Reading the news about the lack of background checks into Ian Huntley made me think of when I worked in a Primary School.It bothered me so much at the time,that I left & it still bothers me now.I'd be interested to hear what other people think.
Back in 2001,well after the Soham murders,I was offered a job running a Gardening Club in a very well respected Primary School.I was fully prepared to be security checked & asked the Head Teacher how long it would take for the Police checks to come through ect.To my surprise he said that he didn't need any form of background check on me,as I would not be working unsupervised with the children.I duly started the next week.
I was left totally unsupervised with groups of 10-20 children,at least 3 of whom had severe behavioural difficulties.It was only good luck that there was never a serious incident.I was given no guidelines on how to handle inappropriate behaviour,no first aid training & no help with the children with Difficulties.
What was even worse,was that the class would take place at lunchtime & instead of going back to lessons after break,some of the children wanted to stay & 'help' me or go for a nature walk.I was very surprised when the kids told me that their teachers had ok'd this & didn't mind! Well no one had asked me if I minded.I checked with the teachers concerned & found that they were quite happy for their pupils to wander off with me.
Our nature walk was across the playing fields & into a spinney & to a nearby brook,to look for frogs ect.After the first time this happened,I resigned.It wasn't safe from anyones point of view.If one of the children had an accident-what would I have done? And as I had no security checks,in theory I could have been taking them off down there for anything & meeting up with anyone & no one would be any the wiser.Plus I had to protect myself-what if a child had accused me of something?
I wasn't a parent at the time & it worried me then.It seems even worse in retrospect,now that I have DD & know how vunerable & trusting little children are.I have to wonder if the parents at the school were aware of an unchecked person being encouraged to take their children off school grounds,especially during lesson times.If I even thought something like this was going on in a school my child was attending,I'd go spare.This school has a very good reputation & parents fight to get places there!
What do you think? What would you do if this was happening at your child's school?