School remaining open during polling

[MrBuckler]

My children attend a small, single form entry primary school that is being used as a polling station on July 4th, but the school is to remain open whilst polling is going on. The information we've had from the school is that the yr 6s will be out for the day doing a settle at the local high school, so their classroom is being used for the polling stations. There is an entry way into the school which makes it easier to access the year 6 classroom, but you can also gain access to the rest of the school via that entry way. The school is pretty open with no secure gates to stop people accessing the playground down the sides of the school, and it's not possible to block the year 6 class room off entirely independently. From the research myself and other parents have done the catchment for registered voters who will use that polling station is about 1500 people, and we've also learnt that the people sent from the council to run the polling stations won't be DBS checked. The head won't reply to any parents questions, queries, and concerns, and has so far refused to share the risk assessment. The head won't take an inset day from the end of the year because people may have booked holidays and it will mess up his attendance record.

Aibu to think that this isn't a safe situation and that the school should close? Would I be unreasonable to keep my kids off school that day? Wwyd?

I'm posting here for traffic and I've name changed as it might be outing.

Honestly sounds fine. It’s a small school, there will be staff about, the polling area doesn’t require people to walk through the rest of the school. Schools never used to be locked off like they are now. For one day I’m sure everyone will survive.

I think you're massively overthinking this. They're the same members of the public the children are exposed to on the street and in the park. Many of the electorate are probably their parents, relatives, and friends.

They'll cordon off a route for voters to go straight to the voting room. That section will be what's called a "suspended safeguarding area". [It's a misnomer!!] That just means that any children in those areas must be accompanied, whereas visitors need not be accompanied. In the rest of the school, visitors need to be accompanied in the usual way, while children can be unaccompanied

If an unaccompanied visitor (or just any adult without a staff badge, even a teacher who's just not wearing hers), is seen in an ordinary safeguarding area, they'll be challenged. In the suspended safeguarding area, they won't be, but no children will be there

It wouldn't mess up his attendance record. They don't need use the inset day. There's a code for schools being closed for things like snow or gas leaks or polling stations

Without seeing the risk assessment I couldnt say if there is an actual issue. It's a shame he isn't being more transparent with it. But I suppose sometimes you just have to decide you trust his judgement or not. And if not keep your child off.

There are schools round here that remain open as a polling station, but each school is different.

What exactly do you fear might happen? I think you being a little bit dramatic.

People in the suspended safeguarding area need not be DBS checked nor wear a staff badge.

We have situations like this all the time. School plays, parents evenings etc are all suspended safeguarding situations. Children are accompanied in those situations

Totally. Unreasonable. This is a very sensible solution which will mean working parents don’t have to take a day off work that they haven’t planned for . The polling station staff might not be DBS checked but since they won’t be having anything to do with the pupils this has as much relevance as the people at your local supermarket check out not being DBS checked either . Does your school run a summer fair, when they open the gates to the local community, and does the headteacher share that risk assessment with you? No, I didn’t think so.

The only thing you need to ask is “If it is a hot day will you provide water bowls for the dogs who have come along to have a polling station dog picture taken?”

What a massive overreaction. It’s better for schooling not to be disrupted

I'm so fed up with our school taking any fucking opportunity to close for the day that I'd be happy with this.
The kids are with their teachers op. They'll be fine.

If the school had closed for polling day, there would be people complaining about missing a day’s education too.

The children in the school aren't unattended so it's fine. They'll be with their teachers so even if someone wandered into the school they couldn't do much.

Hello

Sepak with the head for reasurance etc!!

I'm sure they'd have conducted a 'risk management' assessment!!

Oh ours will close and add an inset day on to that. Really disruptive.

DDs school is always open when used as a polling Station.

This year, they are even having the added fun of the summer fair happening at the same time...

The school will have done thorough risk assessments. They are barely allowed to sharpen a pencil without one.

Have you ever been to a parents evening? Or a school play?

Sounds much safer than a school trip where they're moving around in unfamiliar surroundings with distractions. If you let them go on school trips without you there then I couldn't justify keeping them off.
The only exception I might make is if your older primary kid has additional needs and is prone to running off at speed, but I'd be more concerned about the gates being open than a kidnapper!

I absolutely wouldn’t be bothered by this. The kids are fully supervised. I can’t see the issue at all.

I’d be more bothered if the school was closed for it. That would be a logistical nightmare for us as a family.

It's fine. I really can't see the issue. There are always loads of people staffing polling stations.

Indeed.

And the Op is unreasonable to suggest the head should shift the inset day from the end of term - can't be done at this late stage.

I'm sure the HT knows their job. Besides, the polling cards will already have been sent out with the school named as polling station, surely? Ours arrived last week. It's a done deal. Absolutely no point in pursuing this, OP.

You're overreacting IMO. My DS's primary never closed for polling days, I had no issue with it and why miss out on a day of schooling for no good reason?

If you want to keep your own DC at home, and you're less bothered by the unnecessary unauthorised absence than the perceived risk from voters, fill your boots. Most people here think it's a bit daft.

All the schools near me are community schools with libraries, sports facilities etc open to the public. So hundreds or thousands accessing the school grounds and buildings every day.

A DBS just means they haven't been caught......