign off on state school builds? Worth asking anyway.

[Mittens1969]

This would really worry me tbh! My DD1 has Attachment Disorder as a result of being adopted and she seems to have no understanding of danger sometimes. Definitely bring it up with the school.

[AgathaF]

That sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Make a fuss, before some child is injured.

[blankface]

anyone with SEN presumably would have a one to one
Not necessarily.

[BeatriceBeaudelaire]

There should definitely be a netting structure up if that’s the case and I would raise the issue x

[FlakeBook]

anyone with SEN would presumably have a 1:1

Hahahaha!!!!! You're not familiar with SEN funding in schools, are you? 1:1 is hard to secure and is hardly ever full time. Most children with SEN don't have 1:1.

I'm in two minds. Year 3 should be sensible enough not to climb it but some in my dd's class are very silly! And I have memories of children daring each other to jump out of first floor windows onto the grass beneath when I was in year 5.