To think my childminder should drop my children at school properly?

[ThatsSoFetch]

I've had my current childminder for quite a while now - around 5 months. DD started with her first doing full time childcare and then DS started with her when DD started school. She has them both before and after school with the arrangement being that she drops both children at school at school by 8.55am. (Can drop off from 8.45am though) DD is 4 and is in reception, DS is 9 and in year 5.

I had a call from the head teacher this morning to say both children have said they have been dropped off on the car park that is next to the driveway but the access is almost at the top near the main road and left to walk up the school driveway by themselves. He said he didn't feel this was adequate due to DD's age and said really if I am paying for a childcare service, that isn't what should be happening. I agree - I'm pretty annoyed. Every other child is walked to the playground.

Now the driveway is quite busy, there is an entrance to a woods which leads off to several different fields, woods, housing estates and beyond. Basically an absolute minefield if you are 4 and decide to have a wander off. There is another school next door to my children's school too so as you can imagine, there are hundreds of parents and potentially god knows who else. No cars drive down the driveway though.

When I have on occasion dropped the children at school myself, I normally walk them onto the playground and see them into their classrooms to ensure they have got there safely.

Today was the first time I have heard this and indeed my children haven't told me - tonight I have asked them and they have said it happens every single time - I could have accepted today as being a one off but now I'm concerned about my children's safety.

AIBU to expect that my childminder should drop my children onto the playground the same as I (and other parents do with their children) do ?

We have a childminder and I would be livid if this was happening (and both my children are KS2). I'd say that the headteacher has become involved and it needs to be done properly or you'll look elsewhere. She's not doing the job you're paying her to. Awful. My childminder often has a rush between two schools so I can understand if that's the problem buts it's certainly not acceptable.
Are there other childminders you could use? Does the school have a breakfast/after school club?

Very lazy of her, your dd is only 4, I would definitely tell that the headteacher called you concerned that your children are being dropped off at this point, under no way are they to be. That you want them dropped off at the classroom and seen in, if this happens again you are withdrawing from her.

some offer supervised 10-15 minutes playground duty before school
Our school does this from Y2. So you can go in at 8.40 to the playground but need to be there by 9.
Reception/Y1 the doors (R) or gates (Y1) open at 8.50 and again past 9 is late but you MUST take them to the door/gate yourself.

I used a CM for 9 years (which included after school care before my 2 were in Secondary). She's now a close friend.

She would never do this. She only ever took on school drop off/pick ups from the local Primary school (so she didn't need to do multiple school runs) for this reason.
She walks to the playground and waits until the dcs are inside. She's a well known person at the school.

I don't normally like CM bashing threads but this is nothing of the sort. She's so in the wrong I don't even know where to start!

I just don't understand it. She has maximum 2 little ones during the day. I have a feeling her own children's school drop offs are prioritised. Admittedly when I minded I wouldn't take on children who weren't at DS 's school. Her older child is at secondary school - whilst I understand it's her choice, surely this child is old enough to get a bus to school?

Ah, but you have nailed it. She is prioritising her own children's school drop offs, and wilfully endangering your 4 year old int he process. (Your 9 year old, unless there are special needs, should be able to manage the walk, tbh.)

I wouldn't be able to trust her any longer. Clearly she is childminding only because she has to and still prioritising her own children even when it puts yours at risk.

If her secondary student can't get his/herself to school or get ready earlier so your children can be delivered safely and properly to school, then she shouldn't be childminding frankly.

I would report her to Ofsted.

Wow thats dreadful really dreadful!
So this has clearly been happening since the start of the school year when the little 4 year old had only just started, any kind of incident could have happened esp as she was so new to school.
Was it the reception class teacher that reported it to the head teacher? I would be seriously worried about her priorities and lack of judgement, there could be a much bigger picture here. To take it upon herself to make the disision to do this is also a huge concern, i wouldn't be giving her a second chance. I would be reporting her then sacking her utterly unforgiveable.

And she's not lazy. She's running late with her own children! But that is not your problem ... you are paying her to look after yours and keep them safe, and she is failing to do so!

Odd though since secondary schools usually start before primary schools.

I watched either a Mum or a childminder drop her children in a very busy car park last week. 3 kids, the youngest 5 or under and the eldest I guess about 8. They had to walk through the busy car park and cross a road which is generally quiet but prone to the odd boy racer and then through the staff car park/delivery area before reaching the playground.

I was horrified.

I’m appalled. I run a wraparound business and so I am responsible for dropping off and picking up a number of 4 years olds (not by myself, there’s other staff). I’d never, ever allow a 4yr old to walk to their school/classroom alone. I see every single infant child directly to their classroom door and make sure their teacher has handover (there’s often messages that need to be passed to the teacher too, your CM must not be doing that). I’d take the fact that the HT called you as a sign of how serious a breach of safeguarding this is. I’d sack the CM and report it to ofsted.

I also know the local CMs and all of them do a proper handover to the teachers. I see them do it every single day.

Definitely yanbu but I'm surprised it wasn't flagged earlier.

At my dcs' school the reception ones basically have to be taken to a little.fence about 2m from the class room door and the teacher sees that the parent has dropped them off.

It's at the fence so you don't go into the classroom or anything and the kids have the sense of walking in independently.

That's outrageous. I'm a childminder and I'd never do this. I always wait until the children go into their classrooms. Not only is it vital for safety reasons, but it's also hugely important for their self-esteem to have somewhere there who cares enough to wave them in with a smile and a 'have a great day'.

Normally I'd say have a word with your childminder, but in this case I think she shows a lack of care I'd be worried that also extends into other areas so I'd give her notice and find someone else.

It’s pretty much covered off by every other poster - but even if she agrees to go to the class door in future, I’d still be finding a new minder ASAP. If she thinks leaving the kids to see themselves in what other slack attitude it’s she taking elsewhere when minding your kids ?

Of course YANBU and I think the PP who said she just doesn’t care about your kids is right. I have known brilliant childminders but I have also known some who went into it purely as an “easy” way of earning money from home without needing to pay for childcare, rather than any particular desire to look after other lots of children. She may be the latter.

It doesn’t matter if they are 4 or 11, if you are paying her to do a job, she should be doing that job. I would be concerned as to what other corners she is cutting🤷🏻‍♀️

That's shocking - how would she know if there was an issue ? I'd have her over the coals

I'm new to CM but small rural town where parents aren't allowed into school & children encouraged to be left at the gates, (maybe 100 yards into building). Although this sounds like a longer stretch & much more risk of others on the journey. Talk to her but try to decide first if you'd be willing to give her another chance depending on what she says. Good luck

I wouldn’t trust the most responsible 8 year old to take care of another little human. Terrible judgement on childminders behalf! Thank god the ht phoned you!

At my son’s school children in reception classes and the younger Y1 class (big school so each year is split into two classes) have to be brought right into the classroom by an adult, there’s a 20 minute slot where adult can either drop and run or stay and settle the child in

Hit send too soon - so parents/caters with kids at different schools can drop 20 mins before school starts and go on to the next school, but still have to come into the classroom to drop off

I'm a nanny - admittedly slightly different from a childminder - I would never allow my little ones to walk to their class / into playground alone.
I walk them into the playground, wait and watch them until they are in the building / classroom.

If a childminder was doing this with my dd I would find another childminder 100% and go to OFSTED - how is her judgement so off?!

It's lazy. People who cut corners tend to cut corners a lot. It's also a sort of lack of basic give-a-shit isn't it?

I'd be moving childminders.

Another cm. I wait until teachers arrive as children line up on playground. They then become the teachers responsibility. Someone needs to always be responsible for them.