CAO, school and Ex

[OrangeOrBlackcurrant]

I have a DC who is 4. We have a CAO which states ex collects DC every Saturday apart from the first Friday of the month when he collects DC 6ish that Friday.
DC has just started school and I gave copy of the cao to the school.
I was told last night by my 4 yr old that his dad is picking him up from school today. I rang ex. He said that was correct and he didn't see that he should have told me.
So I could have arrived at my 4year olds classroom (after collecting an older child) to find my DC not there. Can the school do that? Just release my child despite a court order?
I am going to speak to the school (calmly!) this morning and find out what their process is as ex apparently just called them yesterday and casually informed them he would be collecting DC and they ok'd it.

It is a breach of the court order. I would send the order to the school and I would expect them not to be complicit in the order's breach.

On a separate note though, wouldn't it be better that he collects the boy from school?

Also, all weekend arrangements can work if a mother isn't working full time and the child is pre-school, but tend to fall down when the child starts school. What time will you have with your son? Do you want now to alternate weekends? If so, you need to be applying to court to vary the order, but need to try mediation first unless you have one of the exemptions (eg domestic violence).

Oh i have no issue with ex collecting Ds. I have an issue that he didn't tell me and that the school have apparently ok'd it despite them having the cao on their system.
If my 4 year old hadn't told me I would have gone to his classroom and he wouldn't be there.
Part of me wants to lurk and see if the school actually let ds go the, other part of me is more mature and will speak to the school this morning.
I am annoyed that this has been arranged without my knowledge and without checking with me.

I can't afford to apply for a variation and we have tried mediation.

You may be exempt from paying court fees. Google Ex160

Thanks @collaborate I will look into that.