to think this primary school security is lax?

[Woolleymammoth]

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!!

Say you're on duty, what do you do? Ask every single adult who they are, what children they are with and what they are doing there? If not, then how do you propose stopping unauthorised people coming in?

The staff on duty would recognise the majority of parents and would certainly spot the arrival of someone without children. More to the point, I'm sure the presence of staff at the gate will act as a deterrent to anyone who is up to no good.

"Ask every single adult who they are, what children they are with and what they are doing there? If not, then how do you propose stopping unauthorised people coming in?"

At DD3's school (she is in P2) she is dropped off at the gate - always staffed - for P1 and P2 children's area. No parents or other unauthorised adults are allowed into the school grounds at this point. If they need to go into the school itself for any reason, they must then walk around to the (secure) main entrance and request entry via the school office intercom, where they state their business, sign in etc. So need for staff at gates to question people.

You can ask about their risk assessment. You can also ask about security at break times and during the school day.

Did you feedback about the distressed child that you encountered running out of the school gate OP?

Yes, it's fortunate that you were there but 'hope that a parent or carer is around to notice' isn't really sufficient preventative action for a risk assessment regarding unsupervised children.

My DD's school is quite different but we are in France. It is a pre-school and primary. Pre-schoolers (2,3,4 and 5yos) have to be delivered to their class, the teacher is at the class door and once in the children are not allowed out again (except for the toilet next door where they are accompanied). Primary school kids are dropped off at the yard gates (only one set of gates) where a teacher is always supervising and they are not allowed to leave again until collection. If a child is sick or has to be collected early the parent has to sign a piece of paper that they are now responsible, otherwise the school is legally responsible for all children that have been dropped off, during all school hours.

YANBU.

As you have raised this with the head and no change, you need to raise it with the Chair of Governors / Governor Responsible for Safeguarding.

It is clear it is possible for an infant child to slip out unnoticed in that 10 minute window. If they did and were e.g. run over it could be catastrophic. Plus the fact the school wouldn't know they were missing until parents contacted after registers taken.

Either parents are responsible until children have lined up / entered building, or school is responsible in which case they need to explicitly man the gates.

A few years back, our school had an issue with a reception child slipping out unnoticed at the end of the day, and parent was late so also didn't see. The very next day the collection arrangements changed for reception away from the busy playground by exiting from a different door so easier to keep an eye.

DC school have security on both gates to tell off those badly parked

Children have to be walked to their external class doors and wait with parents until the doors are opened and they go in. No DC to be left unsupervised. 5 minutes after the doors close the main gates are locked and any late comers have to buzz in and face the wrath of the receptionist

Our school is exactly the same except that the p1-p3 playground is unsupervised. I never leave mine anyway as it's just one teacher wandering around through crowds of children and parents. If you are not 100% confident that your child would stay then don't leave them, I don't see how the school could make you leave them at 8.40? Also, I would hope that if parents saw a distressed child leave, they would intervene anyway - certainly at my school parents would definitely stop a child who was clearly walking in the other direction. Ours is a small community though. Until recently, our playground wasn't even secured at play times which I always found odd! I think it is unrealistic to expect the school to 'man' 4 gates aswell as provide teachers to supervise each playground, teachers are very busy!