School question

[SpinningFloppa]

What age does your school allow a child to pick up another sibling from school?

16 at my school...unless child is in year 6 and is allowed to walk home alone so older sibling could then meet them.

My year 9 has collected my year 4.

Ours is 16 as well but just wondered if that was typical for other schools

How times have changed! 6 yr old used to walk up to Junior School to be walked home by 9 yr old sister. No one said a word.

There isn't actually a legal rule. We used to say 16 but a parent wanted her year 6 son to take the Reception sibling home. The Head checked with the Local authority and there is no enforceable rule. She didn't think the arrangement was a good idea but had to allow it.

That’s interesting, my dilemma is I have an autistic child who has left school now, I can’t leave her home alone to collect the others and she is home educated now, she hates the school run due to how loud and noisy it is, when she was in school I was allowed to collect them 20 mins early but now she has left school that’s stopped but she won’t cope with the school pick up I wanted my year 6 to collect my year 4 and year 1 children and bring them out of the school and meet me across the road where I can wait somewhere quietly with my daughter just wanted to get the general rules on this before I ask them about it as I overheard them once refusing to hand a child to their sister as she wasn’t 16 she was 15 🙄 and yes time’s have very much changed I use to be collected by my sister in year 6 and she would collect me and my younger brother and bring us home 20 mins walk away, now have to be 16!

There is not a legal age, as long as you are happy about it. Last year my year 2 child was poorly whilst at school, they rang and I was an hour minimum away with my 2nd emergency contact but my year 8 son was at home. I asked if my year 8 son could collect his brother, he is incredibly sensible and we live 100m from the school and that I was leaving to get home they checked with the headteacher and he was happy as he said there is no minimum legal age. Our primary school has a lot of older siblings collecting from school, most are years 8,9 and 10.

Once I told them my sister was coming to collect my children and they told me she had to be over 16 (she’s in her 30s!) so they might be more strict at my school, could they refuse? I will literally be outside I wouldn’t expect him to take them home alone.

Yes, they could prevent your Y6 DC leaving with with younger DC. If you will only be waiting across the road you asked if a member of staff will walk DC to you.

Is older DD EHE or is it EOTAS? If EOTAS that is also a potential route to solve the situation.

16
perhaps the school can suggest an alternative, such as you pick them up from the school office

I think it’s a good idea to ask for alternatives - we would definitely facilitate a collection from the school office in these circumstances. It often isn’t as simple as a member of staff walking them to the car - we really don’t have anyone spare, especially at the end of the day.

Just looking for what i can do as i wont be bringing her into the school grounds, she was picked up early as she lashed out at a few people at pick up once so then she was picked up early after that so don’t want a repeat of it, I’m not sure they will have staff that can bring them all out to me every day it was usually her 1:1 who use to do this.

No she will just be home educated not eotas

You want a 10 year old to be responsible for a 5 and 8 year old? I’m not surprised school aren’t happy with this situation. I would speak to the school and ask what they can do to help.

No I don’t want him to be “responsible for them” I want him to meet me outside which is literally a 30 second walk 🙄

The school haven’t said they aren’t happy either I’ve not spoken to them about it I’m trying to work out the age children are allowed to collect siblings

How is it any different from pulling up at the school in your car and letting your children walk in alone which many parents at the school do!! It’s just collecting that’s the issue as they don’t release them unless they physically see the parent but many car drivers park up outside and send kids in to cross the road along and go into school hardly a big deal. 🤦🏻

I can't see any problem with this, I really think it depends on how mature the year 6 is, I don't think there can be a blanket rule here.

My eldest would have been more than capable in year 6 to do this, my middle child not so much.

Ours is 16, year 5 and 6 can leave alone but aren't allowed to take younger siblings. However my friend's DC's school allows it and let her year 4 walk with her year 6.

Can’t believe how hysterical some people are, I literally see car drivers every day pull up outside their school and throw the kids out the car then drive off and they are left to walk in alone! Some will walk to the gate but most don’t, it’s literally the same as that only the reverse, they won’t be releasing them unless I say I’m outside, I can buzz on or I can call them, I’m not expecting them to release them unless I tell them I’m outside, my daughter Physically won’t come into the school grounds

Ours is 16. They can only walk home by themselves in y6 (10/11).