To leave my son in the school play ground and go to work ??

[Manda25]

My son is 7 (8 Next month) and in yr 3. For the last 9 months or so I have left him in the school playground about 10/15 minutes before the whistle goes. I ALWAYS leave him either when another girl in his class turns up (alone) or when I think enough parents (I don't know them) are in the playground. I always take him into the playground and don't turf him out at the gate - although we are in London we are in a nice leafy suburb.

So AIBU??

Why do you mention that you wait until there are 'enough' parents in the playground ? That suggests that you are not happy to leave him and assume that other parents will automatically assume responsibility for him.

DS1 will be cycling to school by himself in Year 3, wouldn't occur to me that you need a handover at that age.

Our (infants) school says they can't be left unsupervised until 8:50, bell goes at 8:55. But that doesn't apply to children who have walked there by themselves - well, I suppose they are supervising themselves.

Manda, I think the only bit where you are possibly BU is leaving your son when you "think enough parents (I don't know them) are in the playground". That implies that you are expecting some of them to look out for him? In which case you are BU not to ask them first. If he is capable of being left by himself it doesn't matter how many other people have arrived, does it?

Why shouldn't she expect the parents to look out for her ds if something happened in those ten minutes?

That's the way society always used to work, people looked out for each other. If I saw a child in need in the street or anywhere else, I would help them, and I hope any other adult would as well.

think it depends what the school says

our school says you cant leave children alone/before 8.40 when a teacher comes out

tho i have arrived early (8.30/35) and seen children there playing but no other adults, whether parents or teachers (as before 8.40) THIS IS WRONG!!

Can you clarify with the school (sorry if someone has already asked this). i.e. go into the office and say that it says you can drop off from 8.30 (or whenever) does that mean drop off and leave the dc and if so who should the dcs ask if there are any problems etc. If they say that no you can't leave them at 8.30 ask what time you can leave them from or ask another parent to be on hand.

At our school you can leave the dcs between 8.45-8.55 (Infant Playground) but in practice most parents stay or ask another parent to wave their child in. There is a teacher on duty for thos 10 minutes (teacher not TA if that is relevant)

I get to school really early ....usually there is no one in the play ground at all. I guess what i mean by 'enough parents' is 'some' parents...I dont expect them to watch my child - he would go would go inside if he was in trouble (something we have discussed) ... but i would hope that if he was seriously hurt one of the other parents would get help for him (I know I would do the same!) and in the very unlikely event of that happening it wouldn't matter if he was 5 or 15.

DS1 started a new school last week in reception.

He goes through the gate at 8.45 onto the playground. School starts at 9am. Parents are not encouraged onto the playground, so in effect you are leaving your 4 year old alone 15 minutes before the bell.

I admit, it feels a bit weird to me, but it seems to be working ok! Has meant I'm 15minutes earlier for work than I anticipated too