To think the school could do more to accommodate working parents

[Eastie77Returns]

By working I mean parents who do so out of the home (don’t want this to turn into a SAH/ working parents debate, I know all parents do work of some nature)

DD is going on a residential trip next week. Parents are asked to drop children off at the venue at 12.30 and collect them at the end of the residential “sometime between 12 and 3pm, we will let you know what time exactly on the day”

It’s pure bad luck that I have all day work meetings/training on both days. The residential venue is a short walk from the school and a number of teachers will be going from the school to the venue mid morning. I spoke with some parents who are also a bit stuck due to work commitments and we collectively e-mailed and asked if our children could be dropped of at school in the morning and then walk with the teachers to the venue. We were told no (no reason given). We asked if we could get some clarity around pick up time on the final day as 12 - 3 is quite a window of time and were told no as it depends on the weather and if the children do an outdoor activity on that day or not. We are to keep our phones on and look out for a text from the school. The school also often schedules meetings at 3.45 for example and there are other instances where they have organised events mid morning/afternoon.

I am very lucky to work for a flexible employer and I will somehow have to adjust my work schedule but some parents I spoke to work in retail, medical settings etc and do not have that option. AIBU to think the school could do more to take into account there are parents who cannot just start work in the middle of the day or up and leave at short notice to pick up their child?

As long as parents name the adult dropping/ collecting and no more than 8 are assigned to the same adult, safeguarding is met.

School is not daycare.

The would have filled in the form saying they were going home in the car. But we would have had to watch them get in it and drive off.

They can’t walk 10 minutes unsupervised. Even at secondary. If one got knocked down or did a bunk the teacher would be out of a job.

How do you attend doctor or dentist appointments?

Yeah, but the poster talked about one person for 30 kids!

There is no reason given the location of the residential that there cannot be a set finish time.

Follow the school complaints procedure and ask for their risk assessment. The chance of a child not being met is greater given the vague finishing time I think.

Who would've filled in the form saying they going in car? But watch them drive off? Seriously. No student parking as my kids school unless you had a blue badge so then what? Walk to wherever they've managed to park off grounds with them to wave them goodbye as they drive off. Sounds downright ridiculous

And what about the 18 year old 6th formers . They are legally adults. Surely they don't need parents permission to leave school etc

If they were parked off grounds that would have been in the form. Parents would sign it for anyone under 18

Yeah it applied to 18 year olds. As l said the school recently got outstanding in safeguarding.

Its not about the kids per se. It’s about the fact that if anything happens to them in the way home it becomes the teachers/ schools responsibility. Unless they have signed form from parents. And a teacher could lose their job.

This is why unions say don’t run trips.

So the 1-8 ratio applies equally to 3 year olds and 15 year olds??

No, the duty of care to sixth-formers in secondary education overrides the fact they're legally adults.

Ratios are guidance not law but yes change with age. Teachers have a duty of care to all students but obviously what you need to do to safeguard is age dependent.

But the 18 year olds are adults. How is it actually safeguarding anyone though? Bearing in mind these students manage to go about their lives, often have part time jobs, transport themselves places etc. So why is getting permission from parents to make your own way home at 6form level deemed safeguarding and what does it achieve?

Then future years will potentially miss out as parents have decided their own set of rules. Teachers are giving up their time to take them but don’t be grateful for that - no - focus on how it is inconvenient for you and ignore the rules.

No I don’t. I don’t work particular hours. You are welcome to check my previous posts, I work for a Tech company and work flexible hours. I stated in my first post that I have greater concern for parents who I know work fixed hours and are stuck.

It just so happens that I have client meetings that clash with the drop of time on day 1 and also have a meeting on the last day of the residential. So I’d like the school to

a) let my child walk home on her own or

b) let me know when she will finish so I can adjust the client meeting time accordingly.

The school is refusing to do either.

Ok fine, so they need to rustle up 4 relatives or neighbours or childminders across the class...

Like most workers probably tries to get them at beginning or end of day or when WFH, not "between 12 and 3", I imagine!

My daughter's (private) school carried on like this for multiple days of the last two weeks of year 6, clearly forgetting that parents need to earn decent wonga to pay the fees and not look really flakey.

Schools do lose their mind a bit in year 6.

As someone said above.

Safeguarding in schools overrides age. So 6th formers are treated to the same standards as younger ones.

Jobs etc are done out of schools so nothing to do with school safeguarding issues.

It safeguards by leaving no murky or unclear areas. They are either under school supervision or parental agreement. So nothing slips between the gaps. And the best safeguarding means there are no gaps.

The school in question cannot force parents to pick up early. They are legally responsible for the kids until hometime.

Parents who expect schools to follow the law are entitled? How is expecting the law to be followed entitled, exactly?

Rarely possible - schedules involve many people and are set and can’t be changed to fit around a school event.

More likely the school will realise they can't take the piss and sort it out for future years.

Yeah! And she quit!

Didnt even know the laws around education which are teaching standards.

If you were a teacher giving up your own time and wanted to leave the residential early which of these two scenario makes sense to you?

a) The last day of the residential finishes at 1pm and all parents are informed in advance. Parents also have the option to allow their children to leave on their own and just need to let the school know. On the last day, parents arrive at 1pm for pick up. The majority of children leave on their own.

b) Every single child must be picked up, including those who live minutes from the venue and whose parents are happy for them to make their own way home. No parent is told in advance when the trip finishes. Instead they are instructed to “keep their phones on” and will be notified by text some time between 12 and 3. At a random time, the text is sent out. Once receiving the text, all parents scramble to make a last minute journey to the venue. Some are caught in traffic. Alas, some parents do not read the message straightaway. Since teachers have to remain on site until every child is collected, they are forced to stay behind waiting for those parents.

Parents are trying to avoid situation B, hence asking for some flexibility. None of us want teachers do unpaid work, stay late etc. Of course they will be exhausted after 3 days with our kids! But apparently we are just being entitled.

Except the school are not following legal requirements.