How are you KS2 DC let out at the end of the day? Am I being precious?

[LynetteScavo]

I ask because DS2, in Y3 (jsut turned 8) is alowed to leave the classroom and no one ever checks if he is collected. Normally this is fine...he knows if he is not collected to go to the secretary.

But last week an after school activity was cancelled. The secretary tried to call me at 3pm, and left message on home an mb, then phoned DH's mobile. DH asnwered, and said "I will try to contact Lynette" The secretary explained to DS that his dad would collect him(so DS tells us) and let him out on to the playground to wait. Before DH could call me, another mum from school phoned him, and explained she was with DS, who had told her he was waiting for his dad to collect him. She realised it was a 30 min drive for DH, and asked should she take him to her house. DH said yes, and texted me to let me know where DS was.

Now, I know it's my fault for checking my phone when I leave work (I am not alowed to have my phone on at work, but a message can be given to me in an emergency, such as this), but it's only a 5 min drive from work to DS's school.....So I arrive at school 1.5 hours after the end of the day to find there was no after school activity...the secretary explained had left me a message on the home phone...had phoned DH, who had said "I'll sort it" and she had no idea where DS was now.

I then checked my mb phone and discovered from a text DH had sent where DS was, but DS is an independant little chap, and would have probably walked the mile home, or the two miles to Granny's if no one had turned up (he had already been to the secretary who had sent home out side).

Should the secretary have told him to wait in school, or am I just being precious?

Yes, I fecked up by not telling the school to contact me on my work number first(actually I think I have put that as the first contact ), but they have always managed to contact me in the past when DS has forgotton his lunch/thrown up, etc.

[bigTillyMint]

Walked out by the classteacher - they have to say goodbye to the teacher, and some teachers shake their hand They have to do this even if they are old enough to walk home on their own.

If a club is cancelled, parents are called, then the children wait by the office till an adult comes.

TBH, I think what they did about telling your DH was fine, but he should have said that he wouldn't be there for 30mins and could he wait in the office.

[LynetteScavo]

Sorry, it was a bit of a garbled OP.

DH had no intention of going to collect DS. He said "I will try to contact Lynette" If he hadn't been able to contact me,I presume he would have phoned my mum or his dad to collect DS.

[exoticfruits]

At that age the DC takes responsibility and goes to the office if there is a problem.

[ragged]

Even in KS1 they would tend to expect the child to take some responsibility, ime, to contact a parent. That said, they don't explain that to you when your child signs up for these clubs, it was part of the learning curve for us.

[exoticfruits]

Now is obviously the time for you to discuss what he should do if you are late or a club is cancelled.

[LynetteScavo]

I have already said many times "go to the office if no one collects you". My mum collects him two days a week, and I'm nervous about her being late. He went to the office, so why he then went onto the playground, I've no idea.

[HarrietSchulenberg]

Ours are let out on their own but a teacher stays on duty to make sure the playground's clear. If anyone's left behind they're taken into the office to wait.

If a club is cancelled school would contact the parent and if the message wasn't returned the child would wait in the office until the parent arrived.

[redskyatnight]

All children are let out. If the person collecting them is not there, they are meant to go back into school. School emphasises that we should make our children aware of this (and obviously tell the children themselves). If child is not picked up after (I think) 15 minutes, the office staff will contact parents. I'm surprised that your school doesn't have an established "what to do if no one picks me up" policy.

[TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission]

at my dcs school, ks2 children are expected to go to the office if no one is there to collect them, they're not allowed out again until an adult arrives to get them, school is very strict on this.

[bigTillyMint]

I think your DH needs to be more proactive and tell them to make sure your DS waits in the office for one of you to collect him. Especially if you can't rely on your son to follow your instructions.

[sugartongue]

at our school all children up til end of yr3 are handed tp a parent (or other adult allowed to collect). If no one has come after ten mins they are taken to after-school club. yrs4-6 can make their own way out, but are expected to go to a-s club if no one shows. What puzzles me is where all the teachers were during this? At DS's school there would be ample teachers milling around to advise of correct course of action for at least half an hour

[LynetteScavo]

Yes indeed, DH needed to be more proactive!!!

He afterwards admitted that he presumed I'd sorted something out already. Because I do that with chid care, I sort everthing out.

[bluebobbin]

In our school, Y3 must all remain with the teacher at the door and she will send each child out individually once she has made verbal/eye contact with the parent and the child has said "good afternoon miss x". Anyone not collected after about 10 mins is taken to afterschool club. No child would ever be released on their own, or released to another child's parent without permission having been given to the school previously. I don't think you are being precious.

[Slambang]

A bit pfb I think. By KS2, children (unless SN etc etc) are entirely capable of understandng they do not leave the playground until collected and to tell a teacher if noone comes. The school had spoken directly to dh so they knew he knew and presumably were assuming he is a responsible parent. You cannot expect the school to factor in the extent of your dh's numptiness.

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

KS1 children are sent out to a parent or carer, but KS2 are just sent to the playground. If no-one turns up they go to the office. Pretty standard practice. If clubs are cancelled and a parent can't be contacted the child waits in the classroom with a teacher.

[MrsShrekTheThird]

same as EllenJane :)

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

[exoticfruits]

I have never heard of a school doing that with KS2 DCs bluebobbin-it is what they do in KS1- and not doing the DCs any favours.

[coccyx]

At what point are school no longer responsible for the child??

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

Year 6s handed to a parent? Great training for secondary school!

[MrsShrekTheThird]

when the responsible adult collects it, afaik, coccyx.

I stand on the doorway letting y3 and 4 out, some parents have asked that their child stays next to me until they actually come to the doorway, other children meet their parents outside a younger siblings classroom or elsewhere on the playground. All children know that they have to come back to me if their parent/guardian/granny/older sib isn't there, and then I ring once I have rounded up however many there are 15 mins after school finishing time and closed the door, they come back with me to the office. They're ours until another adult takes over.

[bellavita]

What Slam and EllenJane says.

[Jaspants]

KS2 just amble out and off they go. The teachers come out with them but wait by the door and there is a TA on the gate but would only stop a KS1 child.