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Original poster

DD's primary school - main gate left unlocked during day

64 replies

dinny · 04/10/2006 20:43

Is this normal? Is your school gate locked? Feel concerned, what can I do or am (as dh reckons) being overly concerned...? tia, Dinny

OP posts:
wakeupandsmellthecoffee · 04/10/2006 21:14

I think its nice to have piece of mind . gates are to stop undesirable people coming in .But it is also to stop the little darlings getting out .

sorrell · 04/10/2006 21:14

I just don't believe that the world is full of evil-doers, sneaking into schools in broad daylight to do unspecified Bad Things. I hate living as if it is.

Original poster
dinny · 04/10/2006 21:17

true, Pretendfriend....

OP posts:
tissy · 04/10/2006 21:17

dd's school has no gates. The children are well supervised, and do not stray at break times. School buildings are locked and have a buzzer system for entry through main door only.

Posey · 04/10/2006 21:18

Ours are locked, with intercom or keycode for entry and press button release to get out (but only the one by school reception). The main gate in the playground is locked with a key during the day as 2 children in the past just walked out. One was only 5 and managed to cross 2 busyish roads before arriving at his gran's

hulababy · 04/10/2006 21:18

I also don't think that thw orld is really any less safe overall now than it ever was. Just crimes are more high profile and hit the media more often.

Unless the gates and walls were very high, and almost prison like (and I don't want that at my DD's schol!) I can't see how locking gates would help - certainly wouldn't at DD's school as the walls and gates are less than 5 feet high.

Original poster
dinny · 04/10/2006 21:19

blimey, Posey

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kid · 04/10/2006 21:25

DC's school gate is locked, you gain entry to the school building by intercom next to the office. The gate is locked at 9:05am and unlocked at 3:15pm.

I remember when I was at school, the gate was closed but never locked.

nikkie · 04/10/2006 21:25

our gates are bolted but not locked, school has a buzzer system on the doors

SSSandy · 04/10/2006 21:27

Our school gate is wide open which seems normal here in Berlin. I don't like it and parents have brought this up but the school says it can't be changed for various reasons. Still not happy with it.

A while back a man got into the toilets and exposed himself to a girl (7). In a different school (not mine) a 6 year old was raped in the toilets by a workman. In our school dc have toilet breaks which are supervised operations. Beyond those times, they have to go in twos which I hope is some deterrant. I'd have no problem with high walls frankly.

Original poster
dinny · 04/10/2006 21:33

God, SSSandy, that is terrifying. Not sure what to say to the headmistress about this - am definitely NOT happy she went to the toilet alone aged 4.

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crunchie · 04/10/2006 21:33

Our school gates are not locked, doors are not locked, playground is fenced but nothing special - I always see it for keeping kids IN not others out. In the juniors they are allowed in the field which is village common ground and therefore access to all.

TBH if you live in a village and went there specifically to feel safer and live freer lives the do just that.

IMHO you are being a typical 'outsider' type. One who goes to live in a village, yet wants street lights and mega security. This sort of person really hacks me off as they then get all vocal about 'safety' and rubbish like that, which means our schools have to spend additional money on security, street lights are installed and council taxes rise.

Please go back and live in London, you woudl feel much 'safer' there.

BTW I live in a village (not in the back of beyond) just an hour from london and I leave back doors unlocked, neighbours in and out of houses etc as want to live like that (I used to live in London and moved here for a decent life for me and my family)

Original poster
dinny · 04/10/2006 21:34

The toilet is right next to reception classroom (and door locked except when they are outside...which they were)

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Original poster
dinny · 04/10/2006 21:38

Blimey, that's seems a bit harsh, Crunchie.

Our village is also about an hour from London, love living here, don't just view it as a dormitary dwelling. fwiw, I'm not a Londonder, grew up in a tiny community...just worrying as a parent whose first child is suddenly away from my care and (seemingly) exposed to certain (perceived by me) dangers.

OP posts:
crunchie · 04/10/2006 21:39

Oh and BTW Dinny was the supervisor supposed to supervise your DD going to the loo, meaning the rest of the pupils were left unsuoervised. As you said teh loo was in view of the supervisor so what is your problem here??

Original poster
dinny · 04/10/2006 21:40

my problem is how supervisor is going to carry on supervising however many kids and check dd has emerged from loos, Crunchie.

OP posts:
rustycreakingdoorbear · 04/10/2006 21:42

Our main gates (pedestrian & to the car park) are always open, but there are other gates to the back of the school that are locked during lessons & break. One is open at lunch time because the children go round to the dining room that way, but there are lunchtime staff standing there. All the doors to the school are locked & you have to be buzzed in.
We're in the Broadmoor area too - how far away are you Kelly & do you have a siren nearby? Our nearest is about 50 feet from the school, so lessons just stop at 10am on Monday! (when it's tested)

crunchie · 04/10/2006 21:43

Perhaps it is harsh, I just belong to the 'healthy neglect' school of parenting which means if my child is happy to do something by themselves, will let them do it. This means my kids (aged 7 and 5) appear to have as much freedom as they like, what it means in reality is that they do as much as THEY THEMSELVES feel confident in doing. eg DD7 would like to go to the village shop on her own, but is not quite confident to do it yet. However she went from teh pub (50 yrds from our house) home (I saw her across teh road) and back as she wanted to change her shoes.

What are the REAL dangers??? as others have said it is media reporting and hype that makes us percieve dangers where they don't exist. Remeber your child is more likely to have an accident in the car THAT YOU ARE DRIVING than be killed/hurt by a stranger.

crunchie · 04/10/2006 21:44

Surely dinny when she gives back her 'band' will indicate that she is back.

admylin · 04/10/2006 21:46

Our school has a highfence but the gate is never locked, niether are the doors. I wish we had more security really. Here in berlin when I pick my 2 dc up at theend of school some of the other classes still have lessons or break time and once a little girl was following us out of the school grounds to look at some flowers, the supervising women were yapping away and didn't notice, she could have been long gone by the time they noticed. I sent her back in.
Another time a young lad (nearly as tall as me)from another school was hanging about outside the school grounds, he had been expelled from our school I think and had come for a fight, it took 2 fathers who were dropping off their dc to get rid of him, no teacher or supervisor turned up and he was in the school with a knife in his pocket.

Original poster
dinny · 04/10/2006 21:49

yes, that's what dh keeps telling me, Crunchie...

are you north, south, east, west of London, btw?

OP posts:
kid · 04/10/2006 21:49

I think its a good idea for young children to go in pairs to the toilet. DD is in Year 3 now and goes to the toilet alone, but DS in Reception goes with someone else from his class.

How would the teacher or school feel if anything did happen, and would they really notice if a child was too long in the toilet? They wouldn't be able to go and check if they were ok as they have the rest of the class to take care of.

Dinny, if you are unhappy or worried about something, it is best to speak to someone at the school rather than wait nervously for something to go wrong. They might be able to put your mind at ease.

Original poster
dinny · 04/10/2006 21:52

thanks, Kid.

was totally happy with school as dd had told me they go in pairs...until today whenshe said she'd been alone. who should I see about it - reception teacher or head, you think?

OP posts:
lockets · 04/10/2006 21:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

crunchie · 04/10/2006 21:56

North east Dinny, deepest darkest ESSEX (actually nearly Suffolk)

I didn't mean to be insulting, it is just a matter that really bugs me as our parish council is always being asked to put up street lights (we live in a village of 3,000, so it isn't tiny - there are 360 kids at the school) And it is always 'newcomers' who want these. They can't get used to torches or the dark!!

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