rant about school

[cheesesarnie]

i just had a call from school to say ds-6 was poorly and could i pick him up,so i went to collect him and he was sat in the reception area by himself.i had to find the receptionist(who sits behind glass sliding window so couldnt see him or the door so didnt know id/or anyone else had come in)to say i had him.surely thats not right?i know hes 6 and in year 2 but surely he should have someone sat with him instead of being left alone munching on a carrot!theyre all busy practising a play and by sounds of it its only a urine infection so not like he was sat being sick but id rather he had someone with him plus hes 'excitable' to put it nicely.

Can you just enter the school without pressing a buzzer?
I'd imagine if not then he was safe enough, he had probably been told to knock on the receptionists door if he needed her.

I had to go and get DD last week, thankfully the TA wasn't busy so she was with her but if she'd been at the reception by herself as long as she had someone to go to if she needed them and no-one could get to her I'd have been fine with it.

TBH, I was looking for her in reception first.

I think if he is a safe environment with no exposed fires/high windows to throw out of etc. Then it is acceptable to leave a child of 6 alone in a room with an adult very nearby.

If the door is accessible from the outside without a buzzer then its a little different, but I'm surprised if that's the case I thought most schools were locked now.

no buzzer it just makes a be bah noise when you open it.

Then school should perhaps consider its security.

Ex-pupils intruding or estranged parents being a slight concern rather than marauding kidnappers iyswim.

I'm surprised at the security tbh, or lack of it.
I wouldn't be too impressed that someone could just walk into the school.
As slur says, more estranged parents than machete weilding maniacs, but still.

You are being very unreasonable.

ok.can you tell me why though please?
i didnt actually say anything to the school-im unwell and wanted to think about it before storming in ranting and raving.this is why im asking is unreasonable for the school to do this.

If you could access the school and therefore your child without anyone knowing then you have a valid point.

If it is just that your son was alone, then cut the school some slack as they may have only just left him or there might not have been a staff memeber available to stay all the time.

it is the fact i could get in the school and take my son with no one noticing.

OUr school has a medical room which is directly off the school office. Sick kids are put in there, so out of the way but near people, until they're collected.
You also cannot get into the school unless buzzed in.

So does the school now know you have your child?

presumably they rang you to collect and it didnt take you long to get there?

it is the same at my dc's school.

is there a buzzer to get into the school?

yes because i shouted out to find the receptionist to tell her i had him.
nope no buzzer.

No don't think you ABU, you could have been ANYBODY!
And you're DS is only 6? We were made to wait in the school office on a chair with the secretary,you also had to enter via a secure door, and this is in secondary school aged 16!!!

so do you think its worth saying something about the lack or security?or will they just think im over reacting as some of you do?

No definately say something about lack of security, you could actually enter the school grounds and building without being cahllenged and worse than that, you had access to a child. Like i said you could have been ANYBODY.

I wouldn't have a problem with my dd being sat in the reception on her own, but only because at her primary school you have to press the buzzer outside the school gate and the receptionist has to let you in and can see you coming across the playground from the gate. If you can just walk into the school than YANBU.

cheesesarnie, I don't think anyone has disagreed about the lack of security, just the fact that your son was alone.
I would probably ask why the school was so open to anyone, especially in light of your son being in reception.
Don't mention him being supervised, because at 6 I don't think what is expected to be a few minutes in the reception area is an issue at all, but being there alone and accessible is.

ok.will mention to teacher tomorrow.