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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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

100 replies

Star1234567890 · 30/06/2018 17:28

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?

OP posts:

WeAllHaveWings · 30/06/2018 20:03

At ds's school a yellow van with men with guns jumping out the back tried to abduct a child. Every child was talking about it. When questioned by school not a single child had actually seen it.

gillybeanz · 30/06/2018 20:10

YABVU whatever it was school have sorted it out.
You are allowing your anxiety to affect your child's schooling if you keep him off.
If there was something that concerned parent's you'd have heard about it by now
Do you never arrange things with one of his friends parents, surely you must have someone's number.
You will look daft and make your ds look just as daft if mummy keeps him off for something that if existed is sorted out now.

user1457017537 · 30/06/2018 20:11

YoucancallmeVal you could say my son’s school had a problem with a certain section of their pupils, several of whom have gone on to murder victims, so yes I do have experience of several schools downplaying and bending over backwards to help potential murderers and thugs

SmileEachDay · 30/06/2018 20:56

several of whom have gone on to murder victims, so yes I do have experience of several schools downplaying and bending over backwards to help potential murderers and thugs

Several murderers at several schools?

Blimey.

Clairetree1 · 30/06/2018 21:02

as allowing for time for a member of staff to be free to speak to me Half a morning to allow time for a member of staff to speak to you?

What sort of school is this, with teachers able to take time off to speak to a parent in the middle of the day with no notice? don't they have teaching to do?

I wouldn't expect an answer in under a week, in our school the time limit for replying is two weeks

PurpleStarInCashmereSky · 30/06/2018 21:21

When I was teaching at a rural school we had rival gang members gain access to beat one of our students. Was very nasty and we got security guards after.

So it could be something sinister or it could be nothing. I don't think parents were told en masse.

user1457017537 · 01/07/2018 20:42

Lee Rigby’s murderer, Carl Rickard’s murderer, two policewomen in Luton who were murdered - all went to school in the area I live in. Not to mention Stephen Lawrence. It does indeed happen.

SmileEachDay · 01/07/2018 21:02

user
What did the schools do to “bend over backwards to help potential murderers”?

And what is your role in eac of their schools so that you know this?

user1457017537 · 01/07/2018 21:24

The schools were aware of the pupils being extremely violent gang members and there was police involvement whilst they were in schools.

I am not prepared to answer the second question.

PurpleCrowbar · 01/07/2018 21:52

I taught in a school where we did have a reportable incident.

Two masked men waving guns arrived in the car park. The Head's office window was shattered by a presumed gunshot. School went into lockdown mode (all teachers secured students in classrooms by locking doors from inside).

Local FB & press were agog. Much panic.

Turned out to be a disgruntled & troubled ex student, plus a random mate from his new school. Both aged 14. The guns were toys & the window had been broken when one of them lobbed a stone.The boys - who had run off after the stone throwing - were picked up by the police 10 minutes later, having bought pop & sweets in the local Co-op.

School had a full statement out within an hour. Phone number for parents to ring if any concerns.

Staff met after school to discuss how to support students who would be coming in next day worried/traumatised.

Security arrangements were reviewed that week & a new policy put in place (a senior member of staff had recognised the ex student & gone out to tell him to be off - my understanding was she got a MASSIVE bollocking for putting herself at risk).

It was all a pretty big deal - we all knew that another time they could have been 'real' gunmen. It was taken very very seriously.

OTOH, we had relatively harmless site invaders in the form of bored ex students or friends of current students or kids with beefs with our students on a fairly regular basis. They would be told to leave or police would be called & generally, it took one lunchtime supervisor to tell them to sod off. Back up from teaching staff if that wasn't sufficient.

I suspect your incident was of the second variety!

'Unauthorised teenagers attempting to access the site' is routine. 'Gunmen' definitely wasn't.

If you haven't had an update from school you can safely assume this was kids mucking about + a lot of Chinese whispers.

BlitheringIdiots · 01/07/2018 22:00

Our school kept the kids out of the wooded area on Friday as had reports that a group of kids from another school were coming armed with knives. I am a tad worried but not much I can do really. And we live in a sleepy coastal town so hardly inner city - it's odd as doesn't seem true but DS insists it is

SmileEachDay · 01/07/2018 22:17

The schools were aware of the pupils being extremely violent gang members and there was police involvement whilst they were in schools
Being aware is not the same as bending over backwards.

I am not prepared to answer the second question

It’s difficult to understand from what perspective you are seeing this then. That’s your right, of course.

Hum2 · 02/07/2018 09:03

@BlitheringIdiots if this town begins with R and is part of the schools name too then we are most certainly referring to the same school.

School said 'teenagers' got on the field in balaclavas, maybe excluded/ex pupils or Friday another school. School went into Code Red and police checked the perimeters.

Surely a 'Code Red' warrants a message home to prevent hysteria and panic?!

Hum2 · 02/07/2018 09:04

or *from

Walkingdeadfangirl · 02/07/2018 09:08

Balaclavas in this weather, even criminals aren't that stupid!

cardibach · 02/07/2018 10:23

Lee Rigby’s murderer, Carl Rickard’s murderer, two policewomen in Luton who were murdered - all went to school in the area I live in. Not to mention Stephen Lawrence. It does indeed happen
user(numbers) you are aware that all murderers go to school somewhere as children, yes? That some people will commit crimes whatever the school does? I wonder how many potential murderers went on NOT to commit murder because of interventions instigated by schools.
That murderers attended a school in their youth does not prove (or even suggest) that the school did nothing/bent over backwards to hide their behaviour.

user1457017537 · 02/07/2018 10:44

Obviously all potential murderers go to school. I am talking about violent gangs known to police and schools.

I suggest you research “county lines” if you disbelieve me

BlitheringIdiots · 02/07/2018 20:06

Hum2. No doesn't begin with R

SmileEachDay · 03/07/2018 17:15

am talking about violent gangs known to police and schools

But what are you saying the schools did to bend over backwards?

MooPointCowsOpinion · 03/07/2018 18:38

Hey we were promised an update!

Hum2 · 03/07/2018 18:46

About 7 post back! I gave one

NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking · 03/07/2018 18:51

My son had a lockdown drill at his secondary, it was done in a fairly realistic way... unfortunately they neither informed the parents either before or after, nor did they tell the pupils it was a drill either before or after.

Cue lots of terrified 11/12 year olds in tears during and after school (drill was at the end of the school day) and parents not knowing how to reassure them. A lot were terrified of attending school the next day.

Unfortunately these drills are needed now, and an element of shock/surprise is needed to make it worthwhile. But it was handled so so badly.

SassitudeandSparkle · 03/07/2018 19:56

Hum2 are you the OP?

Original poster

Star1234567890 · 03/07/2018 23:41

Yes apologies, didn't realise the name change error, I am also Hum2 so the update is about 8 posts above.

OP posts:

BackforGood · 04/07/2018 00:12

People will be confused as they have the OP's posts highlighted in a different colour, so, posting under a different name, they won't show up.

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