To keep my child off school after a security breach I was not informed about

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On Friday, my teenage son tells me that ten people in hoodys and balaclavas climbed over his school field fence (it's only about 3.5ft high) so all the pupils had to stay in the hall and then were only allowed in a small secured outdoor area later. Apparently a teacher confirmed this.

Sometimes my son misses details out of stories but doesn't blatantly lie so I know there is room for half a story but that kind of adds to my point...

There has been NO communication from the school about this. So with his half story, how can I do anything other than believe his version of events?

I feel like keeping him home on Monday until I've spoken with someone as 1) I don't know if these people are a threat for my son if they come back or if it was an isolated incident that has been resolved and 2) I can't trust school to let me know if there is an incident that involves what is effectively 'lockdown'.

I accept it may have even been a practice lockdown but assuming a teacher said 'men in balaclavas' is true that's a bit extreme from the usual 'theres a loose dog on the field'!

So AIBU to keep home until I speak to someone on Monday morning and gather the facts?

Candyflip
Apparently a teacher confirmed this what does this even mean? Did a teacher confirm this to you. I actually cannot believe a grown woman is this susceptible to teenage drama. Fucking hell.

She loving it lol.

I don’t think you’re BU to ask the school what, if anything, happened. Could you ring school early on Monday and assuming all’s well explain that your son will be a little late in at the same time so you can drop him off once you’ve had the conversation if you’re worried?

Any good school would surely want to quash rumours of this sort if they weren’t true as it undermines the lockdown process if pupils might not take it seriously in future thinking it was another prank etc.

If something did happen your school should definitely have communicated it. Our DD’s school was on lockdown recently (and made national news) and within 20 minutes all parents had received a clarion call text plus email. We then received regular updates to reassure us that everyone was safe and the continued lockdown was precautionary etc etc. We also received a follow up explaining what had happened.

Ninjas in balaclavas over the fence?! Are you sure he's not a Sporting Lisbon player?!

Some while ago, near me, a dickhead ex pupil was spotted near his old school with, possibly, an air rifle. Lockdown for three hours. Rumours at the time ranged from him shooting a member of staff to seven men with guns. All bollocks.

Similar happened at DS' primary school. DS and three friends happened to be doing a project outside and were approached by two men on a drug trip who had just walked into the school, past the classes and put into the playground.
Not a peep from the school until DS mentioned it days later (he is very laid back about everything!) and I had it confirmed by the head.

Nothing weird about ringing the school for clarification but I wouldn’t keep my child off school.... in a few years he will be off to college/ uni/ work and will soon be an adult and you won’t be able to maintain control of these situations... he’s 15 not 5!

Out into*

The incident won’t still be on going and won’t re occur on Monday morning, and your child is not primary age. Therefore if you want to know what happened and their response, or complain about lack of communication, I would do that, but not stop your son going in. I mean, surely if you are not satisfied with their response you will try to get them to change their procedures if necessary, rather than keep him off or withdraw him permanently?

I do understand it sounds very alarming, it just seems like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted - it was dealt with, everyone’s ok.

I haven't read all this thread but just pick up the phone to school and ask them! Simples

Money on board Year 11 teachers yeah, time weighs heavy on their hands once they aren't teaching GCSEs.
Honestly, op, don't keep your Ds off Monday. It'll be nowt-yr 11 or 13 or even previous years. We have a big field open to public-this time of year we get lads on 'osses, bored previous students, previous students having "beef" with our kids. Slt deal with it sharpish and they can't get into the main school. In fact-after Dunblane weren't all school's security tightened up so this type of thing couldn't happen, like this didn't

I can believe this as I understand these incidents are not reported as they effect the Offsted

In what way do they affect Ofsted?

When he was in Y8 DS informed me that there had been people with guns in school. He was totally sure of his facts, and this story even made it to social media.

There was no people and no guns. no idea where the story came from.

I will update on Monday

Of course this wouldn't affect an Ofsted inspection.

Send him to school as usual and ring the school later in the morning to just ask what happened (with no drama). If you then consider there is danger of an imminent attack on the pupils you can always go in and collect him.

A child escaped at lunchtime from DDs school. By pick up we'd all had a text about it. By the end of the next day a new fence had been ordered for that area of the playground which we were informed about by text.

YANBU to question if the school can keep your DC safe.

We weren't told when boys from another school made threats to come to my sons school with knives and machetes nor when at DD's school - a different school - males broke in and hid in the clockrooms. This? It wouldn't warrant more than a question to the teacher if I was in school but I certainly wouldn't be keeping my dcs off.

Anything negative or problems effect Offsted you are being naive if you believe it doesn’t. That is why bullying, fighting and violence are all downplayed and minimised by schools.

Your local area is nothing like mine, if there was anything like this the local facebook groups would be ablaze with the details in no time.

It wouldn't occur to me to keep my child off school

Round here Friday was year 11 leaving day in several schools. At least two of them have the tradition of groups dressing up in matching outfits and arriving in a conspicuous way.
I'd be 99% certain this was one of them.
I'm also 99% certain your D's is fully aware of this.

user they are not downplayed and minimised. You might have had a bad experience but schools work their arses off to deal with such things appropriately.

He saw this "event" then did he? No? Just gossip?
Send him in.
Call school and ask what happened.

Anything negative or problems effect Offsted you are being naive if you believe it doesn’t. That is why bullying, fighting and violence are all downplayed and minimised by schools

No, I’m not. That’s not how it works even vaguely.

A child escaped at lunchtime from DDs school. By pick up we'd all had a text about it.

I assume primary school and therefore irrelevant to this.

OP the reason you haven't had any sort of communication from the school is because there is nothing to communicate. 'Dear parents. Some boys from form group 11G turned up at school yesterday not wearing school uniform. Yours faithfully...'

Pretty sure if there was even a glimpse of a knife or weapon thr matrix would be called and the place would be swarming with armed police.

What happened when something simular happened here outside a primary school.

Turns out it was a dad who had beef with an other dad so no children where in damger. But still.