Quick question: what's the earliest you can drop a primary school child off at school?

[dontrunwithscissors]

Without using a breakfast club? I'm guessing this might vary from school to school, but in general? 8.50? 8.55? Or do you need to be there until 9am on the dot?

[CroissantNeuf]

Check your schools website/prospectus as I think it can vary.

I know I've seen it written down for our school and I think it said it was something like 8.50am as up until then they have no legal responsibility for the children.

[IndigoBell]

It varies school to school.

Normally either the school start time (which may or may not be 9:00) or if they have a 'soft start' it can be 10 mins earlier than school start time....

But if you had to leave for work 5 mins before school started you would be able to ask another parent to keep an eye on your DC for the last 5 mins.....

[dontrunwithscissors]

Many thanks. I'm thinking waaaaay ahead here as DD1 doesn't start school until August 2012 (we're in Scotland.) I was wondering whether I could manage to get away with not using a childminder on a morning. I could probably get away with it if I can drop off at 8.50, and we get her into the school we want (not in our catchment.) There are very, very childminders we could use, if necessary. I'm thinking that I might just ask if they'll put DD1's name down for a space with them, just in case.

[SarkyLady]

When they are little you need to be there until the official start time IME.

Once you get to know other parents then it us usually ok to leave a bit early. Wouldn't do that every day though.

Fwiw it would make my life a gazillion time easier if I could drop off at 8.50 every day. But I can't.

[MsInterpret]

Our school is open for drop-off, not breakfast club, just drop-off at 8.30!

[Goblinchild]

Our playground gates are open from 8.20am, but no one is on duty until 8.40am. Many of the Y5 and 6 turn up early to gossip or to have a quick game of football, but I wouldn't want to drop and leave a reception child unsupervised.
You won't know until she starts school whether she is going to be the clinging sort who won't be unpeeled until the last second. I don't envy our EY teachers in the Autumn term.

[ImeldaM]

8.30 at our school, but depends on the child obviously

[dontrunwithscissors]

Many thanks. I guess I was thinking long term, rather than early on with her. Most of my childless collegaues roll in to work at 9.30/10/10.30am so it's unlikely I'd be missed if I didn't get in until 9.30. I know the first few weeks of starting school are only half-days. I guess it can't hurt to try to get her name down with the few childminders who could do drop off. We currently have an air-tight childcare arrangement; I can see that DD1 starting school is going to throw all that up in the air!

[elphabadefiesgravity]

At the dc's school is is 8.30am for an 8.45am start.

At my neice's school it is between 8.25am and 8.30am for an 8.30am start

[Catsu]

8.30 for 8.45 start at my dcs school.
They encourage you to leave them at 8.30 to rduce congestion at 8.45!

[Marne]

I have dropped dd1 off at 8.40am, she's 7, i dont think i would drop a reception child off (although some parents at our school do), buses drop kids off at our school from 8.40 am so a teacher is on duty outside from the first bus drop off.

[horseymum]

our school (in scotland) only has half days for a week or so not until half term like it was when I was little. There are no adults on duty in the playground before 9am and parents are discouraged from dropping off early. pretty much all the parents stay in playground till infants gone in. older ones are there early to play etc but not really before 8.45

[starfishmummy]

At DS's school there are notices saying that children are not to be taken in early as the teachers are not responsible for them until official starting time at 9.00.

[Jbck]

Scotland here too & DD2 starts same time. Our school have no breakfast club and previous head stated 'Never would have' Our playground is manned with TAs etc from 8:40 but littlies have P7 buddies in the first few months.

Altho' I always stayed till DD1 went in the buddies used to line up all the class about 10 minutes before the bell so they weren't wandering around and play games in their lines, keeps them together and occupied for the ones who're missing Mummy a bit..

We can't stay in the playground unless P1 and even then you are encouraged to leave them from fairly early in the term.

We are no longer doing do half days, from this August intake children will be in all day from day 1.

[cuckooclock]

We had a similar problem but worked out a deal with a neighbour. Dh dropped dd at hers in the morning to walk to school with them and I brought the neighbours kids home in the afternoon. It suited us both and worked this way until they were old enough to walk by themselves.

If you don't already know another child going to the school, now would be a good time to do so. Try your local boards.

A word of caution though. Due to the capping of p1 classes this year at 25 there were very few out of catchment requests that were successful this year in lots of areas.

[HappyMummyOfOne]

Depends on the school, our playground is not staffed until about two minutes before the bell so only year 6 children can be left unsupervised.

[jubilee10]

I'm in Scotland too. We can drop them any time from 8.40 for a 9am start. We have a breakfast club from 8.15 though.

[hocuspontas]

Our infants have to be handed over at 9.00 by an adult to their teacher. Juniors can be left 10 minutes beforehand once a teacher comes out to supervise. So, all schools are different.

[HSMM]

Our school had a policy that staff would be on duty in the playground from 0830 for a 0900 start. This was because there was a traffic/parking problem and it meant parents of the children in Juniors could drop off earlier and leave space for the parents of the infants who wanted to stay with them in the playground. Ask the school.

[SarahScot]

I teach in Scotland. I'm afraid legally schools have no responsiblility for your children until 9 a.m., unless there is a breakfast club or similar. Teacher's are very busy in the mornings, even though most of us are there from 8 a.m. our working days don't officially start until 9. However, the playground tends to start filling up from about 8:45.

HTH.