Suing a school for negligence

[roundandroundabout]

A playground mum has told me that I shouldn't send my DD to the local (ofsted outstanding) primary because she sued them for losing her DD (the child has sen and wandered out of the gates). I've googled the name of the school but nothing comes up. If this were true wouldn't it be public knowledge? And AIBU for ignoring and still planning to send my child there?

Is this a school in NW London OP?

What purpose would it serve to have ‘transparency’ on it. I’d bet money on it process were changed over night. If your lucky enough to have a outstanding school place for your child - take it.

Kids are escape artists.

@intelinside57
@curioushorse

My dd is 22 now. I did make a formal complaint and did get a formal apology from the governors. The head left 9 months later, the school was in freefall and the matter should have been dealt with promptly. It should not have taken 7 years to get shot of a disastrous appointment.

My dd left at the end of Y8. Because of loss of confidence in an excellent school.

What I say @intelinside57 is that pur experiences when we were there were disgraceful (lots of other issues) but I am aware there is a new head and I understand she has been a positive influence on the school and there has also been a corresponding clear put of governors.

All I am trying to say is that schools are not always beyond reproach and it isn't always the "scummy" parent at the root of issues.

At drop off when my dd was in yr1 or 2, a child bolted from the cloakroom. The school gates were open. I told the TA to run and I’d guard the door. It happens. Idk what could be done to prevent that. Atm, I imagine with Covid, the school will be locked down. I imagine a lot of new measures will continue on the basis there could perhaps be another pandemic at any time. It would not put me off that a child was lost as security will have been tightened after the event.

A similar thing happened at my childs primary , it was hushed up , the child left the school in error instead of afterschool club, she came to no harm , her parents removed her and her siblings from the school .
The head changed collection protocol without telling parents why after this .
I was told what happened by my friend who is employed at the school.
The parents did not go to the press or make a loud noise to other parents.
Its obviously a concern but did'nt affect my trust in the school.
I bet this happens quite a lot but we only hear about the cases that are reported in the media .

My children went to a school where a little girl drowned in a swimming lesson. It worried me but I liked the school. They had the most fantastic swimming programme, employed a wonderful swimming teacher who did intensive courses and they did the first in year 2, 3 weeks intensive, followed by another 3 weeks for children who didn't make it. It was rare for a child to need a 3rd course. Once they were all confident swimming they had weekly lessons.

My point is that a school that has had a terrible experience like that is probably going to move heaven and earth to make sure it never happens again. I suppose lightning can strike twice but it unusual.

I'd say do what I did, visit the school and get a feel for it.

My friend's son managed to get out of the playground and go missing (reception). School apologised to parents, no public record of incident.

He was found though

Happened at our school. SEN child did an Indiana Jones roll under a locked gate that had a really small gap underneath. It was very unexpected and the teachers couldn't get to the child because the access gate was on the opposite side of the school. They couldn't climb the locked one nor fit underneath. They had to wait for keys. Luckily the child was fine. It was unfortunate and a complete accident no one had considered could happen. The school gates were extended at the bottom quick smart and measures put in place immediately which is what I suspect also happened at the school you are looking at. There was a problem and it's undoubtably been sorted so it can't happen again. I'd send my kid.

My son got lost by the forest school he attended. There is no record of it happening. I removed him but others still send their kids. No one probably knows how negligent they were.

drop off when my dd was in yr1 or 2, a child bolted from the cloakroom. The school gates were open. I told the TA to run and I’d guard the door

We are trained never to run after a child, it only makes them run, putting them in more danger.

There is a reason it is a school not a prison.

Happened to my friend, who I know posts here.

Yes, they took their child out.

Happens a lot, but often because a school refuses to acknowledge or make provision for children with SEN. Not always the school's fault, if they're unable to secure funding.

My child with SEN was lost by the school once between school and after school provision. They didn't notice that he was lost, but fortunately one of my neighbours found him.

Yes, schools put procedures in place after a safeguarding lapse like that. Governors, Local Authority and Ofsted will have been informed. It's very unlikely to be made public.

It doesn't detract from all the other good things a school does, and it's seemingly not that uncommon given how many people on the thread have personally experience this problem.

You aren't at all unreasonable to send you children to that school if you like it. My younger children still go to the school that lost my eldest.

not only schools have this problem but hospitals and care homes.
if your child does not have a problem with running home etc. it wouldn't deter me.

My SN child got out of school, school didn’t even tell me, I was told by another child, turned out my daughter had climbed over the school gate and into a field behind the school, a child alerted a teacher, my child was meant to have 1:1 (she has ASD and a few other things), this wasn’t the only time it happened either. I never took of further, school put more safety measures in place and then started calling me to collect her every time she attempted to get out 😡. Other than the safety issue the school was pretty good, maybe that’s why I didn’t take it further. My daughter should never have been there, she should have been in a sn school with more security (she now is).

As others have said it's possible and not overly impressive if a child with SEN was not properly supervised but you don't know the circumstances and what has been put in place subsequently. Personally this one experience wouldn't entirely put me off the school.

A boy in my sons class climbed over the little school village fence and ran off. They have big trellis stuff attached to the top now.

The child had autism

@TenhillPlace

drop off when my dd was in yr1 or 2, a child bolted from the cloakroom. The school gates were open. I told the TA to run and I’d guard the door

We are trained never to run after a child, it only makes them run, putting them in more danger.

Ok well I am not trained and never has a bolter. I am just a parent and the point is a parent guarded the door. I think realistically that shouldn’t have happened.

No if my child ran off I would not hold the school responsible