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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Lost property at school.

120 replies

ThisLittleKitty · 28/11/2017 09:02

3 weeks ago I bought my son a new coat for school. Anyway about a week ago he came out with no coat after school I asked him where it was and he said he left it in the lunch hall. Anyway I asked reception where lost property was and they told me. Only it wasn't in there, I mentioned it again to his teacher as I saw an identical coat hanging up outside another class (same year) well she never did. Aibu to expect it back! If he lost it in school then it should be there yes I get he left it there but he is only 5 and yes it had his name written inside.

OP posts:
Pengggwn · 28/11/2017 12:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JonSnowsWife · 28/11/2017 12:52

Yes Music. I always got DCs from there. DD is very tall for her age and some parents used to rib me for getting the posher clothes. Her M&S summer dresses lasted her three years so I clearly had the last laugh there anyway! Grin

lionguard · 28/11/2017 12:54

What do you expect the teacher to do? Go to the child's home and check the coat for you?

TeenTimesTwo · 28/11/2017 12:58

Some parents really aren't very organised.
They won't realise they have 2 coats the same.

One will be in the car, the other on the coat-peg at home, or at grandma's, or with non-resident Dad. They might see the coat and think 'oh I thought it was in the car' but not realise they actually have somehow ended up with 2.

They won't look at labels, as they don't need to, as they know it is theirs. With a jumper the label might only be idly looked at when hanging out the weekly washing. Even then it might then take a week to get back to you. They might be embarrassed so just send kid in and say 'put it in to the jumper box' rather than 'give it to Lily'.

PE kit might only come home at half term, so an extra T-shirt in a bag might be lost for 6 weeks before it turns up.

lionguard · 28/11/2017 13:00

We've lost several items which haven't made their way to lost property. A fingertip search of the department has turned up all the items.

I don't expect other people to find my kids stuff for me.

Most turns up in lost property eventually if it is actually lost.

If it is stolen there's nothing you can do.

Some parents won't notice the wrong name in the item for a while, but then you get it back when they eventually do.

As a teacher my response to "X has lost something" is "look in lost property". I'm not going to waste my time searching for kids stuff. 30 kids times what? Ten clothing items? Then there's bags, PE kit, pencil cases..... fuck that.

ChameNangerRanger · 28/11/2017 13:01

Sadly sometimes things like nice coats do get nicked.

berliozwooler · 28/11/2017 13:01

I bought DD a tracksuit for school in Y3 and the top went missing within weeks- name tag sewn in and also written in laundry marker. It was quite big for her so that it would last a few years. Looked everywhere, put out messages etc.

She did finally get it back - at the end of Y5. It was hanging up on a Y6's coat peg. So either someone leaving the school had been using it for two years and had now finished with it, or maybe it had been under their bed for that long and they had a clear out and found it.

Original poster
ThisLittleKitty · 28/11/2017 13:03

Well the teacher did say she would ask whose coat it is and get back to me. She didn't need to say that if she wasn't going to. Anyway I did say I attempted to look myself but couldn't find it I didn't just approach the teacher and demand she looks for it.

OP posts:
lionguard · 28/11/2017 13:05

Fair enough OP but when the parents ask me about a missing item i don't say "fuck off". I say "I'll have a look" (and then do nothing)

berliozwooler · 28/11/2017 13:05

I flout the "rule" (though it is really advisory) that all coats and bags should be black/dark blue. It's just a recipe for younger kids bringing the wrong items home. Plus DD2 still has DD1's stuff to use which is still in good condition and suitable for school use, from before they had that rule.

Tainbri · 28/11/2017 13:06

Sadly I think it's a given that if anything goes out of my son's sight at school that's the last he'll see of it. Makes zero difference if anything has a name on. We once got a science overall back, which was brand new when lost, FIVE years later when who ever had it had no further use for it and dumped it by DS's locker. That school life for you. I tell my son that if he loses anything, he pays to replace.

Roomba · 28/11/2017 13:08

Lost stuff can end up all over the place in schools, even when labelled correctly.

Our school will return stuff that is labelled to each child. Anything not labelled goes in a huge lost property box. The thing is, half the stuff in there does actually have a label on it when you check!

Several times I've been checking through the box for jumpers and teachers have said to me, 'If there's one the right size, just take it. That's what everyone else does'! They're probably assuming everything in there has no name label though.

They do keep lost coats separately as they are so expensive - parents just helping themselves to expensive coats would not go down well at all.

DS1 is at secondary school now. They are only allowed to go check Lost Property once a week during Wednesday lunchtime. Not great if you lose something you need vitally for the next day!

JonSnowsWife · 28/11/2017 13:08

I flouted the role this time too berlio.

School very strict on dress code. I've purposely got her one that stands out a bit this time. Not neon coloured. Just one that sticks out a little from a sea of black coats.

Roomba · 28/11/2017 13:10

Oh yes, forgot to say we've been given stuff back several years later (DS1 was only one of his name at the school). Often found in classroom that were never his and he'd rarely if ever been in.

Original poster
ThisLittleKitty · 28/11/2017 13:11

His coat was a dark green. Think the next one will be bright red! (Looks like I will definitely be having to buy another)

OP posts:
lionguard · 28/11/2017 13:12

Half the time secondary kids don't give a fuck if they've lost something.

I've chucked out (expensive) named stuff from lost property that the kids just can't be arsed to retrieve.

womaninatightspot · 28/11/2017 13:14

I went to parents evening the other night and they had three massive tables of fleeces, jumpers, polos and coats, gloves etc. with a sign asking everyone to have a rummage. Small school. They have a lot of stuff to keep track of. They would be happy to let you in for a look outside of school hours so just after pick up ask if you can pop back in and check.

HidingBehindTheWallpaper · 28/11/2017 13:14

Was it named?
Was it named?
Was it named?

In my classroom I have two huge boxes full of lost property all unnamed.

HamishBamish · 28/11/2017 13:16

Lost property is a nightmare. I've had a parent hand back a school tracksuit at the beginning of the new school year. She had had it all summer and despite having my email address, she hadn't bothered to let me know. I had already bought a new one as I thought it had gone for good.

The chances are that a parent will have it and either not know because they are so disorganised, or not be bothered to let you know they have it. It's possible they have kept it on purpose (stolen it), but this is the less likely scenario ime.

I would ask the school for their permission to come in and look yourself.

MusicToMyEars800 · 29/11/2017 11:28

Jon My DD lost her M&S cardigan on the second day back at school, we haven't seen it since, I've hunted the school high and low, it's magically disappeared, I was really annoyed, they aren't cheap.

Tinselistacky · 29/11/2017 11:33

2 named jumpers ds lost the first week back in September showed up yesterday!!
There is hope for your lost coat op!

Original poster
ThisLittleKitty · 29/11/2017 11:48

I gave up and bought a new one today. Hopefully this one doesn't go walk about!

OP posts:
viques · 29/11/2017 11:59

I've said it on here before but it's still my favourite lost property story. a three form entry school, so probably 90 similar sized jumpers per year group on any given day, with several lost property bins to match. A parent came and asked me about a lost jumper, I did the concerned face/is it named procedure as specified in the Good Teacher Handbook and she looked shocked. "Oh it isn't named " she said," I always know they are his by the feel."

I didn't say "good luck with that one lady" but I thought it.

Twinkletowedelephant · 29/11/2017 12:07

I Sharpie pen the waist bands of school jumpers and the inside of coats.

It lasts in the wash and can't be cut out :)

At £16 a jumper and with twins in the school can't afford to clothe other kids.

The jumpers usually turn up smelling of different washing powder

MidniteScribbler · 29/11/2017 12:22

Teachers are not actually responsible for lost property. I've had a parent try and demand we line up the whole school for assembly and check the name on every t-shirt because they lost one. No. If we find a loose item with no name, then it goes in the lost property pile. If it has a name them we shove it in their locker tub. Make sure it has a very clear name, and teach your child to be responsible for their own shit. 'Little Darquin said he left his jumper on the oval at recess this morning' = not actually my problem since I wasn't on yard duty, and it wasn't my jumper.

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