DD Released While No Adult Present

[IceniSky]

Just after opinion.

Do clubs like gymnastics, martial arts, dancing etc. have to follow any policies for ensuring an adult present before releasing from class? We missed a FB update as was at work, for new collection times, so followed the times we were given on a slip of paper for additional rehearsals. I even exchange words with teacher that we drop and leave.

DD 7 was left in a waiting area of a place where classes don't normally happened as she was told she can go. It took 40 minutes for the school to let us know she was waiting, after another parent alerted them she was alone and upset. She was going to leave the building looking for help. There was rehearsals still taking place in the main room. She was scared to interrupt.

This is a safeguarding issue.
I used to run a club for young girls aged 8 to 16.
Exactly the same set up as you describe.
All parents signed a contract that included health and safety rules including pick up times.
We would never have changed those times without updating the contract and getting all parents to sign the new one.
My biggest headache was ending up hanging around for up to an hour at the end of the session waiting for lazy parents to rock up to collect their kids, as one of us had to stay in the building/public area until the last one was safely collected.
The club has not behaved responsibly IMO.
In an emergency we had a SMS message system in place and we had to have parents' mobile numbers and a second emergency contact on file.

At my daughter's dance school they don't let the kids go unless they have someone to go to. If a parent is late they go back into the hall with the teachers and wait while the next class starts until their adult appears.

Even if the club improves its handovers, you definitely need a general chat with your DD about what to do at school/clubs/parties if for any reason you don't turn up in case something similar happens again elsewhere.

I and my fellow volunteers had to be DBS checked.
What would be the point of doing that if it is fine to send a child unaccompanied into a public area full of non DBS checked strangers.
It isn't logical.

Now my dd is 8 i have been asked whether i want to sign something to say she could leave a holiday club without me (i didn't sign and so they only released her when i arrived). But at brownies they still release individually. Mind you at school from y3 onwards they just release into the playground. Though obviously they'd know to go back and look for a teacher if no one was there. Did your daughter go back and look for the gym instructor? If no one was there and they'd all just left without checking everyone had been collected I'd be pissed off but not about the release into the waiting area itself iyswim.

I believe she was a lone for a while, after people left. Another parent then came in and found her. The room is open to anyone to walk into from the street.

I will talk to her about why she would cross the road to go to a shop rather than talk to the teacher in the rehearsal room, but this teacher can come across as rather intimidating / focused on achieving a good performance.

I am fairly shocked that they did that, OP. It's not on at all. I'd complain.

It wasn't the main school but a different building purely for rehearsals. Even the parent that found her walked up to the main building for help rather than interrupt.

We signed paperwork that until DD is 11 she has to be handed over to an adult. No adult, child is not allowed to leave and will be kept with the teacher.

Generally until around 11 an adult watches the kids to ensure each is collected, but if parents are late it's tricky because there's the next rehearsal and the child is told to wait until their parents arrive in the waiting area, of course if parents weren't late there's not an issue, people forget a club isn't childcare

We were only late because they changed the pick up time from the one I had on the slip of paper, and posted it on FB which I didnt look at because I was at work then straight to dropping her off. No mention of time changes at drop off.

That's an absolute safeguarding fail.
Make a formal complaint to the club . They should never let a child of that age go off alone, let alone without written permission.
Its no good just posting on FB about a change in arrangements, they need to make sure that the message reaches you. Social media is disabled in some workplaces ,such as my school, so its not an effective means of communication. It sounds as if they don't understand that they are responsible for the children until they are handed over.

A message on FB is not sufficient in the circumstances you describe. Anyone running a club or classes for children has to take responsibility for safeguarding. A modicum of common sense would usually be sufficient to ensure that children are not put at risk.

What are you going to do, IceniSky ? Interesting that the adult was too intimidated also to draw the teacher's attention to the fact that your daughter was alone!

I'll write an official complaint in a letter and also talk to them about it. Unfortunately the teacher in question is the owner.

I'm going to look for another school too. This one is too heavily focused on competitions and shows at the detriment of teaching I feel.

Our dance school is the same as sistesistene. Up to the age of 11, if the parent isn't there the children go back into class to wait with the teacher.

I would definitely complain if I was you

I do have a few reservations about the place, which is actually a very popular school. Definitely think we will leave.

Do classes have to have a max capacity and do these places have to comply to any particular fire regulations? I'm not convinced by the exits!

As a paying user of the premises you should have access to a copy of the fire safety assessments all all related documents.
Our club set up a website and I placed every single document on there. Fire safety, insurance, evacuation plans. There are rules in place for clubs that organisers and members must follow.

If it is an exempt from registering for Ofsted. There is no statutory safeguarding, staff ratio, qualifications. first aid requirements or policy needs. If they are renting premises then you need to refer to the renters policy on what they expect to be in place. Some request more than others. Our Insurance covers the building only.

They may have it all in place but worth checking if it is even using good practice which is also not statutory.