School couldn’t find my child…

[fabulosaaa]

A family member went to collect my child from after school club today as I was late at work. The afterschool club is held in a small building on school grounds and is attached to the playground. Only to be told on arrival that my child was not there.

To cut a long story short, both staff members were adamant my child wasn’t there, one was about to go into the main school building to check with the office when my child appeared from within the building. The large gate entrance to the playground was also wide open, a very short distance to the country road.

AIBU to think this is a safeguarding issue?!

To answer your question: they absolutely should have known your child was there yes. I wouldn't be so concerned about the road unless you have a small flight risk but more they wouldn't be on a list if there was a fire or something.

I do think you're going to get a few people say it must have been you DCs fault because that's how it goes on here though. Is the club run by the school?

Jesus, where the hell did they think your child was?!

Yes safeguarding issue. Appalling.

Is it "school" or staff who run the after-school club?

The afterschool club is wrap around care and run by the school. My child does have SEN, chances of her running are small, but not impossible if she was in distress.

Certainly doesn’t sound like they have things under control. I think I’d be asking questions of them.

They should very very sure of their facts before they tell an adult their child is not there.

I don't understand how this could happen. Both the school and the after school club would have a list of which children expected in each day. The school would tell the ASC if any off sick etc when they collect for ASC, and there would be a register. I would want this looking into more, was it a human error or a procedural error, and ask how they intended to stop it from hapenning again.

I wonder if the after school club take a register? Is it possible that your child wasn’t at the after school club and was instead in the main school building all along.

They do take a register. They said she hadn’t answered her name. My daughter said they didn’t call out a register, so perhaps they do some sort of visual register of who they see there.

if there had been a fire or an emergency evacuation, she wouldn’t have been accounted for.

She was definitely in the building. My family member spotted her coming out of the afterschool building into the playground after several minutes of questioning where she was!

A very serious safe guard ing issue. Not least because they didn't know your little one was there but also with the gate being open not only could a child or children wondered out but any maniac could have wondered in.

If she didn't answer her name on the register then they should have called home to check whether she had been collected already. That's what my kids school does anyway. I once collected my children as I no longer needed after school club and I wrongly assumed as the class teachers saw me take my children they would know they weren't going to after school club and would let them know. Instead I had a phone call home asking if I had the children as they were on the register but not there!

That's a major safe guarding risk. You need to take it up with the head teacher. The child can not be blamed for anything.

This happened to me with one of my dc in primary school. I received an email telling me dc wasn’t in school. Very frightening few minutes for me while they found my dc. Same thing, they said dc hadn’t answered when register called (I can’t understand this as registration was such a serious business in my day).

I have 2 friends who had the same thing happen at the same school.

Glad all is well but definitely inform school.

Definitely have a chat with the school because they need to sort out their procedure. At the moment it’s obviously not good enough. Up to you whether you want to make it as a complaint or concern, either way the answer should be the same, apologies and procedures and policies changed to avoid it happening again.

Yes they should be registering the children properly. You're definitely within your rights to kick up a big fuss if you want to.

That’s really bad.

Well if they call a register, and a child they are expecting does not answer, do they not actually look up and around their field of vision to see if they are there?
Or is that stating the bleeding obvious?

That is really bad. If there was an emergency what would they do. That is if the child is injured or a fire alarm or evacuation. Also do the children get food, woukd they have missed out on a snack. My child would have hated missing a snack.

This is one of my worst nightmares, turning up to school and being told my DC isn't there.

I'm pretty laid back but my DC wouldn't be going back to that school.

“NewsdeskJC · Today 22:00

Well if they call a register, and a child they are expecting does not answer, do they not actually look up and around their field of vision to see if they are there?
Or is that stating the bleeding obvious?”

This with bells on. It’s a safeguarding issue and does need to be taken up with the school.