AIBU to be annoyed with the school letting an 8 year old out

[Niftyblue]

At DS school you can collect at 3.20 or 4.20
I always pick up at 4.20 on a Monday Tuesday and Wednesday

So today I go to collect Dc and there is DS standing around in the playground LUCKILY I was early and got there at 4.10 and saw him

He had been hanging around since 3.20
He was cold and upset
He had a supply teacher today who had just let him out at 3.20 without checking the list of who stays later

I know at 8 he should of gone back into class BUT he kept thinking I would be coming round the corner at least he had the sense to stay put in the playground and not going looking for me on a busy main road

AIBU to go in tomorrow and complain???

He's 8, not 4. If you told him in the morning what time you were picking him up, he should have told his teacher. At our school there's an after school club, and it's up to the children to say whether they are going to it or not. Didn't your ds know when he was going to be picked up?

Message withdrawn

I think you should say something; my dd (7) is far too shy of authority figures, particulalry unknown ones, to even think of going against what she is told. And she is equally capable of beleiveing that if she was sent out 'early' then that is correct notwithstanding what normally happens.

In her school they go out of the door themselves but there is a playgorund assistant who checks if anyone is left outside after 5 mins and they are then escorted into homework room to await parents.

They are still only young and I bet if you had left him alone eg at home for an hour it would be a diffrent story!

I agree that at 8 your ds should know to return to the school if nobody is there to pick him up regardless of what time he is due to leave. Mine have had it drummed into them since they started. When my ds was 5 I was involved in a minor car accident on my way to collect him, was only 5 minutes late but when I got there he had already made his way to the school office (cue proud mummy emoticon).

However, the school do have responsibility towards your ds until its home time which on this day should have been 4.20. Wouldn't necessarily make a formal complaint but would write a letter explaining what happened and lremind them that supply teachers should be fully aware of home-time procedures.

I still think it's important the school be told what happened. If they know that your DS is too shy/forgets the day/whatever, they they can hopefully make doubly sure that he knows what is expected of him and keep an extra eye out for him doing the right thing.

One thing I would give thought to, now, though, if your DS hasn't got the confidence to challenge a teacher........what happens if you and he got separated when you were out somewhere, and some pervy bloke came up to him and told him to come with him. Can you be sure that your son would know not to go just because the man told him to? And would he have the confidence to actually challenge him and kick up a fuss and refuse to go?

To be honest, if the school thing WAS just a lack of confidence issue, THAT is what I'd be more worried about now, as at 8,like others have said, I'd expect him to be able to challenge anyone if he thought they were wrong about something.