Child given money by "Vicar" at school

I teach in a primary school. I would lose my job if I did this.

Not now they won’t, not with the spotlight they are under due to historic child abuse

I would report to the school. The only time I’ve raised a safeguarding concern, they acted very quickly and updated me within a few hours. Now obviously you’re in the holidays but I suspect the Head will still be keeping an eye and this is the sort of thing that would be picked up.

There are multiple possibilities but even if it’s the ‘kindly but misguided’ type they need extra training and shouldn’t be having that sort of access to the kids. I do have my own suspicions that my own school does not supervise the content of some of the church led sessions quite as closely as they should be and things can be said and done in the name of religion that other groups coming into school wouldn’t be doing.

I'd have thought that sort of charitable giving would have been done through the school officially. Schools must have a good idea of which families are on a tight budget.

Giving it directly to the child is weird.

Police NOW!

🙄🙄🙄

Quoted wrong poster

Hi TakeALookAtTheseSwatches

I just wanted to echo what others have said, this is a s breach of professional boundaries. The fact that the individual has told your daughter not to tell anyone would suggest that they know they shouldn’t be doing this.

Take a note of what your daughter has told you and email the school designated safeguarding lead or head (likelihood is someone will be checking emails). I would also contact your local LADO (they are responsible for managing concerns about professionals). I see you said you were in County Durham so this should have the number to contact https://durham-scp.org.uk/practitioners/allegations-against-staff-or-volunteers-lado/ you may also be able to contact the safeguarding lead for the parish/church if you check the website.

Even if there was nothing untoward in there actions this needs picking up immediately

Do you know where the vicar came from? You could try raising this with the Diocese.

I find this quite sinister tbh. As soon as school reopens report. Thank goodness your DD told you.

Not everyone on Mumsnet is in England or Wales. Most schools in Scotland finished yesterday. She has since clarified that she is indeed in England though.

My children go to a CoE school. There are multiple people from multiple churches involved in collective worship at all sorts of points. There is one vicar at the attached CoE church, but there’s also been curates from there and leaders of other local churches of other denominations in school leading assemblies - all of whom my young child might call “a vicar”, not knowing the differences.

And my local CoE church does not have a feet washing service or an Easter vigil and the table at the front of church looks no different to how it usually does. Not saying they aren’t busy, but I’m not sure you can extrapolate from your church to all of them.

You can email the headteacher even in holiday time. Sounds very misguided whoever this person was and as a minimum they'll need reminding of how to behave in school settings and professionally. It's worth finding out who the person in , because some will be attached to free churches or not the usual c of e or catholic, particularly if the school isn't a church school.
As others have said, if you wish you can also notify LADO (contactable through your local authority website) or ring 101 and ask for advice.
It's possible it was given as a prize of some kind, but the school will be able to clarify the circumstances for you.

Not true. All our school were running in my area. My som is a teacher.

no you don't conduct your own investigation

this could seriously jeopardise any real investigation

you leave it to the trained professionals- tell the school and safeguarding person in the church

Absolutely not op, I'd be on the phone to the school to report this immediately. It's beyond inappropriate and a very clear breach of safeguarding particularly the just between me and you part. I work in safeguarding and this is classic grooming. You also need to have a very clear conversation that adults and older kids don't have secrets with younger kids ever and if they ever give a gift she needs to come and tell you straight away. I'd also tell her that if anyone ever gives her a yucky feeling in her tummy even if she's not sure why, she's to tell you.

Contact the safeguarding officer for the diocese. You can google it.
Explain what your daughter said. It’s worth telling them you aren’t clear who exactly the the church person was (just so they don’t accidentally go for the wrong person!). They will be open or will have an emergency number to ring. Our diocese has a charity which provides out of hours cover. Some do this in house.
They will be able to find out who the person was and take further action if needed including the police.

You could also ring the police. But I suspect the diocese may well act faster and more thoroughly .

What is an old Irish grandad type while we’re at home??

I think there are threads to be unpicked but surely it’s a bit knee jerk reaction to call police or church? Maybe it’s me but everyone seems to be looking for the dodgy explanation for this behaviour rather than the innocent or stupid. No one is in imminent danger

Yes this, report to the school and to the safeguarding person in the church

hopefully there is a really sensible, reasonable, appropriate explanation (please god)

i know a lot if old Irish grandad types who give kids money but a vicar should have had training not to do that- ever

I agree.
If it happened during collective worship then others would have seen this, so I think more information is required to ascertain exactly who this person was.

Send an email. I’m a teacher annd we often work in the holidays and I know my head monitors the office and her email address over the holiday.

Sorry, I clicked the wrong button but YANBU. This just doesn't sit right and definitely bring it up with the school.

I would definitely speak to the school but I wouldn’t contact the police. It definitely needs looking into but I don’t think an actual crime has been committed. I would also contact any mum friends from the class just to check that it wasn’t actually some sort of prize or whole class thing, or whether their child remembers your daughter telling them about it