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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Year 6 - leaving school without permission

26 replies

MojitoJo · 18/06/2016 12:30

Just wondering if anyone with Y6 DC can tell me what happens in their school WRT to permission needed to leave school with an adult other than a parent / carer.

Yesterday DS finished school and was scheduled to go to football about 90 mins after school finished. The club is run at the school, but not by the school. He was due to stay at school in their after school club and do homework until football started.

What actually happened is that a friend asked him over for a playdate and he went off with that friend's parent. The parent asked for permission from me by text but only once he had left the school building. Whilst that wasn't ideal it's not the issue that I'm concerned about here. My main concern is the school and how it let a child leave with another adult without my say so.

I'm wondering what other schools do in these circumstances? The school is remote and it is not possible for kids to walk / cycle home. There has recently been a huge push on Safeguarding at the school so I was surprised that they let him go with another adult without my permission. Having said that I accept that a lot of Y6 kids in other schools do get themselves home so I'm wondering if I'm being PFB about this.

OP posts:

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titchy · 18/06/2016 12:41

Yes a bit! By year 6 they just leave when schools finished. They'll be at secondary in a couple of months and no one will be keeping track of them then.

Brokenbiscuit · 18/06/2016 12:48

My dd is in year 6. I think they're free to walk home alone, so can't really see an issue with this. Perhaps you need to teach your son to check with you first?

MilkRunningOutAgain · 18/06/2016 12:48

At DC's school, only those kids ( from yr 5 & 6 ) whose parents have signed a form saying they can walk home alone are allowed to wander off at the end of school. This is most of the DC in yr 6. But some are still handed over to named parent / carer. My yr 5 DD goes home with her childminder and isn't allowed to wander off or go home with anyone else, apart from me!

tictactoad · 18/06/2016 12:52

If he was registered to be at after school club then I would say the school is at fault for not notifying you that he hadn't turned up. I'd definitely be asking them how that happened.

Original poster

MojitoJo · 18/06/2016 13:13

The after school club (where he was supposed to do his homework) is one that is quite flexible - you don't sign up for it you just turn up.

It isn't an option for the kids to walk home from our school - it is remote and on a very busy and dangerous road with no pavement. So whilst the walk home comparison is valid in terms of that's what happens in other schools with kids of a similar age, it simply can't happen in this school. Whatever happens, every child in the school leaves with an adult in a car.

OP posts:

clam · 18/06/2016 13:28

Not sure how a 'flexible attendance' at an after-school club can possibly work, not least with regard to safe-guarding and numbers.

In our school, we have strict lists about who's supposed to be where re: clubs and registers are taken and the office informed within 5 minutes or so if a child hasn't turned up. Then phone calls are made. That said, in only know about the official club arrangements. Upper KS2 children know that of their parent/carer is not at the usual collection point, they are to come back to the office for enquirers to be made. But i confess I don't know who is allowed to go home alone. (Not a y6 teacher though).

titchy · 18/06/2016 13:31

But surely you don't have to send in a letter saying ds is going home with Billy's mum tonight?

BertPuttocks · 18/06/2016 13:35

At ours a Yr6 would only be allowed to leave alone if their parent had signed a permission slip.

They would only be allowed to leave with another adult if that person was on their list of approved people, which is again signed by a parent. Everyone has to fill in the list at the beginning of the year and put down the names of anyone who is allowed to collect the child. For a one-off like a playdate, you would have to give written permission.

Wolfiefan · 18/06/2016 13:36

There's a difference between every child going home in a car (what about people who don't drive?) and children being held at the gate until personally handed to a parent or carer. Wouldn't expect the latter at Y6. In less than three months they are going to Secondary. They will have to be responsible for much more.

Original poster

MojitoJo · 18/06/2016 14:24

Is there that much of a difference? The fact remains that all children go home accompanied and surely the school has a responsibility to make sure they are accompanied by an approved adult.

OP posts:

Arkwright · 18/06/2016 14:27

Y5 and 6 can just leave at our school. No written permission required. Up until then the children are handed over to a parent.

AveEldon · 18/06/2016 14:27

Surely the friends parent is known to the school? It's not like they let him leave with a random stranger

How do you usually notify them of playdates?

Original poster

MojitoJo · 18/06/2016 14:57

We send in an email.

Yes, the friend's parent is known to the school, but they don't know what my relationship with that adult. For all they know I may not be able to stand the woman. Luckily that's not the case.

OP posts:

Allice · 18/06/2016 17:52

I work in admin a a school. Would never happen at ours, we'd call you for permission before releasing your son. Our after school club you have to book for too, so if he'd not turned up they'd go and look for him.

Wasn't like that a couple of years ago but we've gone safeguarding bonkers!
Kids are only allowed to walk home alone with written permission from their parents.

WombatStewForTea · 19/06/2016 09:52

The afterschool club sounds like a shambles.
In our school all junior children leave the school building and walk round to the collection point. They all know if nobody is there they come back to reception. Never had problems other than a few who nip to the shop across the road before coming back to reception.

Feenie · 19/06/2016 10:25

In Year 6 they go on their own. We wouldn't have known if your ds went with the parent concerned. In 3 months, they will be at secondary school.

Think you're being a bit precious, tbh. Can you imagine posting this in September?

exLtEveDallas · 19/06/2016 10:31

Year 5 and 6 have to have written permission from parent to walk home from school. Letter is kept on file and a note is attached to the child's SIMS record.

With all years if someone other than the parent is collecting the child then the parent has to have phoned the school to say the child is to be released to that person.

If a child usually walks home alone, but wants to go home with someone else's parent then that parent asks the school to phone child's parent for permission.

The only thing that doesn't 'work' is if the child has written permission to walk home, but then goes somewhere else instead of home - school cannot be held responsible in that case, as it is the child's choice.

starry0ne · 19/06/2016 10:59

Our Juniors know who is supposed to be collecting them or walking home..After school activities you have to sign if they are walking home on there own.If someone else collects them they have to return to the classroom to inform the teacher..

Your child needs to have rules about what is and isn't ok esp with the fact in a couple of weeks he will be off to high school..I really don't understand your after school club as they will be bound by ratio's staff to children

hamabeads · 19/06/2016 11:06

Our Year 6 leave the building and are not supervised by the teacher when doing this. They therefore would not know who they go home with. If there is a problem the children are expected to make their way around to the foyer and report to the front office. TBH most Year 6, at this stage of the year, get themselves home.

I would, however, have an issue with the after school club not noticing his absence.

Fairuza · 19/06/2016 11:10

Infant children get handed to a parent at our school. Junior children are just sent out at the end of the day, the teacher doesn't leave the classroom.

AndNowItsSeven · 19/06/2016 11:11

At my dd's school children leave alone from the juniors , year three so aged 7 or 8.

TeenAndTween · 19/06/2016 13:51

At our school y6s can leave by themselves and are thus not handed over to anyone so could go anywhere at the end of the day.

I do see your point about the fact they all have to be collected by car, but I think you need to talk to your DS about this, rather than the school. (Unless the school would let a y3/4 go in the same way).

redskytonight · 19/06/2016 16:14

Year 5 and 6 just leave on their own. Year 3 and 4 are handed over to a parent but not with the formality of early years - if a child said "I'm going home with John's mum today", the teacher would let him go home with John's mum.

Year 5 and 6 can walk home alone (with no one knowing really). Year 3 and 4 can walk home alone or with sibling if parent writes a letter.

The situation OP describes could certainly happen, and no one would bat an eyelid. I'd be concerned that DC was going off without telling me, I wouldn't be blamign the school.

bojorojo · 19/06/2016 18:16

I think the real issue is that the OP thought he was going to the homework club. That club should know if he is coming or not and the way that is working is too lax in my view. Your child also should have spoken to the homework club about not coming. InY6 they do need to take responsibility and he should have known it was wrong to change plans at the last moment. I am assuming he does not have a phone but he could have asked a teacher to get hold of you once the plans were changed. The other parent should have spoken to you earlier as well.

If children do not have to turn up to the club, presumably they could just wander off into the road if they feel like it and no-one would be the wider. In the circumstances you would think the homework club would count them in!

bojorojo · 19/06/2016 18:17

The wiser!

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