To find school rule silly?

[Skymum36]

So DD is in year 1. Last year in reception we were allowed to take the children to their class as it was right next to the gate in the playground. However, from year 1 onwards, the classrooms go further into the school and we are supposed to drop them in the playground so that they can walk theirselves to the classrooms. I think it was introduced during Covid as parents with older siblings have said it’s only been a thing the last couple of years, however they have apparently kept it on to ‘promote independence’.
I would have no issue with this, except from the fact that DD and numerous other children seem to get really anxious about going in by theirselves and there are tears every morning, yet the head teacher/teachers will not let parents past the gate to make sure that they are ok. Another students mum told me that it was affecting her son’s morning to the point he didn’t want to go to school because it made him anxious in the morning. I find myself struggling at the gate every day now trying to convince DD to walk in but she just gets upset and refuses and asks me to take her, I then have to wait for a teacher to spot me struggling so that they will walk her in. There has been quite a few heated debates between parents and teachers from where they literally point blank will not let parents past (yet it’s fine on pick up?).
The thing is I know it isn’t that big of a deal to some, but the majority of them are still only 5 years old. DD is quite an anxious child, and I just feel like this little rule sets her up for the day wrong when it wouldn’t change a thing to just be able to walk them in.
Is it a rule in anyone else’s school? AIBU to think it just seems a bit unneeded?

Yep drop and run, never heard of going in either.

I think some people are misreading the OP saying parents shouldn't be allowed in classroom/cloakroom. That's not the objection here.

I would feel uncomfortable dropping dc at the gate too, as the walk from the gate to their classroom is quite far.

The lining up and walking together sounds better but there's issues with that too. How long does everybody wait? If you take your child in when the gate opens, they have to wait out in the rain/ cold until the last child before gate closure comes...

We walk kids to their classroom door, wave goodbye, see them going in pass their teacher, teacher can see child has come to school accompanied by their grown up, you can speak to teacher if there's something important/urgent that needs mentioning, children that go early do a bit of morning revision work in the fifteen min timeframe that the gates are open.
Parents don't go in the classroom.

I have experience with two local schools and that's what is normal here. Surprised to read people just drop kids from year 1 to year 6 at the gate and go.

We had the same issue and told the teachers that they need to have a friendly teacher that the children knew at the front gate or we are walking our child in. Some children need the extra help when they are so young. It shouldn’t be a blanket rule as not all children are the same. I also told them that my child loves school and I’m not about to have them dislike it for the sake of a silly rule.

I'm surprised so many people have said this is normal as our school isnt like that 😅

From nursery to year 5 you wait in the playground, all the kids run around playing and then when the bell goes all parents take their children to their classrooms where the children walk in their classes with the teachers waiting by the doors. Year 6 can walk themselves to school

It's bedlam at the end of the day when parents can pick children up from classrooms. It would be the same in the mornings. Nightmare.

We drop at the classroom door - but all doors go out to the playgrounds. We don’t go inside. So it’s not chaotic or anything.

I would never let my 5 year old walk in alone! She has to take her scooter to the shed and then go across the playground and round a corner. She could go anywhere! Not a chance.

People talking about lining up - do they make kids line up until everyone arrives or the bell goes? What if it’s raining or freezing?! We just go straight in and kids can get settled!

In Covid they said if any children were confident you could let them go at the gate but not many people did. Mainly a few older kids.

My eldest goes in by herself now but I watched her go to her classroom until end of year 5.

I wish ours went back to this. Such a nightmare having anxious parents insist on talking at teachers at the classroom doors daily, going on and on and on, when the teacher is trying to get 30 children into their classroom...

I have spoken to her about the situation and she’s said the only thing that is bothering her is that she doesn’t want to leave me. My DS is 2 and is in preschool twice a week, the rest of the time he is at home with me so I think that contributes a lot to how she’s feeling. We have a mummy daughter day at least once a month on a weekend to try get some me and her time in but I don’t know if helps enough.
I do know that as soon as she reaches the classroom and sees her teacher that she is fine as that’s what she has told me, she just finds the walk between the gate and the classroom on her own a bit scary. 😕

Lining up is no hassle at all I can't understand why people find it so confusing. School gate opens ten mins before school starts, children come in walk to line and wait until the bell goes. There are 2 teachers on duty to supervise.
Wet and cold mornings they come in and line up in the corridor and then walk into classroom when bell goes.

People talking about lining up - do they make kids line up until everyone arrives or the bell goes? What if it’s raining or freezing?!

Do you not remember being at school?

The kids run around in the playground until the bell goes, if it's cold. If it's raining they'll be allowed in early.

This is what happens in every Scottish school i've seen. Kids run around in playground until bell rings. Parents watch from pavement if they wish to do so.

When the bell rings the kids line up in their classes. Teacher opens door. Children go in. Parents wave if they wish to do so.

If it's chucking it down - not just a wee bit drizzly - the teacher will open the door 5 minutes early and the kids go in themselves.

Ok so just to add, the school don’t allow the children to play in the playground at all in the morning, there isn’t any bell that goes off or any lining up. It’s a case of dropping them at the gate, with no teacher there, and them having to walk themselves around the outside of the school to get to the external door of their classroom which isn’t in view of where we drop them.

Not asking to actually go into her classroom with her either, just help her get to it and then let her walk in herself!

Try and guess my accent 🫣

You need to let her go into school. If the school has rules just so it. The intervention of parents in schools is out of control. Even basic rules like how to get to class are questioned. You close the school. Go with the rules and don’t create drama so they can be support and focused on teaching your/others child/ren

This with bells on. I know it's awful when a child is upset but she'll be much better off with you explaining she's a big girl now she's in Y1. I also think this anxiety is catching either from parents or other children. I've taught in many schools and this has been the norm. I think a lot of parents would be amazed at how independent young children can be and the level of responsibility some are given.

Standard pre covid here too. Drop at gate and off they go.

Standard at my school. Basic safeguarding. We can’t have parents and other adults doing drop offs roaming the corridors. 9/10 times it’ll be the parent causing the gate emotion/drama. Every child I’ve taught who’s been dropped off with a cheery “bye, have a great day,” comes in fine. If the parent is anxious the child will be too.

@DrZaraCarmichael Yes, this is exactly what happens at our school (village school in Scotland but a relatively big one, around 400 children). I usually drop off about 5 to and just leave when DD1 goes through gate. She runs around with some pals, the bell goes and they all form their lines, her teacher opens the door and in they file.

Not weird, kids need to start developing some independence or we'll end up with a whole generation being walked into their workplace by their Mum's with a little lunchbox tucked under their arm containing dainty sandwiches cut into little triangles.

But I’ve not created drama, I’ve done everything they’ve asked of me without ever saying otherwise.
It’s just as a mother it’s been difficult to watch my daughter be upset every morning for the past 2 months with no one from the school offering any support. Like what do I do in that situation when I have tried everything I can?
I understand it’s the rules of the school, my post was just clarifying if this was a normal rule and what people thought of it, which has clearly showed me that it is a normal rule and I’ve not disputed it anymore. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Interesting...my son is in year 1 and we're expected to drop off at certain point where they line up for their classroom and expected to wait until teacher comes to get them.

I agree with this.

Explain to your little one that she’s a big girl now and she is able to walk in on her own. Make it something that she is proud of- “look how grown up you are now compared to the reception children” etc. Your anxiety about her anxiety will be making things worse so you need to reframe it. These are the rules so you just have to get on with it.

Or can you arrange to meet a friend so they can go in together until she gets more confident?

Surely if you walk them further in the struggle is just transferred to moment of parting at the classroom door, rather than the moment of parting at the gate? They arent suddenly magically happy to go in because you walked slightly closer to the door with them.

The anxiety definitely isn’t from me but I think you may be right about catching from other children, as it definitely seemed to get worse after she witnessed other children doing it and after that it sort of stuck.

I worked in primary schools for 20 years and have 6 kids and this is by far the most common way primaries do things in my experience