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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that dds school is being mean not letting them play on the playground equipment before school?

51 replies

littleducks · 03/03/2011 11:28

DDs school is fairly good but is a bit 'fussy' was rated ofsted outstanding and is desperate to keep this, the thing recommended to work on was absence.

So since then the school has taken a militant stance, we are limited to 3 days off a year for religious occassions and are supposed to fill in a form to ask for these days off whixch states at the end 'if my child does not return on the date decided by the school we agree to pay a £100 fine to the school per parent per day.'

The infantr playground opens at about 8.25 am for school starts at 8.50, it is supervised by staff from 8.30/8.35 (cant remember) and parents of older children leave the kids then.

The children are not allowed on the grass, where there are climbing frames/adventure playgroundy stuff. But are allowed to play on tarmaced surface. This is encouraged as other school issue is lateness.

DD is in reception and has to go to a seperate entrance which is in her classroom 'graden' we have been told not to let children or siblings touch the equipment set out as it is a learning space. Fair enough but hard as it is toys set out all enticing (plastic figures on tables etc).

So i keep dd and ds (2) in infasnt playground until the bell goes then walk in reception entrance. Most parents with reception children do this dropping older children first.

My kids were told not to play on a wooden boat. I was surprised and went to get ds off as he was just ignoring the teacher Blush. Apparently the head has decided they are not allowed to play on the boat (a wooden shape you sit in) incase a child gets injured and the MISSES a WHOLE DAY OF SCHOOL. The risk of being injured later in the day after registration is not an issue.

Sorry for the mamoth post just didnt want to have an AIBU by stealth thread.

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 03/03/2011 11:35

Something to do with insurance?

wisecamel · 03/03/2011 11:40

OP, our primary does this too - I thought that they were just plain mean, didn't realise that might be the reason. In our case, we all have to stand in the playground, surrounded by play equipment that they're not supposed to touch before school. Not easy! I must admit, I turn a blind eye then chivvy them off if the teacher comes, but don't feel much of a grown up doing this!

theagedparent · 03/03/2011 11:40

Wow, they really are worried about the absence thing. Does seem a bit mean that they can't play before school.

cumfy · 03/03/2011 11:41

if my child does not return on the date decided by the school we agree to pay a £100 fine to the school per parent per day Shock

Is your school private or just run by psychopaths ?

Original poster
littleducks · 03/03/2011 11:42

I wouldn't mind if it was insurance, but it cant be if they open the playground and allow parents to leave children supervised by them with other 'hazards' there ie. if they ran into a pole/fell off a bench.

It was that the head has said it was a problem if they got injured, they would miss a whole day of school. No concern about the injury just missing school.

Though tbh i dont think there would be many injuries from sitting in a boat. There are benches, a wooden hut, a small train which pose the same risk. I didnt mention that in case they get banned too!

OP posts:
wisecamel · 03/03/2011 11:43

cumfy crikey never really clocked that! OP, sounds like the play equipment issue should be the last of your worries! Shock

ASecretLemonadeDrinker · 03/03/2011 11:44

I am guessing insurance - our school does not allow them to play onthe equipment before school, but does afterwards.

Your last paragraph is odd though - that's obviously the reason then, she doesn't want children going home before register. Sounds abit.... dictatory (is that a word??)

cumfy · 03/03/2011 11:44

No concern about the injury just missing school.

Please, you must have some other stories about this guy ... :o

Has anyone considered sectioning him ?

lovenamechange100 · 03/03/2011 11:46

Thought you were describing DS school til saw the bit about £100 fine - gosh never heard of this before thats mad!

DS School also has a lot of outdoor wooden clibming frames an train etc (very nice too) but they are not allowed on it before or after school.

I have to keep my DS off it everyday and it really annoys me that other parents (not many) dont stop their LO that are nursery age (collected first) them going on and I have to explain to DS that they are in the wrong.

Must be insurance thing, though the amount of bumps and play problems that DS has brought home that happen at lunch times makes me question their supervision anyway.

Original poster
littleducks · 03/03/2011 11:47

The head is a woman!

It is a state primary (with seperate infant/junior playgrounds)

I took dd out for a religious celebration day and wrote my own letter as i wasnt signing that!

They also are funny about money for school trips/theatre visits, they ask for payment not a 'voluntary contribution' and give a lower payment (usually half) for parents on 'income support' who must contact the office. No mention of other low income families and makes it feel compulsory to pay.

OP posts:
BoattoBolivia · 03/03/2011 11:49

I our school, where I teach, it is an insurance issue. The school is liable if there is an accident, but cannot supervise the equipment properly as the playground is full of parents and siblings. I get fed up with asking children to get off the equipment after school (climbing on top of slides etc) when the parents are right there, but not taking any notice of their child. At playtime we have extra staff on duty just to watch the play equipment.
Regarding the reception learning environment, the staff will have been in school early to get their classrooms ready for the day so that they don't have children sitting around in lesson time watching them do this. This is good practice. In early years, particularly, the outside play area is just as important as the classroom for learning, so may well have been set up to link with the learning for that day. Of course it is hard for your child to walk past it all without playing, but that in itself is part of dd's learning self control.
The absence issue comes from the LEA and Ofsted, there is HUGE pressure on heads to stop authorising leave. It's a tough call.

BoattoBolivia · 03/03/2011 11:51

X-post. Sounds bonkers!!!

meditrina · 03/03/2011 11:52

My youngest's school is a bit like this. Everyone waits in the front playground until doors open, and older children (yr3+) can be dropped as they have staff on duty. No ball or equipment games are allowed (though they are at playtime). I had always understood this to be because of the sheer number of people milling about, the mixed age group (R, 1&2 don't go out at same times as 3+ in the day), and presence of even younger siblings lugged along on the school run. It is based on worries about injury, but in a nice way, as they don't want children, especially littlies, hurt. Doesn't stop them all dashing round like mad things, though.

worraliberty · 03/03/2011 11:53

They can ask you to sign what you want and you can sign it but schools can NOT issue fines. They are issued by the LEA.

As for the equipment, if the children are not supervised properly by a member of staff, it will affect their insurance so that's pretty standard in most schools.

sunnydelight · 03/03/2011 11:53

I'd love to see them try and enforce the 100 quid a day thing - totally barking! I also thought all schools had to put that "it's voluntary but if we don't get enough money the trip may not go ahead" bit when asking for money too. Legally I think they are sailing close to the wind.

Original poster
littleducks · 03/03/2011 11:55

I do understand about the EYFS learning area, so dont go in there till the last minute as I just find it too stressful arguing with my two year old to not touch anything when the are toys everywhere. I can say to dd to wait till she is sin chool but my little one obv cant.

I wish reception lined up in the playground like the rest tbh.

If they had said insurance i would have been a bit disapointed but would understand but the reason given really wound me up.

OP posts:
Original poster
littleducks · 03/03/2011 11:55

in school

OP posts:
worraliberty · 03/03/2011 11:58

I wouldn't mind if it was insurance, but it cant be if they open the playground and allow parents to leave children supervised by them with other 'hazards' there ie. if they ran into a pole/fell off a bench

But that's totally different to allowing children to play on equipment unsupervised. They also would have no way of knowing how many children are on the equipment at once. A supervisor would make sure it was being played with properly and safely so I'd say it's definitely an insurance thing.

cumfy · 03/03/2011 11:59

She sounds like Jack Nicholson off The Shining.

All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy
All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy
All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy
All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy
....

PURPLESWAN · 03/03/2011 12:00

Its going to be an insurance issue or worry about litigation in case of an accident.

The children have wonderful play equipment at their school but are only allowed on it wearing "certain" footwear after a child was injured on it wearing pumps...his father was a lawyer and I think they were worried he would sue.

Most of us would give our kids a cuddle and tell them to get on with it but SOME parents would get £££ in their eyes.

worraliberty · 03/03/2011 12:03

Exactly Purple the no win no fee merchants spoil it for everyone. Though on a far more important note, if the child had split its head open or got an even more serious injury, the school would quite rightly be sued.

Original poster
littleducks · 03/03/2011 12:03

worra- It is currently only the boat that is banned, it is wooden with seats in the same height as the unbanned wooden benches. There are also an unbanned wooden train, a small hut with a seat in and imo the biggest hazard is a series of big prettily painted poles that the kids run around like crazy.

The climbing frames on the grass have always been banned and are not used in winter. Fair enough.

OP posts:
Original poster
littleducks · 03/03/2011 12:05

And it isnt 'unsupervised' there are 3 members of staff in high vis vests supervising, plus parents who may or may not be supervising the kids Wink

OP posts:
MmeLindt · 03/03/2011 12:05

Gosh, I am so glad that we live in Switzerland.

Here is how it works:

The school playgrounds are left unlocked. The children can play there before and after school, at weekends, whenever they like.

There is no insurance issue because it is clear that the parents are responsible for their children.

MmeLindt · 03/03/2011 12:07

Worra
Why would the school be sued if a child split it's head open? I fell off the climbing frame and needed stitches in my chin when I was in P1. Why would parents sue?

YANBU, btw OP. And the £100 a day is madness.

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