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AIBU?

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Original poster

to think this primary school security is lax?

83 replies

Woolleymammoth · 14/12/2015 11:10

Long story short...
Dc primary school, parents encouraged to leave dc from 8.40 once thru school gates. Dc play outside til 8.50 when they are called in (exception of reception who are delivered straight to classroom).

School is large and has 4 gates, 2 on infant side, 2 on junior side.

Kids can get all round the school grounds.

Only one infant gate has staff directly next to it, the other infant gate has someone sort of near it. Junior side has one staff member somewhere in playground, maybe near one gate but not other.

I know for a fact of at least one junior child who was able to leave after drop off and before being called in.

What do you think? Is this normal security wise for schools?

Ok not very short sorry!!

OP posts:
elf0508 · 14/12/2015 11:51

Very normal. I've never seen a school have staff stand beside the gates

PaulAnkaTheDog · 14/12/2015 11:53

Normal.

ReallyTired · 14/12/2015 12:00

By juniors a child without special needs should be capable of knowing not to run off. Shock horror! Some key stage 2 children walk to school by themselves. Children have to be allowed a little freedom to prepare them for secondary.

Original poster
Woolleymammoth · 14/12/2015 12:00

Normal where infants are left without parents and kids can leave unnoticed?

Really?

OP posts:
ReallyTired · 14/12/2015 12:05

In our school the parents of infants are required to supervise them and hand them over to the teacher. Dropping them off and running is quite common in juniors. Parents with a child in infants often tell the older child in juniors to go their classroom and keep a closer eye on the younger child. Otherwise it would be impossible for both children to be at school on time.

Original poster
Woolleymammoth · 14/12/2015 12:10

Yes they should know better but sometimes kids do stupid things.

My y5 walks by himself but y3s probably don't and the school has specifically said kids can be left unattended from 8.40.

Plus it is a primary not a junior school.

Hmmm it just makes me uneasy -mainly because I bumped into a distressed child running away from school the other morning....

OP posts:
Mistigri · 14/12/2015 12:17

There was always a member of staff on the gate in our old primary. Except for preschool, parents never came onto the premises, so once through the school gate the school was responsible for the children.

I would think that legally the school has responsibility for a child who has been delivered to the school premises at the correct time, especially if parents have been explicitly told to remain outside the school gates. If the school wants parents to retain responsibility, then they need to ask or at least allow parents to remain in the playground until school starts.

Enjolrass · 14/12/2015 12:20

Our school doesn't have rules about having to leave them, but many parents after from around year 2, do leave them.

No staff in the yard or any of the 3 gates.

It's a good school and has decent security, especially at reception. A child escaped during the day. They jumped the gate.

There was a consultation with parents and we don't want 10ft high fences. It's not a prison and if a child wants to get out, they probably will.

The gate is staying at 5ft, thankfully.

Your school sounds fine to me.

AliceInUnderpants · 14/12/2015 12:22

You choose to leave them, despite knowing there's no supervision until 8.50. Kids need to grow up.

Original poster
Woolleymammoth · 14/12/2015 12:23

Misti, see I think that. If my child ran home and was hit by a car, damn right I'd blame the school. It's not hard to man a gate.

Other poster, I'm glad my dc aren't at that school. Some kids aren't sensible and no kids are all the time.

Schools aren't prisons but they should be adequately secure.

OP posts:
ReallyTired · 14/12/2015 12:23

"Yes they should know better but sometimes kids do stupid things."

Secondary school kids do stupid things, so do university students. At what point do you stop wrapping children up in cotton wool and let them have some responsibility and independence. Children often have to take buses to get to secondary school and if they are constantly watched and protected from their stupidity they will never learn.

A junior school child who leaves the grounds without permission needs punishing by both their parents and the school. If a child is school refused then maybe other arrangements need to be made for supervision of that child.

Original poster
Woolleymammoth · 14/12/2015 12:24

Reallytired

Yes I do see that....

OP posts:
Original poster
Woolleymammoth · 14/12/2015 12:26

Alice. Not correct, there is supposed to be supervision. My view is that it isn't adequate.

OP posts:
AliceInUnderpants · 14/12/2015 12:26

What age is juniors? My youngest started walking to school with her older sister from p2 (6 yo). She's unsupervised in the playground for at least ten minutes before the bell rings.

Original poster
Woolleymammoth · 14/12/2015 12:27

This is a primary - age 5 onwards are left by parents

OP posts:
PaulAnkaTheDog · 14/12/2015 12:28

It's not hard to man a gate.

Why don't you volunteer to if you are so worried? Teachers are busy at that time. They don't have time to stand at a gate because one parent is being over protective.

treaclesoda · 14/12/2015 12:28

It sounds normal to me. I've never seen a primary school have staff on the gates at morning drop off (I have, over the years, driven past a few different ones on my way to work around drop off time). There is no staff member at either of the gates at my DCs school. Parents drop them off at the school gates from around the second week of P1, there is no direct handing them over to a teacher.

AliceInUnderpants · 14/12/2015 12:28

Alice. Not correct, there is supposed to be supervision. My view is that it isn't adequate.

You didn't say in your OP that there was supposed to be supervision.

Original poster
Woolleymammoth · 14/12/2015 12:28

Yes I did Alice

OP posts:
Original poster
Woolleymammoth · 14/12/2015 12:29

Paula there are 4 gates....

Interesting these responses...

OP posts:
PaulAnkaTheDog · 14/12/2015 12:33

What's so interesting? I think they're pretty normal responses.

See if any other parents feel the same and will man the gates. I doubt you will find anyone though.

AliceInUnderpants · 14/12/2015 12:34

Yes I did Alice

Where? Confused

Mistigri · 14/12/2015 12:35

The question is at what point the school's responsibility comes into play.

IMO if the school gate is open, and the parents are required to remain outside, then one would assume that the kids are under the school's responsibility once they are through the gate (if not, who IS responsible?).

If that's not the case, and the children are under their parents' responsibility until 8.50am, then that's fine - but it needs to be made clear to parents, who can then make their own decisions about whether to leave their child before 8.50.

At my son's secondary school, students are not allowed to leave once they have passed through the gate, unless they have parental permission. And that is students up to age 15 - in this thread we are talking about pupils as young as 5/6!

Original poster
Woolleymammoth · 14/12/2015 12:35

I'm just surprised that infants especially are left unsupervised.

How long before your schools would realise a child was missing?

OP posts:
Original poster
Woolleymammoth · 14/12/2015 12:38

Misti - how long before your secondary would notice someone missing unauthorised,

Alice, ok sorry just re-read my op and I didn't spell it out. Yes the school says they supervise.

OP posts:
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