Ds has first school visit - I get a call from the Police!

[twentypence]

Me, My mum and Dad drop him off for his first school visit, in his uniform with school bag. I get out of the car and walk across the manned crossing (children do it in NZ with a teacher supervising) with ds and take him to his class room. I settle him in and leave - whole thing takes under 10 minutes.

In that time my dad has managed to get reported to the police for using his video camera near a school.

A whole week later I get a call from the police, fortunately my surname is the same as my son's and when the principal is told who the car is registered to knows that ds is starting soon and guesses the rest.

Madness!!!

Madness, yes, but OTOH aren't you glad to know that the systems work?

If you're bothered about people videoing LOs without your permission, that is.

The system didn't work though. Ds was the only person on a school visit that day. The principal could have asked the new entrant teacher if she had any visitors and then rung me and asked me my rego number. Would have taken 10 minutes rather than a week to sort out, and not involved the police having my dad's name against that complaint.

Who reported him? If this is taken so seriously then it's right that the person should waste no time but go straight to the police - after all, if a message is left on the head's desk for her to deal with it, it could be overlooked. OTOH if it's a school policy (rather than law, sorry, don't know NZ position), then, yes, it does seem a bit OTT not to check informally first.

Two mothers went straight to the acting head teacher, who went out for a look (by which time I had got in the car and we had gone). The a/head rang the police.

They had said to the head "I didn't recognise him as a parent or grandparent", and he still hadn't thought to check if there were any new children having a school visit that day.

There is no school policy about videoing your child starting school. I bet the women who complained did the same thing themselves.

hello

(have already heard the whole mad as a meataxe story on the phone)

Got as far as saying to Dad that the police had called - and he says

"Oh the woman who took my number finally rang the police did she?"

I told him he could have saved the school mums, the principal and the police a lot of time if he had mentioned that he's seen her do it - or even got out and explained at the time.

oh CLASSIC

I've gone from "he's an old man leave him alone" to "you doddering old twit" in under 24 hours.

lol

ha ha! lol

why are you videoing his first day at school?

I haven't asked my dad, but I presume so that when he's back in England, cold and lonely he can watch it and be proud and cheered up by his only Grandson turning 5 and starting school. But like I say that's just a guess.

i wasn't having a dig i was just curious - dd started school 8yrs ago - i just took a photo of her looking extra cute in her uniform

Your dad [

Why didn't he just say "It's my gs's first day at school"?

TBH, under the circs, I think the school acted properly. Unless it's a tiny school, I don't see why the head should have thought to check whether it was a new-starter being filmed by family.

Dad did consider getting out the car and explaining - but thought he would probably terrify the woman so he stayed put. He also didn't want to mention it to my mum. I wish he had mentioned it to me though.

I got ds's swimming schedule and they want voluteers to help the children get undressed and dressed. This apparently attracts no police checking whatsoever.