What would you do if your DC was made to wait for you on the street when you are late to pick up?

[mammya]

Tonight I was late picking up my dd from after-school club, because of problems on the Tube, and I arrived at 6.15, when normally I pick her up at about 5.30. DD (7) was waiting outside the school with the after-school club workers. They told me the caretaker told them to leave at 6.10 as he was locking up.

The thing is, this has happened once before, again when I was late because of problems on the tube, and at the time I brought it up with the headteacher, who agreed with me that it wasn't acceptable, for all sorts of reasons. According to him, the after-school club workers have the keys, they are allowed to stay after the caretaker has left as long as they make sure to lock the gate properly. According to the after-school club play leader, they weren't allowed to stay after 6 for insurance reasons. The HT denied this was the case

I am about this and plan to go to the school tomorrow morning to request an appointment with the headteacher, the caretaker and the after-school club leader, so that we can discuss what should be done when a parent is late like this, as is bound to happen from time to time.

So dear mumsnetters, would you be angry and what would you do if that happened to your dc? Am I being unreasonable to think this is unacceptable?

Was it raining?

Honest answer to your question?

I would never be three-quarters of an hour late to pick up my child from anywhere (barring serious accident)

TBH I think I would just be relieved that the workers were waiting with her.

If it was raining or freezing temps I might think differently though

45 minutes late is unacceptable.

At least someone waited with your DD.

Find an easier way of getting home or find someone else to pick my child up for me.

45 minutes is too long to wait.

If you go into the school all guns blazing, I assume you'll also be offering to pay the worker for the overtime they did because you were so late?

I think that's fine as long as responsible adults were with her, tbh. What time does the afterschool club close?

When does the after school club finish?

I think that it would be perfectly acceptable for your dd not to be in a building provided that she has a responsible adult with her.

And as you were late you have very little room for complaint. If the adults had left (for example to pick up their children) then you would have had cause to complain. But usually they would have contacted social services first.

Well I don't mind paying for being late. I was only 15min late as the after-school club finishes at 6.

The staff probably wanted to wait outside, so that as soon as you arrived they could get off home to their own DCs, not faff about with lights/locks/alarms etc.

I feel your pain with the tube though, it is an utter bugger sometimes.

And you should clarify things with the head-do staf have keys, or don't they?

You were 45 mins late. You've done it before. You are the one at fault.

Um, I would be grateful the staff were still with her and be grovellingly apologetic tbh. Am quite astounded that you are the one who is angry.....

So long as wasn't raining heavy or snowing then I can't see too much of a problem with this. At least she was save with an adult with her.

Is there no one you could call for emergency cover in case this happens again? If not, can you ask another school parent if it would be possible for them to be "on call" for the odd occasion it might occur.

Three quarters of an hour is too late when they have finished.The playworkers are seriously inconvenienced because they have finished, are not paid and will have places they are supposed to be. If you go into school all annoyed you ought at the very least to pay the overtime due to the playworkers.

he sounds like an annoying caretaker, if it's been agreed that the club can lock up without him they need to complain to the head. caretakers can be a bit moody.

I think they were probably angry with you, they were 15 mins late finishing work.
They waited with him so I wouldn't be crosss but I think you've got a bit of a nerve calling them all in for a meeting

Scummymummy, hello darling

Maybe the caretakers get pissed off at being held up at the end of the day when they want to have their dinner?

15 minutes late is hardly crime of the century and tubes can be v shite, can't they? Still, I expect everyone is desperate to get home once six o'clock comes and they chivvy all the kids out the door as soon as possible. Why do you feel so peeved about her waiting outside the school? Would totally agree if she was left alone, but since the playworkers waited with her it doesn't sound so bad to me.

Hi Cam nice to see you to see you nice.

What's wrong with them waiting in the place where it was easiest to make a quick handover so they can all get to wherever they were meant to be?

I'd be apologising rather than complaining if I were you, as most have said. To you it's an occasional happening, but multiply that by the number of kids there and I bet they go home late rather often.

Again, I was not 45 minutes late. I normally come at 5.30, but the after-school club closes at 6. So I was 15 minutes late.

Frankly I would prefer not to be late at all, but when you are stuck on the tube there is not much you can do. Can't call anyone for a start. I did call as soon as I got out of the tube, to let them know that I would be late, that was at 5.45.

Those of you that state you would NEVER be late to pick up your children, well good for you, have you got powers of teleportation? I don't.

I am not angry with the workers, and I appreciate that they had to stay longer, although NOT 45min, they were waiting 14 min. I know it's inconvenient for them, and I wouldn't mind paying extra for being late. The thing is, the HT told me that in such cases they should stay inside the school until the parent arrives. Then the caretaker tells them to leave. That's what I;m angry about.

I did call a friend to go and pick up dd, but she wasn't available.