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.

You shouldn’t be leaving a child unaccompanied in the playground before the teacher invites them in for the day to start

the head thinks it’s unrealistic to have someone on the door ensuring the children can’t leave.

What?! That's literally what happens at my children's school. I'd ask them directly who it is that you need to take it up further with.

@Yuckypretty

the head thinks it’s unrealistic to have someone on the door ensuring the children can’t leave.

What?! That's literally what happens at my children's school. I'd ask them directly who it is that you need to take it up further with.

Inevitably schools will have different setups due to layout. Ours doesn’t have teachers on doors. They are on the gates saying hello/goodbye. They do pay attention as the children go in.

It’s possible it would be better in OP’s school is classroom doors were opened until school started and the teachers and TAs were on.

@Hesma

You shouldn’t be leaving a child unaccompanied in the playground before the teacher invites them in for the day to start

At no point in the op does it state the child was left unaccompanied in the playground.

I can’t see how this is right, especially for reception children.

Up to YR2 we have teachers waiting at the door who then lock the door behind them. Sometimes in the past it’s been the TA at the door but these days it’s usually the teacher.

In YR3 my dd’s teacher waits at the door for a few mins on opening and then may leave the door to interact with children but isn’t far away in case a parent needs to see her.

In fact I once emailed her the night before and then spoke to her the next morning and she’d read my email before opening. Same with dd2’s old reception teacher who spoke to me about an email on drop off that I’d just sent the night before.

The schools website has to have a copy of the complaints policy on it. As frustrating as it is, you need to follow this policy to the letter otherwise your complaint won't go anywhere. You've probably covered the first couple of steps ie speak to school, put complaint in writing. The policy should now tell you what to do next.

As it's safeguarding, and has capacity to happen again, then it may be that you decide to go to Ofsted.

I agree with PP. It shouldn't have been able to happen on the first place but their response to your complaint is unacceptable. You need to escalate this, to OFSTED, because there is no evidence that the school is adequately addressing the safeguarding concerns.

@yuckypretty

... It literally says she went in -_- JEEZ does no one ever read properly???? Im dyslexic and have multiple learning difficulties and even i managed to understand that she went in put her bag down and then walked back out... ALONE

It's not great that it happened - this suggests they need to have someone on the gate to prevent escapees - but much worse is their reluctance to acknowledge it as a problem. A responsible school leader would see they had had a narrow squeak and immediately implement change, not only to placate the parent in question but actually to prevent anything worse happening next time. The fact that they haven't is concerning. Raise it again with whoever is in charge of safeguarding within the school (not governor) and if they don't take it seriously then it is a matter for Ofsted.

Remind them if they aren't interested then OFSTED will be. Awful that it happened once, but not to be taking seriously now is appalling.

I'm a supply teacher and have been for ages now. I'm in and out of schools all of the time and I have never come across one that didn't have staff on the door. In my vast experience the doors are watched like the doors of Alcatraz.

This is definitely a safe guarding issue. I once had a similar incident with after school club and the member of staff was actually fired as it was deemed such a serious issue. I would make an appt with the head teacher and let them know that you aren't happy with the response given and if more appropriate action isn't taken (ie a member of staff being on the door until all children are in class) then you will have no choice but to contact ofsted

@Biscuitsneeded

Having staff on the gate wouldn't have prevented this situation, as the child never left the school grounds.

@kittensinthekitchen. No, and as the child was gathered up by a granny anyway, no real harm done, which is why I said this was 'not ideal' rather than cataclysmic, but if it is possible for a child to re-exit the classroom after going in they need to have staff on the gate just in case they make it that far. Possibly the DC just wanted more playtime in the playground and no intention of doing a bunk anyway, but the fact they got back out suggests a need for gate presence if the buildings are designed in a way that means they can get out easily. When mine were in primary every classroom had doors, and as they interconnected you could easily have gone in one door and out of another, but there were always staff at the main gate.

A solution is don't open the gates to the school grounds until the start of school. Have parents queue on the pavement before the start of the day.

Parents wouldn't just leave their child on the side of the road (you'd hope) when they arrived early. Not ideal for road safety tho.

There is a balance to be drawn between parents expecting staff to be 'on duty' before their working day has started, and wanting the children settled in the classroom and ready to start working for the start if the school day.

This isn't a black and white decision for a headteacher.

But staff need to get in, children attending breakfast club etc. And many schools don't have long empty stretches of pavement outside where 500 kids and parents can queue without causing an almighty inconvenience to people trying to get past. I do think some posters need to recognise that schools differ in size, layout, location, entrance procedures etc and there isn't a one size fits all solution.

@Kshhuxnxk

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.

It's very unlikely that in COVID times you could do this.

My twins reception class always has a TA welcoming them at the door and ensuring they go and sit down after hanging up coat etc. No way could they slip out unnoticed. I'd be appalled.

There's always a teacher or 2 at every door til y4 in our school. Really helpful for my eldest as she has some behavioural issues and sleep issues and helpful to be able to mention to the teacher if she's having a bad time.

@Abbsie

A solution is don't open the gates to the school grounds until the start of school. Have parents queue on the pavement before the start of the day.

Parents wouldn't just leave their child on the side of the road (you'd hope) when they arrived early. Not ideal for road safety tho.

There is a balance to be drawn between parents expecting staff to be 'on duty' before their working day has started, and wanting the children settled in the classroom and ready to start working for the start if the school day.

This isn't a black and white decision for a headteacher.

Teachers have directed time. At ours (and many others) it begins at 8.30am so the working day has already begun when children start arriving.

I'm shocked that a 4 year old finds it possible to leave the building without an adult.
As a comparison, in my school there are several adults on duty in the playground at the beginning and end of the day and locked gates around the entrances to nursery and reception classes so that even if a child did walk out the door, they couldn't get out of the immediate area.
It is a safeguarding issue, and you have already gone through the appropriate channels with no reasonable response, and so the next step would be the local authority and probably Ofsted.
I don't think I would leave my child in a school like that, the fact that they don't recognise that this is an issue is dreadful.

That's awful. I will bet it has happend before as well . It just does with children that are young .

In our school there are 2 members of staff on each gate . Also on the actual class room doors there is a teacher or ta.

Definitely bring it up as safe guarding.

I’d move schools. That’s awful and the way they’ve reacted shows a general disregard for safety.

Speak to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

Not ok.

So you drop your child off in their care and they let her walk out? I'd probably walk into the class room, and plonk myself down for the day. If questionned I'd say I realise they aren't childcare and I was there to look after my child.