Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

School have lost dd's necklace

142 replies

upsideup · 17/10/2018 14:07

DD borrowed a laptop from school this morning and was asked to hand in a valueable item, she handed in her necklace.
They didnt have it when she returned the laptop and she's just been told to come back at the end of the day to see if someones returned it which isnt likely.

What should we expect the school to do in looking for it? If they don't find it should they be replacing it or are they not required to do that?

Its pretty expensive and we let dd take it with the risk of her losing it herself which would obviously be her fault but the office were supposed to be looking after it in return for her looking after their laptop.

OP posts:
christmaschristmaschristmas · 17/10/2018 14:55

This happened to the daughter of a friend, but it was a wallet (no significant money inside but the girl was very upset as she loved the wallet)

Mum complained and the school said they wouldn't replace it. The teacher who lost it did out of her own money.

Fluffyears · 17/10/2018 14:56

Our PE department had a daft way of keeping valuables do they wouldn’t get stolen. You had to give rings and
Necklaces to the teacher to keep in a Tupperware box. Theft was rife as pupils would take other people’s items out if they took a fancy to it.

DarlingNikita · 17/10/2018 14:56

What a nuts system. But one assumes the school has thought through what happens if they can't keep their end of the deal...

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
GreenMeerkat · 17/10/2018 14:56

Encouraging the need for kids to bring valuable items into school.

Yeah that's sensible. What a stupid system!

BookMeOnTheSudExpress · 17/10/2018 14:57

Wait until the end of the school day and see if they have found it.

What a strange system.

Could you maybe suggest something way out, you know, like a signing out book...

Tinty · 17/10/2018 14:57

So she has a mobile in school but instead of handing it over to the school she decided to take off a hidden necklace and hand that over?

But then they would have lost the mobile instead of the necklace, what would have been gained by handing in a mobile instead?

Keep the laptop until they find the buy her a new necklace.

user789653241 · 17/10/2018 14:59

Well, if it's how it works, it's only fair if she can keep the laptop until the nacklace is returned. They can't expect your children to treat school stuff properly without doing the same about student's property.

Gileswithachainsaw · 17/10/2018 15:00

Keep the lap top

OlennasWimple · 17/10/2018 15:00

what happened to leaving your library card if you borrow something from school? Ridiculous system, of course they should replace the necklace if it can't be found at the end of the day

diddl · 17/10/2018 15:01

I don't think I've heard anything so ridiculous!

What if an item taken in is deemed not to be of high enough value??

Why did she have to return the lap top if her necklace wasn't available?

Perhaps if kids can't be trusted to return lap tops then a new systen is needed altogether!

LightastheBreeze · 17/10/2018 15:02

This is bizarre. How does the school know how much a piece of jewellery is worth, it is not a pawnbrokers, the necklace could be worth £3, £30 or £300, do you get a better laptop if you trade a Tiffany necklace.

FlyingMonkeys · 17/10/2018 15:03

I would ring regardless and speak to the head. Tell them it's the most ridiculous system on earth, you expect a full refund for the value of the necklace, and they need to operate a cash deposit system at the start of the school year instead.

SomeKnobend · 17/10/2018 15:03

Keep the laptop.

Topseyt · 17/10/2018 15:03

What a bizarre and ridiculous system.

At the secondary school my DD3 went to you could only borrow expensive equipment (e.g. a camera needed for a GCSE art project) was that the parent had to supply a £100 cheque which the school would keep but only pay in if the equipment was either not returned or was damaged.

Taking charge of the child's valuable items is just stupid, and asking for trouble.

Assuming that you find this is indeed what has happened, tell them to return the laptop to you. You will be keeping it until they have found and returned the necklace or have bought DD a suitable replacement.

Gazelda · 17/10/2018 15:06

I think you should call right now. Ask that they give you a copy of their laptop loan policy.
Don't wait. It might have been put on a desk with the intention of putting it in the safe later. Then it got covered in paperwork. Then it got scooped into the bin. Someone senior needs to know about this today.

boredmum18 · 17/10/2018 15:06

100% keep the laptop. It's the only acceptable thing to do as no way they would have returned the necklace without getting the laptop back

Seriously op I'd be raging if I was you!! If the school won't replace I'm sure you could take them to small claims court.

Isitmybathtimeyet · 17/10/2018 15:10

On a side note, your daughter has an expensive necklace and if she lost it you wouldn't be cross and would replace it at Christmas? Wouldn't you have any sort of discussion about caring for precious things?

ChocolateWombat · 17/10/2018 15:22

This just doesn't sound quite right to me.

I would speak to DD again to clarify what happened and say to her that you will be contacting the school about it, if she delivers the same story again. You might find an adjustment at that point.....you might not, I wouldn't suggest she has fabricated the story because I don't know her, but it is a possibility you should consider.

If she maintains school took her necklace and have now lost it, I would email the Head of Year and also the Head, with a query....always best to raise a query rather than a complaint. Ask for clarification about the school policy for borrowing laptops, if collateral is required and the storage systems and signing in and out procedures. Say that DD says school have lost her item, so you would like that investigated as a matter of urgency and look forward to hearing from them within 24 hours, as this is a serious matter.

I suspect things might not be as simple as they seem.....but would be very interested to know the outcome. Please come back and tell us, regardless of whether the school has turned out to be in the wrong about this or not.

NarcolepticOuchMouse · 17/10/2018 15:28

They should be replacing it. If your daughter had lost the laptop you'd be expected to foot the bill.

LightastheBreeze · 17/10/2018 15:36

I think I would have been on the phone to the school regardless as the necklace was lost, not waiting in case it turns up, how old is DD.

GhostsInSnow · 17/10/2018 15:37

So she has a mobile in school but instead of handing it over to the school she decided to take off a hidden necklace and hand that over?

Find me a teenager that would rather be parted from their phone than a piece of jewellery. Nothing all all unusual about that.

LannieDuck · 17/10/2018 15:38

Is it possible someone else has returned their laptop and taken the wrong deposit item? If there's no record of what belongs to whom, I imagine teachers are relying on honesty... (and how closely to they check that students only claim one item each?).

They should at least have a list of which students returned laptops this morning, which could be a good starting point.

Wolfiefan · 17/10/2018 15:43

It is unusual for a child to stand in front of staff and undo blouse buttons etc to hand over a piece of personal jewellery. I
Would also be stunned if they would accept something with sentimental value as collateral.
Mad system anyway.

DGRossetti · 17/10/2018 15:43

.

FunSponges · 17/10/2018 15:43

What a stupid system! I'd expect the school to replace it and I'd hand the laptop back when I received a necklace. Works both ways.