Family think I'm bad for leaving child at school 10mins before door opens

[pointbla]

I take my year 4 child early 10 mins before the school doors open and leave him there. I have another child to take to another school. He's 9 , I see no problem with it , other children are there too. Also, I don't regularly do that just occasionally.
My family seem to think this is very bad and I am putting my child at risk as the kids mess about. AIBU?

I live in a world where I think everyone should take responsibility for others in distress.

Out of interest, at what point does the cheeky fuckery end? Does your 12yo never leave your sight in case they break their leg? 15? 18? I'm guessing at some point before they draw their pension you are also the CF who leaves their kids to the tender mercies of strangers. It's just a question of when. 9 is old enough for me, not for you. Fine, but I am no more a cf than you are, we just have different ideas about how responsible our kids are.

What is this thing you have about the pavement??? It's weird. Bikes and scooters and heely's don't work well on grass. Being on the pavement is also how you get to other places. What's so awful about it? Genuine question.

(that was to Hercule Poirot btw)

People are very quick to judge, but don't often come up with any helpful solutions.

This is so true. It's so easy to criticise when it's not you in the situation. I also highly doubt the people on this thread who have said the OP should use breakfast club etc would do that if they found themselves in this situation.

Irresponsible if not supervised, fine if there's an adult there.
Used to annoy me that some did this, it was always the ones that caused trouble too, just left for some other responsible parent to manage.

My children’s school sent a letter home a few weeks ago that said any children left unaccompanied in the playground before school would be taken to breakfast club and the parents would be billed.
It has stopped many people dropping children and leaving them early

frogsoup

The OP isn’t leaving her son unsupervised. She is leaving him under the care of people who haven’t been asked, and relying on them to keep him safe. Yes, I think she’s being cheeky.

Y4 at our school we’re encouraged to ‘drop and run’

Y3 and under we have to stay with them.

My children’s school sent a letter home a few weeks ago that said any children left unaccompanied in the playground before school would be taken to breakfast club and the parents would be billed.

Does that include ks2 children surely not? If so that's madness the year 6's will be left unaccompanied in secondary school in approximately 7 weeks.

Even if it's ten minutes before class @calmpuppycrazykids that seems crazy! Given that in most schools there are waiting lists for before and after school clubs do they really have tons of spaces?? What a broad brush.

The responses on here show just how different school policies can be, it’s impossible to generalise when we all have different experiences. Our school was almost completely accessed by car ( rural), parking a nightmare, so the norm after reception age was to drop at the gate and leave. The school policy was before 8.40am you pay for breakfast club, after that you could leave them at the gate to go in. School started 8.55.
So given that experience the pp saying how terrible OP is sound bonkers to me, but if their school has the policy of parents must stay until class starts, then OP sounds unreasonable.

Our school doesn't allow parents on the playground full stop for any age. We drop at the gate and leave from reception.

I'd guess there's about 15-20 'unsupervised' 7-11 year olds waiting outside the school gate for 5-10 minutes in the morning. Plus another 15-20 with a parent or older sibling. There's then a 15 minute window of gate supervision by staff and more 7-11 walking to school alone or with parents during that time.

I'm often there, and if I am I don't feel responsible for any of the children - but if they got too rowdy or scraped a knee I'd be happy to intervene.
Sometimes my 8 year old is there unsupervised.

Guess what - nothing terrible happens!

AudacityOfHope
pavement is used to go from place A to B, can be in front of houses who are allowed to have some peace and is shared with anyone. No one has said that kids should be kept out of the pavement at all time... just that it's not the place to play.

There even are many better places to be on your scooter or your bike around here, and I am sure it's the same in many parts of the country.

If so that's madness the year 6's will be left unaccompanied in secondary school in approximately 7 weeks

Again, posters are totally missing the point.

Still waiting for the OP to confirm what the policy of the school is.

In the school I teach in there's no morning supervision and a sign saying that the school bears no responsibility for pupils before X time. When I arrive, over 30 mins before school starts, there are already 10-15 pupils there. They stand in their lines and talk. In my DC's school, supervision provided for 15mins before bell and they can play in the playground. Of course lots drop before the 15minutes. OP I think 10 mins fine once you are OK with taking responsibility for your child and know he will be responsible. We always walked at that age and stood at door for a lot longer than that.

Oops, posted too soon, was saying OP sounds unreasonable to pp who have to wait until school starts.
In both scenario I don’t think OP is unreasonable, but I would explain to dc teacher and check they were ok with it if it’s a school that expect parents to wait.

It does seem odd to me that some schools let children on to school grounds before they are willing to supervise. They should just keep the gates shut.

Again, posters are totally missing the point.

How am I missing the point? I was responding to another poster in regards to the letter her child's school sent out???

I think that's totally fine.

I drop my 7 and 10 year olds in the playground 20 minutes before school starts so I can get a train to work. They are not supervised and usually the first kids there (others turn up in minutes though). The 10 year old has a phone and can contact me if any problem and theres always someone in the school office.

I used to walk to school with friends from the age of 5. It's good to get kids used to being independent through short safe periods on their own.

I drop my 8 year old in similar circumstances - no playground supervision. She also plays out in the street st home.

Rainonmyguitar
Something as simple as a bumped head at my primary school needs basic first aid administered, the teacher advised so they can keep an eye on the child, a bumped head letter sent home and depending on severity, a phone call to the parent to advise-this takes time. You might think this is OTT (I don't set the rules!) but has to be done for safeguarding, insurance and H&S compliance. Can you see how time consuming that is when the child isn't even due in school for another 10/15min?
I think there's a definite split on this thread between those who think it is fine and those who find it a cavalier approach. And of course, different schools will have different rules and what they consider to be acceptable regarding early drop-offs without supervision.

But it is a place to play. Not the only place but one of the places.

I was responding to another poster in regards to the letter her child's school sent out???

because it's not about child's independence, it's about insurance.

I'm in NZ and we're allowed to leave kids at our school from 8:15 (bell is at 8:50). No supervision - they have to do their morning 'jobs' make sure their water bottles are out, books out, desk clean, pencils sharpened then they play. I wouldn't like my kids turning up at school straight into clas. They need time to get into their day and meet up with mates.