To think the school is over-reacting?

[Cezzy]

We received a letter home today from primary school to request that in light of the abduction of April in Wales (we are in Norfolk) we are to escort our children into school and ensure they are collected by a nominated person. I appreciate what has happened is horrible but thankfully it is rare and most children are taken by people known to them or their families. I feel this is a matter for us as parents to decide and not for the school. DD is just getting to an age where we are letting her be more independent and I do not want to stop this. She is aware that these things happen, knows what to do if approached by a stranger and the walk to school is in residential areas with lots of houses, as are most of the routes taken to school in our village. Aibu to feel the school is over-reacting? Ok younger children need escorting but surely with older children in yr 5 and 6 we can make our own choices.

YANBU. That is madness. Your child is no more at risk this week than they were last week!

How ridiculous!

I'd be tempted to show it to your local newspaper and shame the school into apologising for being idiotic.

YANBU - stupid knee-jerk reaction which is likely to spread fear and paranoia amongst the children.

YANBU

However it sounds like they are trying to put minds at rest. Maybe a few over concerned parents with anxiety issues have approached the head about safety because of little April?

Crazy! Who was the letter from, the Head Teacher?

Infants yes. Juniors - up to you.

Sadly there will be even more eroding of children's rights to have some independent play out of doors now. Despite the fact that the little girl in question was seemingly taken by a man she knew, not a stranger.

YANBU

It's not as if the odds of a child being randomly abducted are any higher as a result of the incident in Wales. The guy being investigated wasn't a random stranger, anyhow.

our school have a policy of adult pick up /drop off for all up to including year 4. Years 5 and 6 may come and go unaccompanied with prior parental consent. I would suggest to your school that they institute a properly thought through policy rather than a knee- jerk reaction.

Our school requires a signed form if you want your child to go home alone, so that makes it perfectly clear to both school and parents what is permitted. All other children have to be picked up.

I like this system, as it lets parents decide when their child is ready to be going home alone (age, maturity, route and means of travel).

I think schools do need to have a clear policy about dismissals at the end of the day. But to try to pin a new restrictive policy onto a news event unconnected with school pick ups just makes them look silly.

Yes the letter is signed by the head. And I don't think she has children herself.

I would write a letter back to the school telling them that using a tragic story like this to scaremonger is disgusting and that as your DD's parent you will decide how she gets to and from school. Poor little April was abducted by someone she knew, and implying that it happened because her parents weren't supervising her properly (which is what this policy of theirs seems to suggest) is horrible.

We do have a signed letter policy for yr 3 upwards, I agree under that they need escorting and I think that is as far as the school needs to go, beyond that its up to parents. I appreciate some parents may be anxious, I am very sympathetic to the girls parents, however this paranoia can pass on to the children which is not healthy and it is up to those anxiuos parents to make their own arrangements with their child.

She wasn't even 'taken' whilst travelling to/from school. Strange.