Lollipop lady ill so Head allowed children to cross busy road unsupervised

[Trifle]

My ds's are at a Junior school which is situated on a busy main road so there is a lollipop lady to take then across morning and afternoon.

Yesterday afternoon she was ill, as was her stand-by so the Head allowed all children to cross the busy road unsupervised.

As it is a large school parents wait at various points away from the school and the children cross via the lollipop and walk up to meet the parents. It's not possible to stand immediately outside the school gate as there is very little room. Consequently it wasnt until the children had reached their parents that they were told that they had to cross on their own.

A friend of mine said she was driving down the road and had to slam her brakes on when a child crossed without warning.

I spoke to the Head today who feels he should be applauded that he told the children to be careful.

He refused to accompany them across himself or assign another member of staff as no one had been 'trained' in the art of lollipop mangement and he could have been deemed liable should there have been an accident.

Isnt this beaucrocacy gone mad that a school Head is more concerned about sticking to procedures than supervising children as young as 7 to ensure they get across the road safely.

He said that if it happens again he will do the same thing. I told him he should keep the children within the school and wait for parents collect their child. He refused saying it would be too chaotic.

Shocking.

[nolongeraworriedmummy]

Our school doesnt have a lollipop person and there is a very busy road past it but theres a pelican crossing, her other school was in a village and across a very busy road and we only had a lollipop person at night

[southeastastra]

i would keep on at the head, it sounds dangerous! can't one or two of you just arrange the crossings yourself?

[cory]

Head should arrange to collect in the playground at all times; anything else sounds ridiculously dangerous!

[cupchar]

could you just go to the school exit to collect your child?