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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Kids sent home - safeguarding issue?

372 replies

PutTheBathOnPlease · 28/02/2017 20:18

Got a text at 10.20 this morning to say secondary school have a power cut and kids will be sent home on buses at 11:30. My son is 12, I was 80 miles away for work. Other half was able to get home just after DS, but school had not asked either kids or parents whether an adult would be at home - they relied on one text message with 60 mins notice. I find it boggling that they sent home 11 and 12 yo kids, not knowing if they would be able to get into their homes let alone have an adult meet them. Maybe I'm old fashioned! But what if the text had failed to arrive? The consequences could be serious. Your thoughts please.

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 28/02/2017 21:51

One member of staff could have gone to a shop.

I'd like 500 sandwiches please. HOW MUCH?! Sod that, send 'em home.

Natsku · 28/02/2017 21:51

Take it as an opportunity to teach your child what to do in an emergency, they need to know that no matter what age they are.

And agree with others that by 11/12 they really ought to be able to handle going home, letting themselves in, and waiting parents to get home or if they don't have a key, going to a friend's house to wait instead. I wonder how so many parents would cope with the school system in my country - was looking at OH's little sister's (8yrs) timetable the other day, some days she starts at 8 and finishes at 12, on wednesdays she doesn't start until 10 and finishes at 2. Both her parents work and she didn't get into the after school club (limited spaces) so by necessity she has to know how to get home and let herself in and look after herself.

semanwen · 28/02/2017 21:55

I agree with you, OP. I don't think 11/12 year olds should be sent home without a staff member actually speaking to a parent/guardian to ensure they will be able to get into the house etc.

How would a secondary school speak to up to 2500 parents?

KirstyJC · 28/02/2017 21:57

Onewith - they have to wait. I assume as in-loco parentis they would call the ambulance themselves, no? Like they did in the olden days before everyone was glued to a phone?

I work in a hospital and cannot have my phone on for certain activities. And cannot drop everything to come to school anyway.

If there is an emergency, we have to assume the paid professionals with the training will deal with in the most appropriate manner.

semanwen · 28/02/2017 21:58

When the electric goes the loos often go as they rely on pump systems in many new build schools.

squiggleirl · 28/02/2017 21:58

by necessity she has to know how to get home and let herself in and look after herself.

But not because it was decided that this was the very best option for the child.

Had this been the very best option, her parents need never have considered the afterschool club. Why would they, if it's more than reasonable to expect an 8 year old to be home alone?

RB68 · 28/02/2017 21:59

I think the main thing here is not the age of the child but the situation - goes to school by bus some way from home, parents both work away from home. To be honest being sent home early is always going to be a possibility so you need a plan - if it happens what should they do - key and into home on own, sensible child often left and no problem leaving them (legal in UK so the 14 in Aus/NZ not relevant here and lets face it a bit ridiculous given I doubt they are accompanied on school buses etc). Alternatively you could be friendly with neighbours that stay home and they could go there, have a local relative they could go to or even just a friends house with parents in working or SAH it is emergency. They should also have a mobile in this day and age and be told to keep credit for such situations.

DD was not a particularly independent child when she went to secondary, she had to stand up and be counted though. She has mobile with contacts for friend local to school who works part time and is home from around 3.30 each day so if misses bus can go there, phone no of several neighbours (3 I think at last count) plus she has house keys.

I am still working on her keeping me informed but we will get there

Curioushorse · 28/02/2017 22:00

So this happened in our local school, but it was yesterday (wonder if it's the same school?). It's in between two villages and most students walk to school. Parts of both of the villages also had power cuts. It was thus quite difficult to contact parents, because the school didn't have the facility to do so, and many parents couldn't receive messages anyway. They are commuter villages in out PM's constituency, so many parents would have been in London by the time a message got through anyway.

Honestly, because of the fact that so many kids walk to school, in friendship groups, I'd have been surprised if any child was left out on the street. There would have been friends houses they could have gone to.

Pitchforktotheface · 28/02/2017 22:00

It depends on the school. At 11 and in a city/ suburbs school I'd think this was fine, but at my rural school, it couldn't have happened. Most of us didn't get buses to school, there were no public buses and although I had a house key I didn't take it to school as I was dropped and collected by my parents each day, as were the majority of my class.

PrincessLuna · 28/02/2017 22:00

Surely each class of 30 has a teacher so at 2 minutes a call that's only an hour so not impossible? Not saying I agree it should happen though!

noblegiraffe · 28/02/2017 22:02

How many phones do you think a school has, PrincessLuna? Certainly far fewer than one per teacher!

OneWithTheForce · 28/02/2017 22:02

If there is an emergency, we have to assume the paid professionals with the training will deal with in the most appropriate manner.

So your child could be alone all day in hospital with no-one to consent to medicines/painkillers/advise on allergies or consent to operations until you finished work and got home to check your phone.

Curioushorse · 28/02/2017 22:03

Back again! I've just had a text back from one of the teachers. They asked students who might have any problems with being sent home to let them know. Some students did stay behind on that basis. But it's a moderately large comprehensive. They couldn't have phoned all parents.

Hercule · 28/02/2017 22:04

When I was in year 7 ( many many years ago 👵🏻) we were sent home one day at lunchtime as it was snowing. I lived 5 miles away - I caught the bus which made it part of the way before getting stuck. so me and a couple of friends who lived near to me all set off marching through the blizzard to get back home. I hasten to add it was a hike through the mean streets of a large city, not across a rural wilderness.

It still stays with me as one of the single most exciting things that had ever happened to me!

Oh and i did have a key. And I phoned my Mum when I got in to let her know what had happened. Using the landline telephone!

bloodyteenagers · 28/02/2017 22:04

Using what phones Princess?

rollonthesummer · 28/02/2017 22:06

Surely each class of 30 has a teacher so at 2 minutes a call that's only an hour so not impossible? Not saying I agree it should happen though!

I expect you'd like the teachers to have used their own personal mobile phones to do this, would you? And then maybe they could claim back the costs from the school's massive spare 'phoning parents' budget.

manicinsomniac · 28/02/2017 22:07

My 9 year old has a key and emergency money on his card as well as a small amount of cash and PAYG basic phone. How is this an issue for a NT child?!

Because many (most?) schools don't allow money and mobile phones in school? Certainly at a primary school.

RB68 · 28/02/2017 22:11

oh as to what happened in the old days more people were local to school, so just went home. Fewer on buses so a call list was used. Phones were land line and plugged into the socket which provides enough leccy to use phone even if main electric not on. It still works like this - how many have an old fashioned phone to use in an emergency - we do and most people should have really. They would have phoned those on long distance buses to check someone wld be home.

If you don't have access to phone whilst at work you need to provide an alternative as you are not suitable for emergency calls. Your child should know or have these numbers.

As to not being childcare - fair enough - but they still have responsibility for the kids until they pass them back and as such the school maybe should have a policy for those under 14 rather than just dumping them onto buses and not caring what happens when they arrive. Personally I know both my teaching sisters would have stuck a head on the bus and said right - anyone not have access to home or an alternative when they get home if they can't get in - and just asked those with hands up what the plan was and if no plan then oiked them off till sorted.

Sounds like poor emergency planning at school and poor at home to be honest

KirstyJC · 28/02/2017 22:12

Yeah you're right ONE - i had better quit my job and sit by the school gates just in case then? (Although since I work at the hospital I might spot him turning up anyway.....)

If a parent can't be contacted, then they can't be contacted. How exactly do you expect us to resolve that? We have all signed a form somewhere saying that we agree to emergency medical stuff anyway, same as we do for scouts / cubs etc. Don't be so dramatic!

OneWithTheForce · 28/02/2017 22:13

If a parent can't be contacted, then they can't be contacted.

But you can be contacted, you and DH just choose not to be contactable.

How exactly do you expect us to resolve that?

By having your phone with you? By DH having a phone?

ComeOnSpring · 28/02/2017 22:14

I think looking at the logistical side of things is totally missing the point.

The point is duty of care. A text that isn't responded to is not a handoff of care and they are still children until they are 18.

The rest is just about your parenting approach and whether you think 11/12 you olds are key holders, you pick them up from school etc etc etc..

MaureenMLove · 28/02/2017 22:14

Um, at my school of 1600 students, there is a pages in the front of their planners, where the parent/guardian has to sign to give permission for their child to be dismissed early in extraordinary circumstances.

Plan is, because it hasn't happened yet, that students will be sent back to tutor groups. Those with signed planners will be released. Those without get a call home. Whole school parent text sent informing of plans.

So, I'm not sure if it is acceptable really! And I'm really surprised no one else on this thread has mentioned anything like this happening at their school! We're not a special, outstanding or private school. Just ya bog standard secondary.

Itisnoteasybeingdifferent · 28/02/2017 22:15

Ask for a copy of the schools risk assessment.
What is the risk from lack of power and what is the created risk fromsending children home without ensuring parents are available?

noblegiraffe · 28/02/2017 22:16

My school got rid of planners because we couldn't afford them.

KirstyJC · 28/02/2017 22:19

I cannot be contacted every minute of the day as I cannot have a mobile on in the hospital at certain times. Even if DH had one he in a poor reception area (one of the reasons he gave it up years ago). There is a landline number for both of our works and in the very unexpected emergency they could call that and someone could come and find us, or they of course have other numbers for other family member (not mobiles there either though as also poor reception areas).

It is not possible for every parent to have a mobile and be checking it all day every day in case the school has a problem. Not that it matters, as DS is very sensible, has a key and walks anyway, and has friends he could go to or would talk to a teacher. And is pretty unlikely to cut his foot off at school.

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