Should I raise this with the nursery

[MomsNatter]

Ds1 when on his preschool trip on Friday. Apparently they 'lost him for a minute'. I know this sort of thing happens, but when my DH asked them about it they said one of the parent helpers was looking after him as he was being good. Is this the norm then? They had asked me to go but then said there wasn't enough room on the coach (turns out there was) but I assumed that the nursery nurses would actually be responsible for the kids and that we would just be there as extra help.

I should add that the parent helper was also looking after his own child. Doubly miffed as I wanted to go

It's not normal at my DS's school.

At nursery age, the parents have 4 kids to look after and they are always joined with a member of staff who also has 4 kids to look after...so there are 8 kids and 2 adults in each group.

They also don't allow the parents to look after their own children for fairly obvious reasons.

I think you have to be crb checked to take sole charge of a child? Actually I'm not even sure you can do that if you are not employed by the nursery, just guessing though...

4 kids though!!! I have trouble keeing tabs on my 2 if I'm on my own!!

At our pre-school it was 1 adult per 2 children. They therefore relied heavily on parent helpers. And they usually put a parent with her/his child and a friend.

Mince, i thought that. That's why i was a bit . Crunch, i think that's what they did on this trip.

Not that I think the dad was dodgy I hasten to add!

4 kids though!!! I have trouble keeing tabs on my 2 if I'm on my own!!

It's quite simple because you'd be surprised how disciplined and 'different' kids are when they are part of a class...especially if the staff are strict.

4 kids means I hold hands with 2 and the other 2 hold hands with each other and walk in front of me.

In front of them will be the teacher doing the same thing with her 4 kids.

It's actually very easy.

Parent helpers should ideally be CRB checked, but this doesn't happen every time because it's expensive to do, and as long as parent helpers aren't left alone with children who aren't theirs, it's within the rules.

Adult to child ratios have to be higher when leaving the setting, so that's why parent helpers are used, and because their help is genuinely needed. Parent helpers at my dc's school have allocated children that they have to keep an eye on, and I think that's pretty standard.

However, this nursery were ultimately responsible and I would be horrified to hear my child had been lost, no matter how brief it was. I'd ask to see a copy of the risk assesment they undertook before doing this trip, as they should have had one, and see if you think it is adequate. They should be telling you how they will prevent this happening again without you having to ask.

I didn't need a crb check for pre-school but do for school. For my dc's schools the ratios are 1 adult per 2 children for pre-school and reception class and 1 per 4 for years 1 and 2. School doesn't assign parent to child's group and as Worra says it is quite easy to look after 4 kids on a school trip.

I do feel unhappy about it, but not sure what I want to happen! Part of me thinks it's done now and he'll be leaving in a couple of months so what would I achieve? It's a good nursery and i've never worried about safety before so wouldn't need to raise concerns for future parents. At the same time I think it should be noted somehow.

not happy with this at all. who are the parent-helpers? if not background checked, they should not be out of the teacher's sight.

i don't like school trips. children are too precious to be sent out and about with people who don't love them.

Talk to the nursery and ask them (as Freddos suggested) about the risk assessment and how they are going to prevent this happening again. It should have shocked them enough to take action.

I know our primary school doesn't pair parents with their child because some parents can get too involved with their own child. I would probably be more at risk of losing my own child as I would watch the others more. (even if I don't love them )