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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is Slack of the After School Club Teacher & potentially Dangerous??

24 replies

rockinhippy · 01/12/2010 16:29

or as DD yr 3, am i over reacting??

Just collected DD (on time) from an after School club, to find her, & 2 other kids of a similar age .....alone & unsupervised in the dark, in a snow covered, icy play ground, with the usually locked the School Gates open to all Hmm

its a city center School, so at that age none of our kids get themselves to School, & very few wander around on their own

on asking DD why, she tells me they were just told by the club teacher to just go wait on their parents, & where then left alone Confused I'm presuming someone was round as lights were still on in the actual School, but no-one was supervising the kids in dark icy conditions, or even noticed if any were left, or if 1 was left alone, another Mum turning up at the same time as me, couldn't even find her Son

On complaining to DH on getting home, (its usually him who collects DD at this time, but he has I'mdyingitis Hmm"man flu") - he tells me apart from the weather, & a bit darker this week, this is how it has been other weeks too Shock

I'm not generally an over protective Mum, I believe she needs to learn to spread her wings & I prefer to take the angle of teach her to look after herself, rather than wrap her in cotton wool - but I am not at all happy at all about this, especially as there are concerns over a known bit of an odd ball or 3 living locally Confused

I'm thinking I should raise his with the head, but as they are usually so good with this sort of thing, I am surprised its happened other weeks, so wonder if its just me Confused ????????

OP posts:
ShanahansRevenge · 01/12/2010 16:56

YANBU at all...I would probably have banged on the door and given the lazy buggers what for!

Yes...go to the head and complain in writing to the club.

Goblinchild · 01/12/2010 16:58

YANBU, we always do a handover for after school clubs.

BelligerentGhoul · 01/12/2010 16:59

YANBU at all. Complain - this isn't on. They have a duty of care to your child and leaving her in the dark, unsupervised is blatantly not meeting that duty.

SandStorm · 01/12/2010 17:04

YANBU - we hand over at normal home time and on every after school activity. And in this weather/in the dark children have to be collected from the classrooms.

WildistheWind · 01/12/2010 17:05

YANBU- I'd be fuming quite cross if DDs ASC did that.

I would complain first thing in the morning.

lborolass · 01/12/2010 17:08

Normally I'm pretty relaxed about what my DCs do but I would not be happy about this. The after school teacher should be checking that children are properly collected. I bet the head doesn't know they are being left alone outside.

YANBU

TiraMissYou · 01/12/2010 17:23

YANBU. At our after school club we have to sign out our DC's when we collect them.

missymousie · 01/12/2010 17:35

Woaa I have to sign out my Yr5 ds and he is very sensible and walks home on his own if I'm there through lovely safe village.

Yr3, dark, open area - they are failing their duty of care.

Though school used to do it with me when I was little (my mum was always late up to 2hrs) and it is the thing I have some of my most terrifying memories of. So maybe I'm a -big scaredy cat a bit over protective about pick ups

iiiiiiiiiiiiiitsChristmas · 01/12/2010 17:47

I am shocked that they would do this, I am also shocked that your DH hasn't done anything about it himself!

starfishmummy · 01/12/2010 17:49

YANBU. They have a duty of care. They should stay with the children until parents get there - even if the parents are late.

Is the club run by the school - if so then complain to the headteacher and the governing body if necessary.

If the club is run independently, as a "booking" then you need to find out who is in charge and complain to them, but also let the school know.

pinkteddy · 01/12/2010 17:57

This is definitely unreasonable of the club. Children should be signed out. Are they run independently of the school? Either way you should let the school know but you will need to complain direct to the club if they are independent.

curlymama · 01/12/2010 18:04

Presumably you are paying them to ensure your child is safe?

They are well out of order, I'd be reporting it to Ofsted.

SkyBluePearl · 01/12/2010 18:09

this is out of order - best meet with the head urgently and also say that your hubby always find them that way.

LaWeaselMys · 01/12/2010 18:10

When I did that job we would never have done that. Parents had to come in to get their DC in fact. I'd be miffed too!

MadamDeathstare · 01/12/2010 18:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

grendel · 01/12/2010 18:35

They are in breach of Ofsted regulations if they are not keeping the children safe whilst in their care. All children should be signed in when they arrive and signed out when they are collected.
Can't believe the club is operating like this. You should complain to the club manager in the strongest terms and if you don't get a satisfactory response from them you can make a complaint to Ofsted (although you might want to keep that in reserve).

SlightlyJaded · 01/12/2010 18:41

YANBU - they may even thank you for informing them. The school doesn't want anything happening to the children and I can only imagine this was an oversight liberty that was only the doing of one person.

Inform them immediately.

schoolsecretary · 01/12/2010 18:45

Totally agree this is bang out of order, all children should be with a teacher until they are collected, it is totally unforgivable that they where left in the dark with an open gate, how does the teacher know if they have been collected by their parents or just wandered off. Would definitely be having strong words with the head. Is this a paying after school club or something run by school like choir.

Original poster
rockinhippy · 01/12/2010 18:51

Thanks everyone, I didn't think it would be right at all & I was VERY AngryAngry Angry on finding DD in a dark icy playground with only 2 other young kids & no staff in site Angry, but as I'd also just had a row with DH on leaving the house, as it should of been my night off ....he is ill and playing dying bloody swan & is taking the P--Hmm

but then so am I & I have managed to keep going for the last 2 weeks, despite having other health problems.....so in short - I already had steam coming out of my ears before getting too the School Hmm

I have noticed with yr 3, they now let them leave the class when the bell goes, but that is into a supervised playground, full of other parents & staff.

I'm not sure who runs the club, it is a free one, so probably the School, though not usual teaching staff - & DD HAS already complained this ASC Teacher is "a bit rubbish" as he can't control "the naughty kids"

DD has owned up that they probably shouldn't of gone outside, but no-one was there to stop them & kids & snow etc

& yes, I too was surprised DH hasn't complained before now, he tends to wrap DD in cotton wool FAR more than I do & we've had many a word over him letting her grow up - but he says when he has picked her up, there were a lot of other Kids & parents around & still daylight, & not icy etc

So YES, I will be speaking with the head tomorrow, I'm pretty sure she won't be happy about it either

OP posts:
Original poster
rockinhippy · 01/12/2010 18:55

thinking more on the club itself, I know from an up coming club, run by a Teacher DD has has private classes with - that they are private organizations, hired by the LEA/School, so will speak with Head first & take it from there

thanks again

OP posts:
schoolsecretary · 01/12/2010 19:03

Totally agree this is bang out of order, all children should be with a teacher until they are collected, it is totally unforgivable that they where left in the dark with an open gate, how does the teacher know if they have been collected by their parents or just wandered off. Would definitely be having strong words with the head. Is this a paying after school club or something run by school like choir.

VivaLeBeaver · 01/12/2010 19:05

YANBU, Ofsted would crucify them for this.

schoolsecretary · 01/12/2010 19:05

Whoops sorry don't know why that got posted twice.

pinkteddy · 01/12/2010 19:16

Just for your info, if the club is under 2 hours long it does not have to be ofsted registered.

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