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?

Well presuming you called to let them know you were going to be late then didn't they tell you on over the phone that they'd be waiting outside???

Or did you not bother with the courtesy call to let them know??

I expect they wanted to go home and were making a point. Why is is not Ok to wait outside under adult supervision?

Our after school club fines late pick-ups at a rate of £1 per minute - bet there aren't many paretns there who have problems on the tube.

Will you be paying for the 45 mins extra care that your dc received - 15 mins of it at overtime rates?

As I said already, I don't mind paying for the time they were waiting, at whatever rate, it's only fair.

Contrary to what you seem to be thinking, I don't made a habit of this, it's the second time it happens in the school year.

But I take your point, you think I am being unreasonable...

Our after-school wait with the children inside if someone is late, but they charge you overtime fee for every 15 mins. I think living in London you will sometimes be late and at least our after-school is quite understanding.

OK, I admit I have been late - well, alter than my normal pick up time. But never beyond the time the after school club ends. In that case I will phone round my eergency back up - DH first, then one of 2 or 3 friends.

But still can;t see why it is a problem for your DD to have been outside. If they didn't leave the building tll 6:10pm and you arrived at 15 minutes past - that was only 5 minutes of being outside anyway.

She was standing with adult carers and you were 45 minutes late. I don't really see much of a problem here.

Don't understand sorry, can't see what your what your problem is?

It's all very well you saying you don't mind paying, but if the facility closes at 6pm, presumably the staff (who have their own childcare issues?) DO mind you being late. I accept that there are sometimes circumstances outside your control, but I certainly don't feel that YOU've got anything to be angry with them about.

No pointydog, I was 15 minutes late, not 45.

FairyMum, I would MUCH prefer that.

I am just posting to reassure Mammya that someone has understood that she wasn't 45 minutes late It is hard when you're unavoidably delayed.

But I still don't see the problem in them being outside - with supervision, in good weather, for a few minutes.

mammya - in your OP you say

"and I arrived at 6.15, when normally I pick her up at about 5.30."

I may be blonde, and not very good at maths - but that's 45 minutes in my head.......

you were 15 minutes late beyond the closing up time and she was standing with adult carers. I don't see a problem. They wanted a quick getaway and weren't sure exactly when you#d turn up.

yes you should complain to the head but the after school leaders should stand up to the caretaker if they've been given permission to stay. he sounds like a jobsworth

FAQ, the after-school closes at 6 pm. That's 15 mins after closing time.

Were there lots of children outside? Did you feel that your child was not being supervised, or was otherwise at risk (I would have thought at 7 she could be trusted not to run into the road etc). I can't really see why it is an issue for your child to be outside with the play leader for 5 mins (as you said lock up was at 6.10). I can see that you might be concerned if the weather was bad, but otherwise really what is the issue?

You were late. Yes it happens, but the person who is at fault is you. I cannot see any reason why you think it is OK to kick up a big fuss. Maybe talk to the headteacher, but demanding a meeting is way OTT. When I am late I feel acutely embarrassed to put people out, let alone sad about upsetting my children. Our nursery/childminder would charge for the priveledge.

How do you know that the carer didn;t have er own child to get too, or an appointment of her own - which she could then have been late for as a result.

I'm still not sure what the issue is with her standing outside the school with the adults.

As you send her to the ASC - I'm presuming that you trust the adults that look after her. And I'm also presuming that you then walk along the very same pavement (the one she was standing on with the adults) with her once you pick her up. So what's the issue??

I don't know a single janny who isn't like that. Maybe the janny and the carers prefer lock-up responsibility to rest with the janny.

Whether you could help it or not, it's a bit much to expect them to arrange with the caretaker to take the keys and be responsible for locking up instead of him (they may never even have done it before) so that they can wait inside with your child until you turn up. Presumably when you rang them they understood from you that you were on your way as fast as possible so it would seem quite reasonable to wait outside for you.

i thought the issue was with the caretaker turfing them out when the club has permission to lock up themselves