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?

How is the post confusing? She said she takes year year4 child into school. I mean comprehension might be confusion for some people but the post is fine.

Check the school is happy for you to do this, or you’ll have the tutting office staff like nzeire to watch out for

If he's sensible and won't be either having to have other parents parent him or likely to go out of the gates what's the problem?
Mine walked to school (in small groups) from year 3 (so 7yo) 40-50 minute walk. They loved the independence, although weren't quite so keen on the walk.

Good grief - I was taking myself to school by that age and there would be loads of us in the playground chatting and playing before school started. How anyone can say you ABU is unbelievable.

YABU - sorry but if those 10 minutes are before the school supervises the playground, then you are the kind of parent my DC's Primary school sent letters out about. They had a paid Breakfast club from 8 and the doors were opened at 8:30. However if you left a child before 8, or before 8:30 not at Breakfast club then you are irresponsible - and if anything happened to your child (including falling over and cutting their knee) the school is in real trouble.
However why don't you ask another Parent to just supervise them for those 10 minutes? If I was there I would willingly do it - and this kind of informal helping out was common when mine were at primary school.
I even got a passing Mother to take my son to school when his younger sister was totally losing it because she'd forgotten to pick up a Teddy to take into Nursery.

@Anonmummyoftwo YEAR 4 not age 4

As long as it's not on school property, because many schools don't allow it. They haven't got the staff to look after the children, but would be held responsible if something happened, so parents must stay with their kids.

Your post is incredibly confusing, a quick read makes it look as though you're leaving a 4 year old.

No it doesn't. The op clearly states the child is in year 4 and then clarifies on the next line he is 9 years old. I'd say that was pretty clear.

As long as he is sensible and fie with being left then I don't see the problem. In many junior school/playgrounds this is perfectly normal behaviour.

I think it is fine too esp if other children are also there. Any younger, no, but nine years old going into year five soon yes of course. As long as the school are happy with this (our school would prob not like it)

This is not ok. Schools have a duty to protect/supervise children on the school grounds not being looked after by parents but they don't have the funds to supervise children before a certain time. This creates a horrible situation for school staff and often means that insurance etc is invalid. Please don't do it.

Oh ffs

The child is 9 years old folks
He probably plays with his friends out in the street at home obviously not fully supervised
9 year olds can walk to school with their friends, go to the corner shop, spin about on their bikes where they live
10 mins in a playground with his friends does not need pearl clutching!!!

I walked to school as a 9 year old. Its fine.

To clarify, do you leave him in front of the school, or on the playground?

If playground, it's not ok.
Ask a friend to be responsible for 10mn!

Age 9 is fine.

Staff arrive at school earlier than the children arrive to do work without interruption, if the school supervised kids fron8.30, by all means drop them at 8.30. If it’s 8.15, there are staff there, it doesn’t mean that they are on child supervision duty. If I’m there before 8.30, it’s brcause I’m crazy busy and need to catch up, not to put bandaids on grazes, ice packs on hurries, band provide tissues for tears. It’s bloody annoying. Sickbay? First aid room?!

Wow, schools still have sick bays?
Yanbu op, ignore the pearl clutchers

At my DS2’s school, once they moved to Juniors in Year 3 parents were strongly encouraged not to come on to the playground in the mornings! We were to see them safely through the school gate then leave.

So it seems totally normal to me. DD’s school is slightly different - but still not uncommon for children of that age to wait with their friends for a few minutes before the doors open.

The key info that is missing @pointbla is whether the school allow it or not? At our school, children aren't allowed to be unsupervised in the playground. They start at 8.55, there is a member of staff there from 8.40. If a child arrives before then, they need to have a parent with them.
It's irrelevant that people were walking to school on their own at that age etc, if the school isn't covered for unsupervised kids in the playground, then you shouldn't do it. If they are fine with it, then it's fine for you to do it.

It sounds like you should probably be paying for breakfast club. If you are expecting other parents outside the school gates to keep an eye on your kid, that’s pretty crap.

You know your child. I would have done the same - if mine were likely to climb trees/wander off I wouldn't but assuming yours is like mine and will happily hang around/chat to friends when they arrive then no problem at all.

Lola My 10yo is not allowed to play out in the street unsupervised (we don't have the sort of street where you can, but even if we did it would be a no).

9yo would not be going to the corner shop, spinning around on bikes unsupervised etc. None of the 9yo's I know do. Maybe back in the early 80s but times have moved on since then. I would have to guess that you are well over 50 for those kind of views and that you don't currently have a child in the age bracket being discussed.

Medical room? Is sickbay really archaic term? I’m in Nz and that’s what we call it! Anyhows, everyone seems to be a special case for the extra 10 minutes, which is never just ten minutes.

It sounds like you should probably be paying for breakfast club. If you are expecting other parents outside the school gates to keep an eye on your kid, that’s pretty crap.

The Op doesn't need to pay for breakfast club she's clearly not leaving her child at the school unattended outside the gates like a waif and stray. She is obviously dropping him off 10 minutes before the school doors open. E.g. leaving him at 8.40 when the doors to school open at 8.40. The gates will be open and the playground would be busy. She's not expecting anyone to supervise him, he's 9 he is more than capable of waiting in a playground for 10 minutes before going into class without an adult helicoptering around him.

Is it only me that wishes people would read the OP properly before steaming in? Nothing confusing about it ....

@Nzeire Not archaic but not a term in use in the UK I would say, certainly not in England. But then we never had a first aid room either.

What are hurries?

It was confusing for me.

I’m in Scotland. We don’t say year4, so I don’t automatically read that and think of school years. I see a 4 year old.