To think he should take his own child to school?

[ApplesandOrangesandPears]

I have a neighbour who's child is my daughters class, every day this past week this child has showed up at my door unaccompanied to go to school with us - this would be fine but my child has ADHD and mornings are chaotic and difficult. I don't have this child's parents phone numbers, and don't know exactly where they live! However I just saw the parent in their car driving away as I was trying to bundle all 3 children across the car park.....this child is very young and so I don't feel comfortable sending them home alone and clearly the parent isn't waiting for them to get home before leaving themselves! I don't have any contact with these parents so if something were to happen I wouldn't be able to let them know, we are also going away soon and won't be able to take him to school! AIBU to think this is really cheeky of the parents and that you shouldn't just assume another parent will take yours to school with no prior conversation at all!

The 7 year old is perfectly capable of telling the OP where he lives!

On the other hand, the school is legally prohibited from doing so unless there is immediate danger.

Could the child have told his parents that you would take him to school? How does he get home again is the wayward parent collecting him?

You clearly haven’t, since you were telling OP to do something that she had already done, and she had already come back and told us what the school said.

Also, approximately 100 other people had already also told her to tell the school. And indeed they keep on coming!

I don’t think you’re impulsive at all. I mean, you don’t know the parents, you could literally be anyone & they’re leaving their child with u?! What happens if something does go wrong while your taking the child to school and you can’t contact the parents. Or like you say, if u go away, or aren’t available. I would definitely try to find out where they live and speak to them, or inform school

I’m a bit surprised how many people on here think that 7 years old is old enough to walk to school alone. Even though there is no strict legal minimum age, if you look it up you find ‘most councils recommend 8 years old as a minimum’. Also the law states that although there is no age threshold, the parent has to be sure that it doesn’t put their child at risk. Imo letting a 7 year old cross busy roads by themselves in today’s age of fast driving is absolutely putting them at risk and therefore illegal. I’d be extremely surprised if the school doesn’t follow this up as a safeguarding issue.

OP explained this this morning after speaking to the school.

Colour yourself surprised but the school have already said it’s fine.

And it depends on many factors. My 7 year old is incredibly cautious and fairly mature for her age - she knows how to cross a road alone, as we have been showing her how to cross safely since she was a toddler (as in, she only crosses at designated crossing points and once all traffic is at a complete standstill) - I don’t see how being 8 instead of 7 makes that any safer.

Of course you mind . My child had adhd - I absolutely don’t need responsibility for someone else’s child as well .
it is fine not to help everyone

Understatement!!

I cannot believe you haven't addressed this with the CF on day 1!!! ((By getting info off the child, of course!)

I also cannot believe some parents: 1) the parent does not know you from Adam!! 2) the sheer nerve of it!!

Perhaps the OP should just ask?

Flipping Nora.

what a cheek and poor kid.

firstly, I would email the school and inform them as this is a potential safeguarding concern (not you, the parents).

I find mornings really stressful and dread people asking me as it’s hard enough here sometimes.

also try to find the parents and inform them of their brass neck cheek.

poor kid, what a thought to be having to do this.

This. If I couldn't find anywhere at all I would have rang the police or the school on the spot and explained I was taking this child to the school office and they can deal with that

On the first day I would have walked the child into the school reception and say that they had been abandoned with you and you don’t know them or their parents. On the second day I would have phoned social services.
There would not have been a third day…

That is really cheeky of the parents.

I'm thinking the parent has asked his child to ask your child if he can walk to school with them. Your child has agreed and hence child now deposited on your doorstep. Obviously this agreement should be made between parents not children.
As a SAHM I have walked multiple children to school with mine - and even collected them at the last minute - and it's never been a problem as I'm going there anyway - but you do need the parent's details.

Put a letter in the child bag saying you'll be calling social services tge next time their child ends up at your house.

You are definitely not being unreasonable and you MUST report this to the school. Not only for the child's sake but also to protect yourself. This is a huge safeguarding concern not just in terms of the neclect of the child but also that you are a relative stranger to the family which leaves you open to all sort of potential accusations.

Lots of people do let young children walk to school. I wouldn't. I assume its not a long way. I think telling the parents that it's not convenient and they need to walk their own dc to school ( if it continues) is the only thing you can do. I doubt the school will do anything.

You have to inform the school. This is a massive safeguarding issue. Massive. Or call social services to say a strange child is being left alone outside your house every morning and you are really concerned for their safety.

Oh God I had similar happen. Now they have got told to take kid to school by the school as was getting a joke

She informed the school this morning and was told the child has permission to go to school alone.

@NowZeusHasLainWithLeda the school did not say that the child has permission to walk to school alone.
the school has said there is no law against it but will intervene

I would ask the child to show me exactly where they live the first time they were dumped at my door, and I would speak to the parents. I would then call Social Services if it happened again. I work in this area. This is Neglect. I’ve seen it all but the bare faced cheekiness of this is crazy. No prior discussion or agreement re. this. The parent/s clearly have no concern for the safety and wellbeing of their young child.

DP and I couldn’t be dealing with this in the mornings either. We have enough on our plate trying to get our youngest DC (8) out the door and to school on time before we both start work.

Technically, schools are well within their rights to call Social Services if a parent/carer repeatedly fails to turn up to collect their child from school/Afterschool Club. Schools tend not to do so.

I’d be really interested to know: what age group are you DSL for? Only that I’ve worked over 10 years in key stage 1 in primary schools and based on all my training and KCSIE government safeguarding guidance, I would definitely say this is a safeguarding issue. That doesn’t mean it’s illegal, but definitely further action needed to ascertain the situation and ensure nothing is amiss in terms of the child’s safety and well-being.