School not letting my child from the school

[Kutika]

I have read numerous discussions where people mention that schools cannot legally prevent a child from leaving, yet I find myself in this exact situation. The school is refusing to allow my child to leave, despite my clear instructions. I've sent an email, filed a complaint with the trust, and even contacted the police, but to my surprise, none of these actions have resolved the issue. I was told by the head teacher that the law does not apply to them. Any ideas on who to contact?

Are they refusing because they feel your child is too young to leave unaccompanied? Context is everything here

Backstory? Completely impossible to answer this without knowing who you are to the child, the child’s age and why the school won’t let them leave.

If there is some kind of safeguarding concern for example I imagine that the school would be justified in not letting the child leave.

School can prevent a child leaving if they have reason to believe it would not be safe; they would need to be contacting social services/police though.

What do you mean by leave? Take them off role, out for an appointment etc?

More details needed really. If it’s a 6 year old you are expecting them to let out to walk home alone then I can’t see why they wouldn’t allow it, a 15 year old to walk home then YANBU.

Are they a teen meant to be in detention or a 6 year old you want to walk home alone

There will absolutely be a reason why the school aren’t allowing your child to go with you, there always is. Usually the parent is trying to collect their child and is convinced that they can, when the court has made an order that they can’t.
If a parent is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs we most certainly would not let them go with their parent, we have a safeguarding duty of care.

How old and what us the reason you want them to be able to leave? If a teenager and you want them to be able to slip out at lunch time, or a few minutes early, for a dentist or doctor's appointment then probably YANBU.

But impossible to say really without more context

There may be good reason why the school does this, and context will help.

However, the head teacher saying that the law does not apply to them is a concern, assuming you are quoting correctly and it is not a specific part of law. Suggest you follow up with a formal complaint in writing to the governors.

What documentation is in place to allow your child to leave? There you'll need to be a written agreement between your self and school to allow this. Otherwise it's a safeguarding risk.

What do you mean by "allow my child to leave"? Do you mean allowing you to de register the child and take them off roll? Or do you mean go home at the end of the day, instead of staying for detention? Or something else?

How old is the child?
When are you wanting them to leave - lunchtime, end of day, for specific appointments?
Are you wanting the child to leave by themselves, or do you mean child is not allowed to leave with you specifically?
What was the response to your complaint to the Trust?

Why do people post OPs like this, as though no further information is needed?

Zero clue what you mean by this.

Leave at the end of each day?

Leave in the middle of the day if they want to?

Leave altogether and never return?

Also.

How old is the child? Behavioural issues? Why do they need a different rule to what the others in the school presumably have to follow?

SO much more information needed here....

I mean how old. Year 1 of course they won’t but a year 5 they should.

There’s so much information missing here op.

@Kutika are you able to answer any of the questions people have asked?

There is no one to contact and if you don't provide the information others have asked for you won't get proper responses that will help you.

All you can do is leave your child at school and simply refuse to pick them up.

Then police and/or social services would have to get involved. Neither of them would want to and would take their good time to do anything. So either the head would relent, or you would have to come and pick your child up.

YABU for writing such a vague post

Instead of trying to find someone else to complain to, maybe you could try accepting that the school has reasons for it’s policies and have enough respect to do what they need you to.

If your child is very young (under 10) or has additional needs that make him/her vulnerable, then of course the school won't allow the child to walk home alone. The school has a duty of care.

Nope as it depends on the particular circumstances.

I can think of two incidents I know off where the schools were unreasonable insisting on this rule last year.

Children under 10 but in juniors can safely walk home alone. It depends on exactly where they live in relation to the school.

If both the trust and the head of the school have denied OP’s request, then it is likely to be for fair reason, even if it appears unreasonable to parents. Parents often don’t know the situation in its entirety.