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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Having to pick 11 yr old up from school

261 replies

Knitwit101 · 05/12/2018 11:44

Our school has a new head. Been there maybe a month. He has announced that in the winter all kids must be collected from school. I have an 11 yr old in p7 (Scotland) who has been walking home alone since p3. We are really near the school and he has only one road to cross, it has a crossing. This is a ridiculous rule, right? Surely an 11 yr old can walk maybe 4 minutes home alone if his parent says he can? It's not even nearly dark at 3.15pm.

To add to my irritation my 6 yr old finishes 20 minutes earlier. There is nowhere sheltered outside to wait and we are not allowed to wait in the school. There's no point walking home, sitting at home for 10 minutes then going back out again. So I am expected to stand outside (in weather and light that is unsuitable for 11 yr olds to be alone in) with my 6 yr old for 20 minutes to collect an 11 yr old who is perfectly capable of walking home alone.

I have complained, as have several other parents. The school have said that they are not making judgements about the capabilities and journeys of individual pupils, it's the same rule for everyone and that's that.
One parent refused to come and collect her dd. She was made to wait in school and her parent was called to collect her.

Yesterday I offered to 'collect' a bunch of kids and walk them to the school gate then let them go. So i basically collected every p7 kid then let them walk home like they usually do. I half thought the school would have phoned me this morning and complained about deliberate flouting of their policy but they haven't. Another parent is going to collect them all today and walk them round the corner out of sight.

AIBU to think this is a ridiculous policy?

OP posts:
G5000 · 06/12/2018 09:26

I'm in France and in our school, you only need to pick up the ecole maternelle kids, that's ages 3-6. From 6 they can go as they want. In neighbouring Switzerland, they are expected to make their own way to school from 4-5 years of age. 11-12? Ridiculous.

celtiethree · 06/12/2018 09:35

Re the ‘Named Person’ that was mentioned earlier in the thread as part of the rationale for this - this legislation was put on hold as its one piece of legislation that the SNP have not been able to force through! Though they are still seeking ways to implement through the back door. That is unless you are unfortunate enough to live in one of the areas where the pilot scheme was rolled out.

Original poster
Knitwit101 · 06/12/2018 09:59

Update- I now know of 14 parents who have notified the school that they will not be collecting their kids today. No-one has heard anything from the school as yet. Ds walked to school alone as usual.

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 06/12/2018 10:01

Love it!!

Way to go all 15 of you...

Weezol · 06/12/2018 10:07

Excellent - will 15 children fit into HTs office?

wijjy · 06/12/2018 10:10

"We come here with no peaceful intent, but ready for battle, determined to avenge our wrongs and set our country school free.

wijjy · 06/12/2018 10:11

or:

"I have brought you to the ring, now see if you can dance" (with 15 children in your office)

theSnuffster · 06/12/2018 10:12

How silly. Not sure what the weather has to do with it- if it's raining it's raining, the child will get wet walking home whether they're alone or with a parent! (Unless they're assuming parents will bring a car if the weather isn't good?!) Perfectly fine for your 6 year old to stand in the rain for 20 minutes so that the 11 year old doesn't get too wet though.... 😂

Avrannakern · 06/12/2018 10:19

Yay! I hope the other teachers are on your side and tell the head he is being a bit of an idiot.

Gileswithachainsaw · 06/12/2018 10:21

Is it wrong to half hope they sent the kids in with snacks and sleeping bags ready for the stand off?
I wanted to place bets on 6.15...

PhilomenaSnowflakeButterfly · 06/12/2018 10:39

Exactly Snuffster. I have the same situation. DS 7 would have to hang around outside school for 50 minutes in the morning one day a week, 45 minutes after school once a week, then an hour and a quarter after school twice a week, because it wouldn't be worth going home and there's no one to look after him.

OP do you have SATs in Scotland? If so, when does your DS do his boosters?

Can I just say, I love ecole maternelle? It sounds lovely and nurturing.

MutedUser · 06/12/2018 10:55

There is no SATS in Scotland

ZacPosenatemyhamster · 06/12/2018 10:56

bananasinpyjamas11 I couldn't agree less

Why inconvenience many parents for the sake of one? And it may be a minor inconvenience for the OP but what if another parent finishes work after the end of school and their DC walks home and let's themself in; that parent needs expensive childcare or to change jobs because little Sid does wear gloves?

PhilomenaSnowflakeButterfly · 06/12/2018 11:07

Well, that's a blessing anyway Muted.

Original poster
Knitwit101 · 06/12/2018 11:24

Is it wrong to half hope they sent the kids in with snacks and sleeping bags ready for the stand off?

Ds has an extra packet of crisps. I was going to give him a can of diet coke too because that makes him hyper, but I didn't have any

OP posts:
MutedUser · 06/12/2018 11:40

Please come back after 3 and let us know how you get on . I’m way to invested in this .

Brakebackcyclebot · 06/12/2018 12:29

Read the full thread and very interested to see what happens. I'm with you OP.

LooksBetterWithAFilter · 06/12/2018 12:45

No SAT’s in Scotland.
I’m
Glad you’ve messaged the school this would be a total pain if the head here did it thank goodness he’s mostly quite sensible and doesn’t feel it’s his place to meddle in parents decisions like these.
From P4 at our school if the dc are going to the after school club at the lewisite centre they aren’t collected by the staff. Our infants get out half an hour before p4-7 and they are collected. From P4 onwards they go down the school steps and walk down the path at the side of some houses where the after school club stands and sees everyone across the road until that days charges have arrived da2 is P4 and will be doing this after the Christmas break when I go full-time.

One point I do think is relevant here though is that allocation of schools is very different to England and most children go to their catchment school so while there will be a few who live some distance away there won’t be many that will have a 30 minute walk in the same way there is in England. Not unheard of but I live in a large village in the Highlands and we have three primary schools in the village because although it isn’t wide it’s long so even the furthest out child wouldn’t have far to their catchment school.

isittheholidaysyet · 06/12/2018 13:04

This is ridiculous.

Good on you all.
I am blatantly placemarking to find the result of what will be an enforced sit-in.

Make sure none of the parents crack, hold it together.

SneakyGremlinsBrokeTheSleigh · 06/12/2018 13:09
LMDC · 06/12/2018 13:26

I was going to give him a can of diet coke too because that makes him hyper, but I didn't have any Grin

Quiet13 · 06/12/2018 13:37

She can't enforce it.

Just laugh and crack on

Original poster
Knitwit101 · 06/12/2018 15:08

Well I've picked up youngest and am now back home.
It is dry, blue skies, a little wind

OP posts:
MutedUser · 06/12/2018 15:26

Has your 11 year old cake home yet OP?

MutedUser · 06/12/2018 15:28

*son I have no idea why my phone autocorrected to cake honest Grin