School not letting my child from the school

How did it happen that the schools feel entitled to invent rules like that?

Indeed.

And how did it happen that so many mothers seem to think that schools should have more say than parents when it comes to fairly basic parenting decisions?

@Rachie1973 the privilege is the ability to be an exception to the policy, regardless of what the policy is.

What about if I decided one day that my child didn’t need to attend registration because it’s pointless, could pop out to the chippy at lunch on their own, didn’t need to wear uniform, could refer to all the teachers as “bruv” etc. Totally agree parents should challenge school rules they think are wrong but do it properly (via parent/ teacher forums, governors, emails, discussions) don’t just decide to do your own thing without notice and then call the police when the school stick to their policies.

And a 12 year old wouldn't be?

What about a 14 year old?

It’s not a privilege to be able to walk home!

I’d not accept this either.

Where does that end though? If they do it for OP they’ll have to allow everyone, whether they’re 300 yards or 3 miles away, and parents there or not. God forbid the school try to keep kids safe eh, how awful!

The school are stating.

They don't have a policy as neither they nor the trust are able to provide it in writing to the OP.

This thread is certifiable.

The school is being unreasonable. There’s no reason a child can’t walk home.

We have people making up conspiracy theories that no parents are actually at home. This is wild.

I find you approach to this bizarre.

The school have a policy that they don't let a child your age walk home alone. Amendments for you, means amendments for others so I can see why they don't want exceptions. Thry have safeguarding duty, it nay even be linked to their insurance. Whether their policy is right or wrong, it debatable.

However, there are multiple simple solution to this.

If DH is WFM, I don't believe that he is so rigorously monitored that a 4 minute break would be a big issue? (Surely he goes to the toilet during the day!) and even if it were, I don't believe that any organisation wouldn't allow him make up those 4 minutes before his morning start, after his normal finish or by reducing his lunch break.

Instead you have opted for nuclear option. Involving the police? No wonder they told you to go away.

You say it's not about being right? It it weren't, your husband would find the 4 minutes and you guys would respond normally.

Your poor daughter in all this. She's probably distressed that no one will bother collect her and would prefer to fight with the school.

I highly suspect that if anything did happen to her, you would be the first to want to sue the school.

Not a single other parent you’re friends with / your DC is friends with who would walk past your house? If it really is 300 yards and you really are in the house, that should be an easy solution?

Alternatively, sounds like you need to suck it up and pay for after school club for 6 months? If you have the kind of job where they’re not okay with you popping out for less than 10 mins in the afternoon to do pick up, they’re probably also not okay with you having 2 kids at home unsupervised while you work…

The school is the one wasting everyone's time trying to override valid parental decision.

How did it happen that the schools feel entitled to invent rules like that?

Sounds like a blackmail. Do as we wish, even when we have no legal base for that whatsoever, or leave.

If more parents used their voice when schools invent nonsensical rules, the schools won't be so bold enforcing them.

@LewishamMumNow that's not how parents should be able to affect school policy - by being persistently combative to allow their individual case to be allowed. It's not about making a change to benefit all parents. Otherwise the OP would have raised this in a parent partnership meeting, or with the PTA, or with the parent governor and had reasonable discussions about when in year 5 children are allowed to walk home. April in Year 5 seems already like a very sensible point in the year.

He's at home but often in virtual meetings.

The OP hasn't indicated what he does but there are some subjects you can't mention in front of other people let alone children. Though I have met children, who are now older, who as 8-10 year olds were very knowledgable about some policing matters concerning young people.

Can schools actually do this? Expel a child because they don't like a parenting decision about something that happens outside of school hours?

@DelilahRay firstly there IS an adult at home. And secondly unless we challenge these ridiculous blanket rules, nothing will change and this generation will grow up anxious and scared of their own shadows. You can’t avoid all risks, just risk assess to minimise them and it’s clear to me that allowing this child to walk home is perfectly reasonable.

The school has no right to have a position on this. It’s not a decision for the school. It’s a decision for parents.

If they think it’s genuinely neglectful then they should be reporting to children’s services (who will tell them it’s not). They have no power to detain a child who has parental permission to leave.

I agree with you OP and my dc's school let the year 5s and 6s walk home independently after a parent writes in with permission.

I can't believe that people think you're making a big deal out of it. I'd stand my ground as well. If you're being charged for after school club that's a big weekly expense. Ours is £10 a day no matter how long you stay for so £200 a month down! No way.

Plus the posters who keep saying I don't understand why you can't just leave.
Not everyone is either a SAHM or so senior that they get to command their diaries.
I'm certainly not turning round to my CEO and explaining I can't attend the meeting on the only time slot he has available, or abandoning new recruits I'm training remotely to disappear even if it is only for 15/20 minutes. That's not how a lot of the working from home world works. There isn't the freedom in a lot of jobs that people assume there is.
We have scheduled breaks planned in for us which match the demand and cover we need to provide throughout the day.
We cannot pick and choose.

How come the school can dictate when the child can walk to and from school?

Because these are things which are perfectly properly within the remit of the headteacher, potentially acting alongside the governors and the SLT to decide.

Headteachers quite literally make thousands of similar decisions daily about what time school starts, when breaks take place, which classrooms to use, uniform, school dinners, trips, disciplinary procedures, exclusions etc. Some of these things have legal parameters within which the head/ governors have to work but most have a high degree of discretion which the head is able to perfectly lawfully exercise.

(Incidentally I don’t think the rules on when kids can walk home on their own are ones which require governor input as it’s an operational matter).

No child is allowed to leave our junior site without an adult.