To be annoyed with the school more than the childminder

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

So I'm at work today and got a phonecall on my mobile from another mum I know to tell me that my 7yo dd was seen wondering down the road by herself. The mum and another lady stopped dd and realised that my CM hadn't come to get her. The other lady lives near my CM so said she would take dd to the CM and if the CM wasn't in she would keep dd.

So I'm in a panic not knowing if dd is with CM or with someone who lives down the road from me. I know this lady but dd doesn't.

I ring the CM who says of course dd is with her and that she did pick her up from school . I've since spoken to dd who said the CM didn't pick her up from school but she was halfway home before they saw CM coming towards them.

I'm not bothered if CM was running late, although I think she's tried to cover it up a bit. But I'm annoyed that school have no policy in place to make sure that the kids are leaving with a responsible adult. There is nonone on the gate to make sure the kids are with someone and the gate is out of view of the school. Parents aren't allowed to wait by the doors within view of the kids/teachers. So the kids have to come round the back of the school to see if anyone's there. Obviously I've told dd that if for any reason there isn't anyone there she should go back into the classroom. But it seems lie she decided to walk to the CM's herself until stopped by the other 2 mums and she was out of the school grounds by then.

I think the school are being a bit careless. They should review their procedures to ensure (as much as they ever can) that children are going home with someone. Letting her out alone is poor.

(But I would also be concerned at the CM lying to you when you have heard it from your DD as well as 2 other mums that the CM didn't pick her up)

I also have a 7 y/o and would also be worried in your case.

My school does not really have any checks to see who the kids are leaving with either. Luckily it's just a case of us mum's looking out for each others kids, and if I know a friend is not there I always make the child wait with me until they arrive.

Why did your DD leave the school on her own? I not criticising, just wondering because my 7 y/o would of waited or told a teacher that the CM/mum was not here yet.

I would be worried about your CM lying to you! its her responsibility to pick up your dd and so if she was running late she should have rang the school surely?

I'd be very dubious re the CM - blatant lying. You have to be able to trust your CM.

Re the school - they have to be able to ensure the safety of their pupils. They need to review their policies and procedures - is there any obvious good reason why parents can't wait by the classroom doors? I think you should certainly raise it with the Head, and if you get nowhere try one of the School Governors.

No point being cross with anyone unless you really know what exactly happened. I think you need to find out what happened at school from someone other than your dd first.

I think you are being U... I'd be blardy livid with the childminder! Ok, so the school situation isn't great, but don't you pay and trust your CM to be at school on time to pick up your dd. If this does turn out to be the situation, I would sack her for this.

I would agree with the CM comments.

I am a CM myself and would never arrive late for a pick-up, and if I was running late I would ring the school.

Also would NEVER lie to the parent

Well I've heard from 2 seperate people as well as dd and they all say the same thing so I believe it. No point asking the teacher what happened as she has no idea about it.

School reckon we can't wait near the door as the path is narrow and it causes congestion.

DD left the school grounds (she says) becasue the other boy who was meant to be getting picked up by the same CM said to - he's 8. I think she thought it was ok because he is older and said to go. There is a busy road which they would have needed to cross if they'd got 20 yards further. I know she shouldn't have left and I've told her never to. Obviously I will be emphasising this again but not sure what else I can do.

The CM should now put a procedure in place, so that the children know what to do incase this happens again. I.E stay in the school until I get there!

Well to be fair to the childminder (who probably had a good reason for being late) she must have been horrified to see a mindee walking along the road on her own. Also your dd has been told the rule about not leaving the school without an adult so she must share some of the blame.

No harm done this time so a good time to reinforce the rules with her. If this is KS2 then round here the responsibility is with the children to report back to the office if no one turns up for them, no one is policing the gate. KS1 - the children don't leave the building without an adult there to pick them up.

Is this and Infants or a Junior school?

At our local Infants school, the rule is that a child may only be released to a designated adult and they are very careful.

The Junior school leaves it up to parents to decide when their children are old enough to walk home on their own. I have sometimes let ds (now 8, but 7 at the time) walk to school on his own. Haven't let him walk home alone yet, but did let him go with 11yo dd while she was still walking, and other 10-11yos regularly take their 7yo siblings home. We are in a fairly peaceful suburb, and most people walk the same route to school.

In other words, the school would not be looking out to check that a child did not set out without permission. They would consider it up to the child to know if they were allowed to or not - and if not, to go to the office.

But surely the point is SKSS, has employed a CM to pick her child up. For the dd to leave school, discuss the options with another child, then start walking 1/2 way down the road means the CM must have been at least 5 minutes late. Not good enough in my opinion. And I would have thought 7 is ks1, so the school is not doing enough either.

Most schools do not supervise 7 year olds leaving the premises ime. Reception/nursery children are handed over to parent/carer, but it would be unusual in the older age group.

My dd went missing at age 5 and I had to get the police out, after the school failed to supervise her. I was less than 5 mins late, hugely pg and dealing with a screaming 3 yo.
The school never admitted any responsibility: they said it was my fault for being late and I should have phoned them.
Dd was missing for half an hour and then a friend of mine found her and brought her home.

Subsequently my 3 yo escaped from nursery class when the 2 adults on the door didn't notice her making a bid for freedom. She was found by another mum who brought her back to school, and the nursery staff did then tighten up their procedures.