to think it's quite concerning how 19 year olds have such easy access of 11 year olds in a school setting?

[Zootopials]

Most schools in this area have a sixth form and there is no separate building. These sixth formers often do 1-1 reading etc with the Year 7s. AIBU to think it's a bit concerning??

[Hoppinggreen]

One of the Secondary schools near us has a FE college attached.
There are lots of stories of young men of 18+ hanging around the school trying to "make friends " with the younger girls.
Of course it could all just be rumours but DD has friends of 11/12 there and some of them have been approached. Friends also have a son at the college and he has confirmed that some of the boys joke about the " easy pickings " next door.

Within a supervised school setting though like OP describes I think It's fine.

[daddyorscience]

Our school is an 11-18/19, with vertical tutors (mixed ages). I don't find it overly concerning. Given what the younger years get up to with each other, the sixth form aren't a concern. In fact, the sixth form are often defending the younger ones or supporting them with their work.

Even without the CCTV covering the whole place, I wouldn't be massively worried, TBQH.

[eatingtomuch]

There are lots of times when younger DC can be exposed to older DC and reading in school under adult supervision would not concern me.
I am the parent of an older DS and younger DD, I also work with very vulnerable DC, so I am very aware of safe guarding.
You cannot protect your DC from every possible scenario which is why you need to communicate with them daily and monitor social media. You also need to build trust and hope they would confide in you if they had a concern.
I find it really upsetting that are young adults are suspected in this way.

[TheClaws]

And if they had repeated a level or two of schooling, isn't it less likely they'd be listening to a Year 7 read?

[ChocolateCupcake123]

Are you kidding me?

You do know a CRB/DBS check only lets you know of previous convictions. It is not a report in to the mind of somebody to see whether they are likely to do any harm to a child. Any sixth former that had a criminal record - the school would have already been informed.

Paranoia at its best. Teach your kid what to do if they are ever in a situation they are not comfortable with, whether that's a 19 year old sixth former or their 40 year old uncle

[titchy]

It's a complete non-issue.

If the sixth former is doing 1:1 at their own school and had previously been charged with an offence the school would have been informed anyway.

If they're going to another school they'd be DBS checked.

So all bases are covered - more thoroughly than the teachers and TAs.

This applies to 18 year olds as well btw.

[SomewhatIdiosyncratic]

YABU
The school will know the background of their students considerably better than a formal check of documents and a database. Indeed as most students will have been to the school since the age of 11, there will be much more awareness of the student's background than the teacher's as it will have been played out within the school (friendships, pastoral problems, medical/ mental issues etc).

[InfiniteCurve]

It's a good thing for older students to be involved with supporting younger students.They aren't in a position of authority in the way that teachers are,and while there is sadly always a chance of bullying/ abuse that isn't going to be any greater for sixth form students than between any other age groups.
We can't educate children in isolation pods to avoid any contact with other people and even if we could it would be a bad thing!
And school know their pupils well,as a pp said if there is police involvement they will know.DBA checks only show what people have done,not what they might do.

[ClaryIsTheBest]

Where I went to school it was 13 (for me, some where 12 or 14) until 19 (I think in case of related classes up to 21 was technically allowe. But as far as I know never happened...)

We didn't have any problems and we did have tutoring.

I'm going to say that your child is very unlikely to be abused by the tutor.


Yes, it's easier for us to be scared of the unknown. But statistically the father, an uncle, grandparent or even you are more likely to be an abuser. So, unless you have also had extensive background checks for these people? YABU!

[Sixisthemagicnumber]

In all
Honesty I would be much more
Concerned about parent helpers that fo into primary schools to help out and do 1-1 reading and such like. They might have a DBS check but those only show convictions, not potential or crimes that have been committed but not caught. As parents we can't go worrying about every single person that out chicks has Contact with. We just need to be alert and raise our children to know that they can speak Tonis about anything and we need to teach them About safe boundaries.
With the hysteria about 19 year olds
Doing 1-1reading in what is likely an environment with other people I am
Surprised that some people even let their children go to school at all.

[MiladyThesaurus]

Why on earth are people assuming the the 6th form peer mentors don't receive any training. I would be very surprised if they were just handed a Y7 and told to get in with it, not least because the entire system will be set up to have benefits for both the young people involved.

It's a school. The teacher in charge of it will have taught the (chosen) 6th formers what they want them to do. And there will be oversight, and further advice, to support the process.

[ilovesooty]

Exactly Milady

[OhtoblazeswithElvira]

racoon the inverted snobbery, shouty pile-in is a very common MN phenomenon. The OP has pointed out an inconsistency in the system. She has had some pretty inconsiderate responses - both rude and where posters clearly hadn't RTFT or considered the issue, and just wanted to have a go. The thread has calmed down after some school stuff came in and explained that actually schools have considered this inconsistency and put measures to prevent any issues.

I have no horse in this race btw, I clicked on the thread by mistake and feel indifferent the to the issue but felt I should say that the OP was correct when she pointed out this inconsistency.

HTH.

[Backt0Black]

YABU and looking for problems.

[ailPartout]

I'm the head of a school from ages 2 to A Level and am shocked you're shocked OP. We are one big happy campus. We do have peer mentoring but the matches are, years:

1-4
2-5
3-6

Out secondary form groups are comprised of students from each year. Informal peer mentoring. Form rooms are out of bounds during lunch time. There's a 1-3rd year common room, a GCSE common room and a 6th form common room.

This isn't to do with anything you're worried about OP, but if the age gap is too large, it stops being peer-mentoring / support. 1st years tend to be in awe of 6th formers and see them as adults not peers.

My school is very old and not as 'windowed' as modern schools. We're fairly well covered with CCTV.

I think you're getting a bit paranoid!

[blueskyinmarch]

My DD went to a private school where children aged 5-18 were on the same site, albeit there is a junior school building where they are mainly taught. From Y4 the children start using the facilities that the senior school use.The 6th form pupils are encouraged to have roles helping the junior pupils as they do the IB in their school and they need to fulfil other conditions to get the award, part of which is doing some voluntary type work.My DD2 assisted in after school art classes and my DD1 did paired reading with younger children. This fosters good relationships within the school. Pupils of all ages were also all together on buses to the school.

A DBS type check for a very young person is pretty unlikely to show anything at all. The school was great at ensuring children could speak out if they had any concerns. I, coincidentally, worked in an area where i would have known if there had been anything untoward happen and been reported between any pupils in the school. There was never anything at all.

[C0dy]

The school should be told if I a student commits an offence. My 17yo DS has a class mate who went to court for sleeping with a 15yo and the school were well aware of this and took some precautions within the school to reflect this.

I also second others that say that wouldn't be completely on their own with them anyway. It is likely to be in a area like a corridor or through glass doors etc.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

I hope this isn't because of recent events in the news, the majority of teens are just lovely OP. They don't need to be locked away from the rest of the school.

[kateandme]

no more petrified there are people like you thinking like this and how youll first make my young ones feel around people.and second how youll make my older one feel around people.how damaging this kind of talk coul be with people trying to grow up innocent.and how the real shi* heads will get away with it because of talk like this
we should encourage people to help eachother.not be fearful.but teach them to know what wrong and right.and then to be able to call on the real good guys to help.no be fearful.but with knowledge.guidance love and care and suppor tto see if there is wrong going on.no that there might be if anyone touches them.

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

Seriously?

We had a sixth form block but they weren't actually locked in there!

You don't have to be CRB checked to attend school. I presume you won't let your DC speak to any adults without your full supervision until they are 18? This takes the 'paedo round every corner' Daily-Mail hysteria to a whole new level

[echt]

OP not sure why the lack of separate building for sixth formers is mentioned, when the 1-1 reading could happen if there was such a place; in corridors/libraries.

You mention a number of schools and their activities re 1-1 reading so have plainly done some research in your area. If you're so concerned, get in touch with the schools.

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

If this is about recent events, the alleged perpetrator was 15 so not sixth form age, and it happened away from school.

I hope you parents of older teens keep them locked up for their own good

[Secretlythesame]

This is crazy thinking. Really fucking crazy.

Risks of sexual harm to young people from other young people are:

• at parties (particularly those in an 'empty house' with alcohol and or drugs),
  
• on the streets or at the park etc (involving alcohol or drugs) and
  
• online/by text.
  

Not doing peer reading sessions FFS!

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

And I have just seen on another thread a 14yo described as 'just a baby'

🙄

[Crumbs1]

I too think it is sad that we see danger and anxiety at every point. We are becoming a society of isolation rather than community where everyone distrusts everyone else. Just sad since the best way to protect children is to teach them to protect and assert themselves.
From a very young age most children can understand about good touches and bad touches that make them feel uncomfortable. They can be taught to be open and trusting of their parents and talk about their lives. I never understood parents who put cctv up to check on their nannies- horrid way to treat someone you have entrusted your children to.
DBS checks only show who has been caught and only provide a false sense of security. They are used in response to mass hysteria rather than having proven benefits. Around here prisoners on rehabilitation programmes from a local open prison drive buses. A headteacher friend once found a renowned convicted murderer decorating his school as part of a community work programme from Wormwood Scrubs.
We should be delighted there are still 18/19 year olds willing to help and support younger children to do better at school. We should be encouraging such community spirit not damning them as criminals. My daughter has set up a junior doctor mentoring scheme with another group of school to support pupils applying for medicine. She doesn't have a DBS done through school but has significantly increased number of state school pupils getting to study medicine from those schools by guiding them from year 10. Pity if things liked this stopped. Independent schools are much less precious but have no higher level of offences committed by pupils.