To say if not found the SCHOOL should replace it?

[Arrowfanatic]

Day one of school today. My year one son came out of school crying as his book bag has gone missing. This book bag is an expensive one issued by the school, I cannot afford to replace it.

He had it in school, the teachers were very half hearted about it. Suggested another child took it home, but since there were no bags in the classroom left over this child would presumably have left with 2 bags.

I told the teacher if it wasn't found tomorrow I would expect the school to replace it. The way I see it the bag was sent in to school, I have no control on how the bags are stored in school so why should I have to replace what is an expensive item when it's not my fault & a 5 year old who goes to get his back from the storage & find it missing is also not to blame.

I'm kind of with the OP here, in that if the school insists on really expensive bags, then they need to have a system where the teacher distributes the book bags at the end of the day. Kids are bound to pick up the wrong one when rummaging in a box of identical bags.

I think it will turn up, so I wouldn't have kicked off yet, but I would be expecting the teacher to make some effort to recover it, by checking the names on all bags tomorrow

I wouldn't replace it either. Sometimes schools can be a bit blase about spending parents' money as if there is a never ending supply of the stuff!

The though of getting 30 5 year olds ready with ALL their OWN belonging makes me break out in a cold sweat!

I can barely get 4 out of the door with ALL of their stuff

The teacher was probably blasé about it because there is nothing she can do about it and it wasn't her fault. I wouldn't be grovelling an apology either, OP. Clearly, another child has moved or taken it. It was an accident and no-one is particularly at fault.

£30 bookbag? This is a joke, right? 😂

£30 for a book bag? I'm confused at this, do some schools really charge £30 for a book bag? Are they gold plated at this price? Even at private school the book bags weren't £30

not all people who send their DC to a "private" school are made of money. And actually at private fees you expect teachers to not be blasé about losing dc's stuff.

OP it will probably turn up, but I get where you are coming from, pressure to have the right gear from the school is not always helpful.

The though of getting 30 5 year olds ready with ALL their OWN belonging makes me break out in a cold sweat

Try doing it in winter with hats, gloves and scarfs. Plus when they have to change into outdoor shoes and leave indoor ones 'neatly'. That's fun.When they can't do their zips up.

"the school insists on really expensive bags, then they need to have a system where the teacher distributes the book bags at the end of the day."

Does that go for school shoes, blazers (if worn), jumpers etc.? There is put time in the day for a teacher to be personally responsible for the belongings of 30 other individuals and making sure everyone has their own stuff. Could you parent 30 kids on your own?

sexlubeandafishslice 1) I applaud you on your user name and 2) yes, you are right re uniform being super expensive at private school. Perhaps I was reading too much into the tone of some of the posts.

OP if your child is a " sensitive soul" , I recommend that you start off being very nice to the person who is caring for your sensitive child for 25 hours a week.

They do a hard job and need your umderstanding and support. There's a time and place to pick a fight and this isn't it .

One of the best things you can do for your child is to, wherever possible, build a good relathionship with his school . I say this not as a teacher, but as a parent who has spend the last 13 years with one or more children in the same primary school.

Even if book bags are in drawers, children regularly accidentally open the wrong drawer and take the wrong one home!

Not all children have their items clearly labelled.

Taking a carrier bag in the interim is what many parents do. Or just get a cheap alternative. Does the dress code state you absolutely need a £30 one or just 'suggest'!

Ego, I can only imagine! [scared]

That is a ridiculously expensive bag though for kids barely out of nursery, silly really. I've known to have handbags that cost less than that

#styleandbeautydropout

It annoys me a bit that some teachers don't seem to worry about basic care of their pupils. On the first day of Year 1 I would expect a good teacher to line the children up ready to go home, and check they've got everything they came with. So if a worried 5 year old said he couldn't find his book bag the opportunity is there to check every other child is holding the correct one.

But, like someone upthread said, a significant minority don't seem to care about these things. Not many of the teachers at my kids' school worry about making sure children have coats done up ready to go home when it's pouring down. When all the little 4 and 5 year olds on Reception go to their parents the first thing the parents do of course is do their coats up, but why don't the teachers (each class has a full time TA as well) notice that this needs to be done? I

It isn't bleeding rocket science to get 30 5yr olds to be ready at the end of the day with their own belongings

No, I would imagine rocket science is a fair bit easier.

Teachers are paid to teach, not to police kids' things. Within reason they will try to help locate items but there is no way a teacher has the time to be responsible for every item a child has in school. I did a little amount of supply in a primary last year (usually a college teacher) and it shocked me how aggressive some parents can be about lost things. In my experience most times an item is 'totally lost' it turns up somewhere in a few days and very often the child hasn't searched thoroughly.

Take a deep breath and a G&T and hope it turns up. £30 for a book bag is crazy. Ours cost £8. Maybe ask the school why their book bag is so expensive. I think its unreasonable to blame the school but I can understand its annoying.

I honestly never found teachers helpful with lost property. I'm suprised that even I fully labelled items they still went missing.

I don't think all parents actually check what stuff their kids bring home.

It's very frustrating, but I do understand that teachers have a job to do and it's not to keep an eye on the pupil's belongings.

I would get a very blàze ... it'll turn up.

Line up 30 children, fasten 30 coats, give up 30 book bags, 30 water bottles. Realise Fred needs the toilet. Mary has dropped her bag. Willam has left his jumper in his tray. Fred has took his coat off while on the toilet. Etc etc.

With the best will in the world home time is chaos. For teachers to make sure everyone had everything with no issues they would probably need to start around 1pm!

I have found teachers mostly helpful with lost property. though often that is only pointing me to the lost property cupboard and making sympathetic noises. expect nothing more.

I would expect a good teacher to line the children up ready to go home, and check they've got everything they came with.

25+ jumpers, jackets, various toys, book bags, are you a teacher? Have you ever dealt with 25+ year one children?

YY every "good teacher" does this 🙄 even with the jumpers, cardigans, toys brought to school, jackets, hats and gloves in winter and unlabelled items

Trifle where the child is reponsible for putting their jumper/coat/bag on a peg or in their own drawer then no, I wouldn't expect the teacher to be responsible for kids picking up the wrong stuff. It happens, you usually get it back.

But in this case, the teacher took the responsibility away from the kids - she implemented a new system where expensive stuff was all put together rather tgan in tbe childrens' own drawers. Of course the kids are going to take the wrong ones home sometimes. Instead of helping the mum, she has kind of just shrugged off all responsibility for it. Okay, it will probably come back tomorrow, but it might not and I get why the OP is fed up.

Kr1stina, absofuckinglutely! I hate handbags with a passion

No child will leave school with two bags! He either dropped it somewhere or a child came to school without a bag and left with your son's.
If I were you I would have a word with your child first about being more responsible. School should not be blamed for your child's inability to look after his own property. Obviously he didn't pay attention to where he placed his own bag?
It will turn up if his name is on it.