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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:
Dancergirl · 03/03/2011 12:10

Madness. We have a rule at our school about no scooters on the playground at pick up time 'in case of accidents'. And my dd told me she wasn't allowed to roll down a grassy bank last summer.

My children know I don't 'do' health and safety and I encourage them to break all these silly rules. I would tell all the other mums to do the same and the school will have a stampede on their hands lol..... Wink

worraliberty · 03/03/2011 12:12

MmeLindt I was talking about the incorrect footwear. If a child split its head open whilst not being supervised properly or made to wear correct footwear by the supervisor, they could well be sued I'm afraid.

MrsNorthman · 03/03/2011 12:14

Madness I know but we had one boy fall of the climbing frame at our school and he broke his arm. The children had been told not to play on the climbing frame but they had ignored the rules. The mother was not supervising him, but chatting to other mums (which is normal and drop off and pick up) but then she blamed the school.

I suppose they are in a lose lose situation so they make the rules to keep off the equipment.

worraliberty · 03/03/2011 12:15

So Dancegirl if you saw a toddler knocked to the ground and injured by a kid speeding through a packed playground on a scooter, you'd still think the rule was silly?

Original poster
littleducks · 03/03/2011 12:17

I sometimes let my kids scoot/ride bikes to school...maybe i should let them play on the equipment in their helmets and knee/elbow pads Wink

OP posts:
GiddyPickle · 03/03/2011 12:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RustyBear · 03/03/2011 12:21

Dancergirl - you might not be so keen to encourage your child to 'break all these silly rules' if you'd had to deal with the result of a toddler being run over by an enthusiastic five year old on a scooter in the playground. Neither of them were our pupils, btw, they were waiting to pick up older siblings and the mum was ignoring our sensible rules about no scooters at pick up/drop-off time.

MmeLindt · 03/03/2011 12:21

Scooters and bikes are banned in our playgrounds, though. Sensible rule, imo.

PURPLESWAN · 03/03/2011 12:21

"if the child had split its head open or got an even more serious injury, the school would quite rightly be sued"

You see I dont understand this at all OK if a child has a subsequent disability and additional needs as a result of negligence then YES sue but if an accident was non life threatening and not as a result of negligence then WHY?

Its all part of the learning curve we ALL fell of off something when we were small and got cut lips, egg heads etc. I was once lassoed off a bike and smashed my head on the pavement - should my parents have sued his for supplying the rope? This is WHY our children arent allowed to climb trees, run on field when its slippery, climb on the frame before school.

FabbyChic · 03/03/2011 12:22

Kids already get religious holidays off like Christmas and Easter as these are bank holidays, I see no reason to keep children off for any other reason then other than sickness.

Too many children are kept home if they so much has have a sniffle. Too many precious parents not being arsed to take their kids when it is too cold for them to go out in the morning.

Generally only those on income support have ever got a reduced rate for school trips, those on lower wages do get assistance via CTC and WTC.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 03/03/2011 12:23

MmeLindt, surely you have the third party insurance? Wink
At DDs school they play on everything as far as I know, there is no before school supervision which is a pain in the bum given her clumsy nature. I had to take her for an x-ray last year after she fell off the pirate ship.

altinkum · 03/03/2011 12:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fifi25 · 03/03/2011 12:25

Our school is good boardering on outstanding and they are going all out to get an outstanding. They are shaming parents whos kids are off at the min. We pay our own insurance, they still let them play on the equipemt. If the £100 is the done thing our school will definately introduce it. They will be waiting for a long time for me to pay them £100 though Shock

worraliberty · 03/03/2011 12:25

Purple I meant if the supervisor allowed incorrect footwear, otherwise I totally agree. Say a kid wears their wellies in the playground and then decides to use the climbing frame. I would personally expect a supervisor to go and make them change.

fifi25 · 03/03/2011 12:27

all scooters and bikes are banned in our yard also after a nasty incident with a toddler being ran over

worraliberty · 03/03/2011 12:27

Fabby there are far more religious holidays other than Easter and Christmas. They would be no good to a Hindu or a Muslim for example?

PURPLESWAN · 03/03/2011 12:28

Ah well it was put up a few years back and I think we all assume that outdoor wood equipment would somehow be non slippery...now all of us who have decking know otherwise Grin

Once the problem came to light they brought in the "no trainers, no access rule" and enfoce it. Obviously if they had this issue brought to their attention and did nothing then its a different scenario.

PURPLESWAN · 03/03/2011 12:28

enforce!

MrsH75 · 03/03/2011 12:35

You wonder why they have the equipment at all if their main concern is children getting injured and having a day off.

Why don't they just put up a disclaimer notice that outside of school hours parents or guardians are responsible for the kids safety on the play equipment?

Original poster
littleducks · 03/03/2011 12:35

Fabby: we arent Christian so don't celebrate Christmas or Easter.

I take my kids to school when they are well, even if its cold Hmm. I think ofsted picked up on the lots of days off due to it being a diverse/multicultural school and children missed school due to being abroad etc. But i only think this I'm not certain. The problem isnt that bad imo, but i think ofsted have to suggest an area to improve in. It was worded like this in the letter to parents, after 20 lines explaining what had impressed inspectors:

You can also help by making sure that you come to school as often as you can.

I dont want fee school trips btw, just pointing out that they arent playing fair, they are only allowed to ask for 'voluntary contributions' but dont word it like that.

OP posts:
GiddyPickle · 03/03/2011 12:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dancergirl · 03/03/2011 12:53

So Dancegirl if you saw a toddler knocked to the ground and injured by a kid speeding through a packed playground on a scooter, you'd still think the rule was silly?

Children get knocked over, fall off bikes/scooters, get grazes/bumps/bruises, sometimes broken bones etc, fact. It's all part of childhood. Sometimes the playground in our local park is jam-packed - what would you do then? Ban scooters?

I've seen a toddler get knocked over in the school playground by an older child running fast - he went straight into him. What are you going to do - ban running? Wink

Sorry, but this H and S thing is killing childhood and free play. Children need a few risks.

LibraPoppyGirl · 03/03/2011 13:26

£100 per parent per day!!!!!

What the blazes is that all about??

It's madness, I tell you, madness Shock

miniwedge · 03/03/2011 13:40

I'm not sure why its the schools responsibility to watch the kids, advice on suitable footwear ect before and after school hours.

Surely as parents you are responsible?

I don't really see the issue with them being stopped from playing on certain things, there is unfortunately a massive blame culture in this country now.

DD's school has banned children from coming on school grounds altogether until the gates open at 8.45am ready to go straight to class. Much easier way to go I think.

MrsH75 · 03/03/2011 14:07

Giddypickle

It is possible to exclude liability other than for personal injury and death caused by the negligence of the school - say if they didn't maintain the equipment properly.

The signs also serve a purpose in getting it into people's minds that there would be no point sueing if there was an accident, whether or not it would be enforceable in court.

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