AIBU to expect DS to not be brought home early on bus and left on own?

[wangle99]

DS is 5. He attends local primary school which has a bus service due to location of where we live. DS goes on bus and comes home on bus.

Today because of weather the bus turns up early, leaves DS at end of our lane (by busy main road) on his own.

Luckily my PIL were home (they meet DS every day at 3.35pm) and DS walked straight to their house (we live next door to them).

The school phoned me at 3.30pm (I was picking DD up at school 30 mins away) and said 'just checking DS got home safe' I nearly crapped myself at that point. Luckily he did.

AIBU?

Hang on-is this a state mainstream school? Why would the bus company have every child's contact details? The county council provided bus that my two used to use to get to school never had my contact details. If there was ever a problem the bus company would contact the school who woul, in turn, contact the parents.

I now work in a Special school and almost all of our children come in on County Council provided transport and while the parents have a contact number for the taxi/bus that collects their child the bus drivers and escorts don't have the contact details for each child.

I think someone has stuffed up big time and are trying to cover their tracks. The Head knows that a serious mistake has been made and seems to be trying to pass teh buck.

I would phone LEA tomorrow. Leo9 is right - by phoning to check he got home safe is admitting there was a problem in the first place and they were aware of it but still let him go. It's unbelievable. Schools have a legal duty to act in loco parentis and no parent would allow a 5 year old to travel this way, surely!The school know they are in the wrong and need to know they cannot do this again

Please don't let the head just shirk responsibility like this, OP, or the bus company get away with it. It is serious, and I would follow it up with the LEA and governors, and if nothing is done, go to the local paper who would love it. I'm at both the head and the bus company. Unbelievable.

The more I think about this, the angrier I get.
I've just talked to DH about it.
There's no way on earth it would be the bus companies responsibility to phone the parents.
And I can't stand authority figures hiding from their fuck ups.
You must inform the LEA and the governors. The Head is probably too busy covering his/her bloody tracks.

sorry to say this sort of thing happens a lot round here with the school minibuses to rural homes

What happened?

what was the outcome of this??????