Should school have phoned me re. cancelled lesson after school?

[inmysparetime]

DS has a drum lesson after school on a Monday from 3.20-3.50 then he walks home and lets himself in the house with his key. DH arrives home at 4.10-4.15 depending on traffic and meets him. (DS is 10)
Yesterday, DS told us over dinner that his drum lesson had been cancelled, and the children had all been told to go home! DS had spent nearly an hour at home alone before DS got home. AIBU to be annoyed that school didn't phone, text or email me or DH to let us know the lesson was cancelled?

[inmysparetime]

Before DH got home, not DS, that would make no sense!

[itsstartingtofeelalotlikexmas]

Don't see its a problem, if he can walk home alone he can be at home for an hour alone can't he?

[LIZS]

when did ds find out - could it be that he should have told you sooner, been allowed to call you if needs be or stay until 3:50 ? I would n't have expected a phone call from the school per se and if you had known what would you/dh have done differently.

[inmysparetime]

I know I can trust him, but surely it should be school policy to let people know if their children are not in the school's care for whatever reason. I asked the school receptionist to feed back to the HT that parents had not been called, and she got shirty with me and said it had been cancelled a week ago. DS didn't know it was cancelled, neither did the other kids doing drums. No parents were contacted at any stage.
My DS was safe, but that doesn't let the school off. Other kids walked home when they usually don't, and they don't have keys.

[inmysparetime]

DH would have left work earlier, as he does flexitime and can take the odd early for emergencies. I'm more concerned at the school's lack of concern for what the children who expected to be picked up would do.

[coppertop]

As it's a primary school I would have expected a phone call.

There might have been children who weren't able to get home by themselves or who had no means to let themselves in.

[inmysparetime]

DS is one of the oldest in Y5 and quite mature too. I'm not worried that DS was put in danger, I just wanted to flag up to the school that parents should be notified if the situation occurs again, as younger or less mature children could be at risk if parents don't know where they are. There are busy roads near school, and while I spent a lot of time teaching my DS road safety over the summer before I let him cross them without the crossing lady, Other parents may not have.
I'm glad people agree with me, I was starting to worry I was a neurotic busy body when the office lady was so shirty

[BloooCowWonders]

For a 10 yr old who walks home alone anyway. Not sure if the school should have, and you do sound pissed off.
Our school would have sent a text (we get loads of them!)

[inmysparetime]

He only got his key in late September, and Monday is the only day of the week when he spends 10 minutes home alone before DH gets in, as I am usually there to meet him just after he gets in (I have a school run at another school).
I think this has really pissed me off as it was right near the end of term (they broke up this afternoon), so I didn't have time to cool down before talking to the school.

[inmysparetime]

Ok, I get why the school would not have deemed it necessary to contact me or DH, but they didn't contact any of the parents.
I know I'm probably coming across all entitled and PFB, but I'm usually pretty easy going in RL.
I work with children, albeit younger children, and I know the lengths we have to go to to prove children are supervised and safe at all times. I thought schools had to do the same (to a lesser degree as they get older), clearly not

[LIZS]

Presumably most of the other children are collected - what did they do in the interim ?

[inmysparetime]

Asked them to walk home

[VivaLeBeaver]

I'd be annoyed by it.

This happened to a neighbour's kid once and she didn't have a key. It was dark and drizzling nad she was trampolining in her garden. I asked her what she was doing and she said choir practice had been cancelled, school hadn't told parents, she had no key and no phone. Obviously I brought her into mine but she could have spent a cold, wet hour in the garden on her own.

[DoesntChristmasDragOn]

Yes, they should have let you know.

[Kardashianw]

Yea they should have. I'd have expected a call!

[Ladymuck]

I have a 10 yo ds, and yes, I would have expected a call or email, and would be pretty annoyed if i didn't get one. That said ds is still not allowed out of school grounds without a teacher eyeballing me.

[ImNotaCelebrity]

It is the job of the drum teacher to make sure you know in advance of cancelled lessons if, as the secretary said, they knew a week ago. Chances are, your son knew, but didn't pass the message on.
If it's last minute and the drum teacher has phoned the school to let them know, the responsibility falls to the school to make sure that the message gets through to you as it's after school. (If lesson was during the day, only the children need telling.) However, they can't always be expected to know the comings and goings of every child, and I would expect a 10 year old to think to go the office and ask to phone his parents to let them know he would be out of school earlier than expected.
I think that while you're right to be a little p'd off with the school, you also need to train your son in what to do if this situation arises again.

[inmysparetime]

He did not know the lesson was cancelled as I had asked him several times (I knew his guitar lesson was cancelled so wanted to be sure).
Apparently the later group (3.50-4.20) knew about the cancellation but the early group were not told (DS suspects the later group failed to pass on the message).
I was surprised that the school were so shirty with me when I talked to them. I asked the receptionist to feed back to HT that this had happened, and she just shrugged. What happened to "partnership with parents"? I know it was the end of term, but I for one like to know where my DS is, and when he is coming home.

[hellhasnofury]

The later group should not be responsible for passing the info on, that is the responsibility of the drum teacher. The communication sounds pants and I think you were reasonable to bring the lack of communication to the attention of the school.