4yr old went into class then left again - help

[TTT824]

My 4 yr old reception child went into school, dropped off book bag then left again - when I asked she couldn’t say why she left - but she’s 4 years old!!!
The chair of governors made it sound like the child was the issue (even the teacher said she is a “switched on child she didn’t think she needed to worry about”) and the head didn’t want to implement anything as it’s the first time it has happened.
So basically they have said it hasn’t happened before so its not an issue.
I don’t know what to do now as the teachers don’t watch the door at drop off times and are not aware of children entering (or leaving).
Luckily she was found by “a kind grandma” in the playground who brought her back, but all the gates were open as it was drop off time and she could have easily got out or the grandma could have been someone who is not kind.
The teachers are actively encouraged to work at their laptops checking emails etc in the morning rather than interacting with the kids, and the TA doesn’t start until class starts, so the head thinks it’s unrealistic to have someone on the door ensuring the children can’t leave.
I have since dropped her off and had to wait about 5 minutes for the teacher to notice me stood at the door - at which point she got up and began interacting with the children rather than looking at laptop.
What do I do as the situation hasn’t been taken seriously.

I’m a teacher. This is a huge safeguarding issue and if you haven’t had a response from the head/chair of governors or academy trust CEO (if it is an academy) then your next port of call is OFSTED (and as a teacher it must be bad for me to recommend they are your next port of call).

You need to escalate this for the safety of all children in that school.

This is a serious safeguarding fail. The initial incident is bad, but if school had apologised and worked with you to show how things would change moving forward it sounds as if you would have been able to accept that.
The really worrying failure is that they have completely failed to acknowledge the problem or put better measures in place.
That being the case, unfortunately I'd say that OFSTED do need to be informed.
On top of the safeguarding aspect though, the set up you describe is awful for the kids. It's common place in most schools that children are greeted either at the door or at the gate and made to feel welcome.I'm not really surprised your four year old decided to leave again!!

In our school the infant teachers wait on the play ground outside classroom door all the children line up to go in together then parents leave.

This sounds so crazy, at our school there is always at least 3/4 members of staff dotted around the playground/near gates to welcome the children in. I watch my kids in until they have passed the staff and then leave knowing that if they were to try and escape they would definitely be seen. The situation at your school sounds very risky and I would be concerned.

That's appalling and I would escalate. Is it in a MAT?

I'm really surprised by this. At our school there is someone on the playground gate welcoming the children in(and making sure the kids don't leave). It's a semi rural school so about a 1/3 of the children are bussed in. I always thought once you'd dropped them off/ they went on the bus they were in the schools care.

"I don’t know what to do now as the teachers don’t watch the door at drop off times and are not aware of children entering (or leaving)."

"The teachers are actively encouraged to work at their laptops checking emails etc in the morning rather than interacting with the kids,"

this is not ok, and needs to change. who encouraged that? someone who has never worked in a school or with children at all?

This isn’t acceptable. Especially trying to lay the blame on your child, as if she’s now been identified as a problem. It’s outrageous! This would be a very serious issue with Ofsted. Safeguarding is non-negotiable.

Genuinely horrified by this.

Our school has teachers on the door of each classroom. Parents or carers drop them off and that transfers safety of the child from parent to school.

I would not be leaving my child there until the second the classroom door closes in future. Cynically, it sounds like that is what the school is trying to do so that their teachers can do more laptop work at the start of the day. If that is the case then they need to clearly communicate it to parents so this does not happen to another child with worse outcomes!

I don't know how you take this further but I would. No way should a 4 yr old (or any kid) be able to just walk out of school grounds without being stopped. At my daughter's school the principal is on main entrance from 15 mins before to 15 mins after school start time. Then doors are closed an receptionist is monitoring entrance /exit.
They're being negligent I think.

I would contact the local authority (if it is an LA school and not an academy) and ofsted. This is wrong in every way.

Sounds like the school needs reporting to Ofsted irrespective of the governor s response. There's something rotten in Denmark as the culture of the school allowed this. Now they re doubling down instead of apologising! Any other schools nearby OP?

There should be a safeguarding lead and deputy lead among the teaching staff; and a governor with specific safeguarding responsibilities as well.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead for the school must be a member of staff. The Chair of governors might be the safeguarding lead governor with responsibility from a governance point of view but this is different.
If you complained to the Chair in writing and are unhappy with the response ask for a copy of the Complaints policy and see what the next step is. Probably an appeal to the first committee - a panel of governors with strict rules on investigation, impartiality and the have to issue a written decision. It seems to me that only a few small changes would be necessary to prevent something or this nature happening again.

Yes this is ridiculous for so many reasons.
The teacher on her laptop rather than welcoming 4 year olds into the class? The gates and doors freely accessible to small children!
I'm an ex reception teacher and would be welcoming children at the door.

They need to sort out their safeguarding and staffing.

A decent early years teacher wouldn't need her laptop on all day (maybe once for a short phonics input?)

So the governors know? I'd then contact Ofsted. If you're being unreasonable, which you aren't, then they have nothing to worry about.

Also formal letter to school, All governors and if a C of E school contact the diocese.

In that case, if the governor is the safeguarding lead, I think you need to go higher and contact the local authority/ council which has responsibility for the school. This is a safeguarding concern even if it is the first time it has happened. Say you’d like a risk assessment completed - it’s happened once and it can happen again. I also think it’s very unusual for teachers to be encouraged NOT to interact with the children - that’s completely different to all the schools I have worked in!

Aside the safeguarding issue, how sad that staff don't interact with arriving children.

At our local primary (the school my kids went to), teachers greet the children as they come into class, but before then senior management team are out in the playground greeting families as they arrive, asking how their weekends were on a Monday morning, excitingly looking at things pupils want to show off, meeting new baby siblings etc.
Young children should be excited to go into school, and should be able to be as excited to see the staff as they are with their friends.

So the child left the classroom and was found in the playground, and returned to the classroom?

How long before the school day began was this?

The TA was always at the door when my kids were that age. I think I'd stay until the classroom door is closed if they are not doing that. Sounds like they're short staffed.

My son's school he is 6 . They have someone on the main gate from 8.30, and they lock the gate at 9am . Therefore you have to buzz in if your late . The children all run Round to their classrooms where they are met by their teachers , sat on a mat , and having the register taken .

I work in the school . This would be a safeguarding issue , you need to get the school to address this .

If school starts at 9am then I wouldn't leave until the doors/gates were closed if there wasn't someone 'guarding' them. I wouldn't necessarily expect this to be the case.

@maryberryslayers

Report to Ofsted.

I agree - report to the Local Council and Ofsted. It's absolutely ridiculous that the Head and the safeguarding lead claim there is no issue. If a 4 year old can walk out of the school with no one noticing, there is clearly a massive safety issue.

FWIW, at my kid's primary school, all children enter through the gate specified for their year group. The gates are opened 10 minutes before school starts and there are always at least 3 teachers waiting at the gates to greet the children. A few minutes before school is due to start, the gates are locked. There's no way in or out except through the (locked) office, which you have to be buzzed into and out of.

Wow that's crazy. In our school up to and included y4 is when the teachers monitor the children in. Either at outside door (reception) or in lines on the playground led in by teacher whilst parents still watch for y1-4.

If a 4 year old can walk out of the school with no one noticing, there is clearly a massive safety issue

She walked out her classroom to the playground.

She didn’t leave school.

I don’t think it’s ok and there should be a teacher or TA on the door or paying attention when they walk in.