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Original poster

10-minute window to drop kids at school - is this common?

67 replies

JackalOnassis · 15/07/2023 10:43

Not a moan, just a general wondering. We have an infants (Reception, y1, y2) and juniors (y3+) school locally. At the Juniors you can drop them any time from about 8.30 in the playground.

At the Infants' the doors don't open until 8.50 and close at 9.00. So you need to wait with your child until you can "see them in". Minorly annoying, as however early I am, I can't get back to start work by 9am! (This is not actually a big problem).

Obviously you can pay for Breakfast Club if you need to drop earlier.

Just wondered how common this was?

OP posts:
KateyCuckoo · 15/07/2023 10:45

Same as our school, who will be watching them if you just drop when you like?

GreaseTrap101 · 15/07/2023 10:46

Same at our school. Any earlier and they go to breakfast club.

Bookish88 · 15/07/2023 10:52

Our school it's drop any time between 8 and 8:30 for Juniors. They're then supervised in the playground by the class TAs until 8:30 when they go inside.

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lillybeal · 15/07/2023 10:53

Our drop off is 8.40am to 8.50am

Blanketpolicy · 15/07/2023 10:53

At ours you waited with them in playground until bell went 5 mins before 9. Then they all lined up which took a couple of mins for them to all settle into lines before they went in. Once our line was heading in we could leave.

MamaRaisingBoys · 15/07/2023 10:54

Any time between 8.45 and 9 here, both infants and juniors

5childrenand · 15/07/2023 10:57

It makes sense that parents need to stay until the school adults are ready to take over supervision. Especially for infants who are at most 7.

Our school is drop at classrooms between 8:35 and 8:45. All through primary.

TheHorneSection · 15/07/2023 10:59

Junior is obviously more flexible as the kids are older so they all tend to go into school or hang out in the playground once they are there.

Infants we have to take them to queue by their class door and wait for a teacher or TA to open up and be ready for them, I would have thought this was usual for very young kids.

Sometimes I need to rush back for a meeting, but everyone is nice and I normally just leave DS with another mum for two mins - have done it for others too plenty of times.

Blueskysunflower · 15/07/2023 11:01

Gate opens 8:40, children go straight inside and get started. Gate closes at 8:50. You can drop off anytime in that window (albeit most are there by 8:41), anyone after 8:50 is deemed “late” and must be signed into school via the office. Some year 4/5/6 children are left waiting for the gate to open by themselves but definitely not infants age.

They used to have the gate open for parents to drop and run early and so kids could play before school, but a child was injured while unsupervised and it was disrupting staff preparing for the day as kids were trying to enter classrooms early (raining, needed toilet etc) so it stopped. Fair enough really, there’s a breakfast club available.

Expecting to leave an infants age child alone and unsupervised in a playground so you can get to work is ridiculous. What you really mean is you effectively want school staff to take responsibility for them or other responsible parents who are waiting with their child. What do you expect to happen if your kid falls over and bangs their head for example?

snoozingbaby1476 · 15/07/2023 11:01

Yep 10 min drop here but we don't go on site in the morning just drop at the gate & the kids walk to their class. There are plenty of teachers around to supervise them. This was a change during Covid & they've never gone back to letting parents on site at drop off. It's so much better imo.

PuttingDownRoots · 15/07/2023 11:03

Yr5&6 can arrive unsupervised from 8.45, otherwise they are parents responsibility until 8.55.

Bemyclementine · 15/07/2023 11:03

Ours used to do gates open at 8.30, but they didn't line up and go in til 8.45. Parents had to be there til they went in..

Since covid, there's a drop off window from 8.40 to 9am. Straight in. Much better imo.

EarringsandLipstick · 15/07/2023 11:04

10 minutes for us too - 8:40 gates open, 8:50 school starts.

I am surprised that you find it strange!

Shopper727 · 15/07/2023 11:05

Ours thr bell went at 9 they all go in you go home if you need to be some here earlier you need to make separate arrangements no breakfast clubs here

NeedToBookAGetaway · 15/07/2023 11:06

Yep common

sleepyscientist · 15/07/2023 11:11

In infants that seems fair as they can't be unsupervised. Juniors is different as they can play alone with teachers in school for 10 minutes.

Throwaway11 · 15/07/2023 11:13

Classroom doors open at 8.45 for school to start straight away. Parents are instructed that they must stay on the playground with their child until the doors are opened unless children are in Year 6. Doors are closed at 8.50 and after that you have to take your child to the office and be signed in as late.

Badbudgeter · 15/07/2023 11:14

At our school you’ve done your job when you’ve dropped them off at the gate. Playground staff are in at 8:30. About 1/3 of kids are rural and get council buses to school. My understanding is that once the children are on the bus the LA is responsible for safety so they should be supervised in the playground. It’s better not to have random parents hanging around so they encourage everyone to drop at the gate.

Original poster
JackalOnassis · 15/07/2023 11:18

Expecting to leave an infants age child alone and unsupervised in a playground so you can get to work is ridiculous. What you really mean is you effectively want school staff to take responsibility for them or other responsible parents who are waiting with their child.

Is that directed at me? If so, you have completely imagined that I expect or want these things. I don't.

I was partly wondering if others started earlier than 8.50/9, which it appears they do.

OP posts:
Original poster
JackalOnassis · 15/07/2023 11:21

EarringsandLipstick · 15/07/2023 11:04

10 minutes for us too - 8:40 gates open, 8:50 school starts.

I am surprised that you find it strange!

I don't find it strange. I was wondering how common it was. If it turns out it was very uncommon, I would find it strange!

OP posts:
Karrpt · 15/07/2023 11:24

Do you expect them to pay someone to stand in the playground for half an hour babysitting?

Yes, it's normal to supervise your own children outside of school hours 😅

Original poster
JackalOnassis · 15/07/2023 11:25

I think the "window" starts as late as it does so people can get across town from juniors to infants. So I'm not complaining.

I mentioned it to a friend who expressed surprise, so thought I'd gauge opinion!

OP posts:
TheTurn0fTheScrew · 15/07/2023 11:26

Yup, pretty common. If you only need to drop 5-10 mins early some of the time it's worth buddying up with other working parents who need the favour returning from time to time. Otherwise it's breakfast club.

PuttingDownRoots · 15/07/2023 11:27

So your question is more what time do Primary schools start?

The five my DDs attended started at...
7.25 (not mainland UK!) Finished 1pm
8.30 Finished 3pm
8.45 (but 9.15 during Covid due to staggered hours) finished 3.20
8.50 finished 3.30
8.55. Finished 3.30

spiderlight · 15/07/2023 11:29

Ours was the same - we had to wait with them until they went in at 8.55, right up until Y5.