To complain to the school?

[Water41]

Picking my niece and nephew up from school. They're meant to be out at 3pm. I'm in the queue in horrible cold and snow and there's still no sign of them coming out. It happened yesterday too, and was almost 20 past when the youngest came out which meant the oldest was stood in reception by herself.

They're 5 & 7 btw.

DS' class last year was like this, surely the teachers have had enough by the end of the day and want to get them out ASAP?

Are you sure they finish at 3pm and it isn't a staggered leaving time with different classes leaving at slightly different times?
Do they leave from their classroom or have to traipse through the school with all their stuff, dropping it in the way?

I wouldn't complain in an arsey way but I would give feedback.

Do you mean they’re 55 minutes later than they should be?

I'm confused. So the 5 year old came out at 3.20? And during that time the 7 year old was waiting in reception on their own?

I do not believe that they are 55 minutes late!

Being that late sounds like there was something after school that they forgot to tell you about. If mine were that late, I'd have gone into the office to enquire.

Pick up from reception first then get 7 yr old?

And no don't complain. It's not like the teachers think yippee I'm going to keep my class for an extra 20mins as I don't really want to go home

Is this a normal occurrence or a case of the children not being in their normal routines after the Christmas holiday and being slower to get ready to go?

If it's a one off, no point in complaining.

Yes.

I got there for about 2:55 and the youngest didn't come out until 3:20 which meant the oldest was waiting on her own for ten minutes (the older kids come out at 3:10 which in theory give you enough time to walk across to the other door)

They are 55 minutes late?!!!

Are you sure you have the correct pick up times? Ours are sometimes 5 mins late but never 20!

I see, so usual pick up time is 3pm for the 5 year old and 3.10 for the 7 year old but neither of them were out today at 3.55 when you posted. I'm thinking there must be an after school club going on but then it's the first week back and they don't usually start until week two of term.

It's hardly a complaining issue is it.

Maybe the class was kept in for being rowdy or maybe they were slow putting things away. It's hardly the end of the world, is it?

Maybe just speak to the class teacher first rather than going straight in with a complaint? Also, you may find it's the parents who might need to complain rather than you, as you don't have a direct relationship with the school.

5 year olds wouldn't be kept in for an hour after school finished.

3pm to 3.20 is only 20 mins, unless I've missed something.

The OP was still waiting to pick up 5 year old at 3.55 when the school day ended at 3.

They came out at 3.20pm. Which was 20 minutes late for the Reception child and 10 minutes for the older one.

I suspect the lateness was a combination of getting re-used to routines after the school holidays and probably more in the way of hats/gloves/scarves/boots/ etc to put on than usual, due to the weather, which took longer.

That's insane. 5 or 10 minutes late I get but that's really late. I am also wondering if someone hasn't communicated something to you about an after school club or event?

@Water41 you're not actually saying that you've been outside waiting from 2:55 today until 3:55 today, are you?

@redskyatnight OP posted at 3:55 saying they weren't out yet so that's where people are getting the 55 mins from and had been 20 minutes late the day before.

If mine had been more than 15 mins late I'd have gone to the office to enquire, teacher could have been taken ill and the 5 year olds just sat there.

If my maths is correct you were waiting 20 /10 minutes?
which I can understand is shit in this weather

firstly check your timing is correct
secondly ask if there is a music lesson / assembly / booster or detention situation that explains the time difference

ask … don’t complain

Today, OP had been waiting 55 mins to pick up both children at the time of posting.

Yesterday, the youngest came out 20 mins late; the oldest 10 mins late.