How does your primary manage pick-up time?

[Readytomakechanges]

As in, how do the school ensure the pupils leave with the appropriate adult?

Is there an age when pupils are expected to be old enough and sensible enough to only leave when they see their adult and to return if they're mistaken?

Our school currently has the policy of Y1s spotting their adult through the window and going out to them, unfortunately this has resulted with some overenthusiastic/impatient Y1s running out when their adult has not been there to collect them.

Teacher manages it at the door

Teacher spots parent/carer. You have to acknowledge the teacher in order for hi our child to be released.

This happens on all year groups apart from the year 6's who have permission to walk home.

Pseudobadger, as in teacher recognises the adult for each kid, sends the kid out and watches them go to that adult?

Or the adult says the name of the kid they're collecting and the teacher sends said kid out?

We've had multiple teachers this term, so I the teacher is unable to recognise which adult belongs to which child.

Teacher has to see you and acknowledge you to release the child even if its just a nod. No primary children are allowed to leave without an adult (so no walking to and from school on their own but its an independent anyway with a very large catchment area)

KS1 -Teacher brings children to classroom door a d lets then go when they see their parent/carer

KS2 up to Y5 - teacher lets children into playground if they can see their parent/carer

Y5 - children are encouraged to walk to/from school if possible to prepare for Middle School

Y6 - is Middle School. From 10, children are independent unless particularly rural.

Imaystillbedrunk in your set up, what happens if an unfamiliar adult is picking up a child?

Reception and Y1 come out through the same gate in their shared outside space. Children line up, teacher stands at the gate and either hands child over or sent to one side inside the gate.

Y2-Y5 Classroom doors all open outside. Teacher stands at door and lets each child go when she/he has eyeballed the parent. Parent knows whether there is an issue by the facial expression on the teacher's face (spoken from experience there )

Y6 Classroom door opens out to corridor and they are allowed to get coats/bags and leave without parent/guardian if they have permission from home.

We are in Scotland - in P1 and P2 (so starting school age to 6-ish) the teachers make sure the child can see their adult before they head off.

After that, the children are just let out. I have never heard of children needing written permission to walk home on their own or with siblings, lots of children make their own way home here as lots live within 5 minutes of school.

Our school has a pick up outside the door system for the early years.

Teacher spots the parent ( or any other nominated person) and sends child out. Teachers get to know parents/ childminders/ grandparents etc.

We can also list 2 or 3 emergency contacts with the School Office ( e.g. other mums or grandparents ) who can also take the children. If they aren't known by sight to the teacher, they have to use a pre-registered code or password before being given your child!

Ks1, individual external doors and an adult has to collect from the door while the teacher is watching
Yrs 3 and 4 communal external door with a teacher keeping an eye out but kids can leave on their own.
Years 5 and 6 internal doors and the kids just get let out

Reception/ks1 Teacher/Ta stand on the doorway and let children go once they see the adult picking up.

yr3/4 Comes out to palyground with teacher and let go. Teacher won't check if adults are there or not.

Yr5/6 let out from class room.

Teachers at door for all years except y5 and y6. Teachers only allow child to leave once they have seen 'correct' adult i.e if another adult is collecting, then unless there's written permission from the correct adult teacher won't release the child.

Infants - doors open onto playground so you stand outside, teacher stands at door and when they spot you/child points you put/you say what child you are collecting (if a supply teacher)
Juniors who have a sibling in theninfants wall round to their siblings class, if you aren’t there they wait with the sibling inside the classroom.
Juniors without siblings are walked round by a teacher to the gate of the car park where parents wait to collect them and teacher doesn’t let them out of gate unless adult there.

Kids on buses are walked round by a teacher and put on buses

If someone unusual collecting child ten a letter is needed ( we fill in form at start of term on going home arrangements so if granny always collects on a Wednesday then that’s fine and don’t need a note each time but if grandad is picking up and doesn’t ususally then you need a note)

Upto Y5 the Teacher/TA stands and the door and releases them one by one as they see the Parent/Carer. From Y5 they can walk home if that suits although a fair few still picked up.

P1 to P3, the teacher walks all the children to the school gates and hands child over to adult. We have to fill in a form at the start of P1 giving the names of anyone who is allowed to collect them. If there is a change from that list of names, we ring the school to let them know.

P4 onwards is unsupervised. Most parents still collect at the gate but from P5 onwards significant numbers walk or cycle home on their own.

Reception
Called from sitting in classroom 1 at a time when teacher spots their known adult.

Y1&Y2
hovering by door in glass corridor but teacher effectively half blocking exit. when child spots parent, tells teacher who checks and lets go

y3 start
child points out parent and gets OK and goes
y3 end
child goes out when sees parent

y4-y6
children come out if parent not there they wait by exit
y6 can go home independently with permission, possibly also OK for some y5 if they are sensible and live locally

Mainly classrooms have their own exits to playground so they aren't all swarming out from just a couple of doors.
If an unknown/different adult is collecting school should be told in advance, but relaxed for y5/6.

Reception and Y1, which is all I know about so far, children sit on carpet and teacher calls them when they see their parent.
If the class teacher is off sick the TA knows the regular pick up people.
If it's another parent e.g. a playdate then you tell the teacher at drop off/write in diary.
If someone else, you put them on the contact list.
My DS has a regular babysitter who picks him up once a week. The first time, DS knew him but not the school IYSWIM. So it was in his diary and the babysitter is on the contact list, I reminded DS and the babysitter told the classroom who he was picking up.

From Y5 they can walk home if that suits

But is it really the school's place to dictate how parents get their children to and from school? Their responsibility to my child ends when the bell rings at 3pm, yes it's nice that they're making sure that children are collected by their parents or another "approved" person but if I as a parent decide that my 8 year old should be walking home on their own and that I won't be collecting them, I should have the right to do that.

Thank you for all the replies.

We had something similar to what is described above prior to our regular teacher becoming unwell, as the regular teacher recognised the adults.

Although the supply teacher does stand at the door it's up to the kids to spot their parent and run out.

I've been concerned about it for a little while as have caught kids I've known, who run out before their parent gets there, and waited with them until parent arrives. Also, when other kids have been coming to ours after school there were no extra checks that it was OK to release them to me.

Yesterday a parent had an emergency and was 10 mins late, when he got their his child was alone, playing at the edge of the playground (This child is 5yo).

The child in question is not my child, so it's not directly to do with me and I don't want to go piling in on the school, but I have been concerned about the system for a little while so I'm wondering whether to email them to highlight my concerns.

But is it really the school's place to dictate how parents get their children to and from school? Their responsibility to my child ends when the bell rings at 3pm

Did you read the thread recently where a parent was questioning the legality of things as her y1 child had taken it upon themselves to walk home alone as the dad was late picking them up?

A school's responsibility as in loco parentis ends when they have handed the child over to another responsible adult.
If you said a y2 child (for example) was to walk home without being collected by an adult a school should rightly question it. Depending on area and children, schools may have different policies for older children, but you are wrong in saying their responsibility ends when the bell goes regardless.

If you want your 8yo to walk home alone and you can assure the school it is safe then they may well be persuaded. But I wouldn't want to see a blanket 'all 8yos can walk home' as that would be a charter for 'feckless' parents to not bother collecting ...

I would contact them. If you word it politely it won't do any harm.
School may not be aware how many 'near misses' there have been.

If you want your 8yo to walk home alone and you can assure the school it is safe then they may well be persuaded. But I wouldn't want to see a blanket 'all 8yos can walk home' as that would be a charter for 'feckless' parents to not bother collecting

But on the other hand, my house is very close to school, so close I can see into the playground from the front windows. I have let my kids walk home from a very young age and have never been asked to "assure" the school of anything - they just let them go. Haven't been asked for written permission or anything else.

Anyway, I don;t think comparing school policies is terribly helpful given that each school is different and has different issues in terms of traffic or the distance children are travelling or walking/buses etc. No two schools are the same.

R/Y1 - adult goes to door of classroom and if not known to teacher/TA, asks for child, child is allowed to get up and go out. Otherwise child's name is called and hurtles onto you as soon as you've been seen.
Y2 - line up in playground, adult goes to get child, teacher lets child go.
Y3+ - similar to Y2 only less lining up. And generally expect kids not to leave without adult (unless have permission)

There's also two staff on each gate to ensure unattended children / fast toddlers don't escape. It's like a military operation: 500+ children disposed of in about 5 minutes.

After a couple weeks, any unfamiliar adult entering the school will be swooped on, escorted to the right kids, and out.

Reception to year 2 line up with the teachers and are only allowed to go when the teacher recognises the adult picking them up.
Year 3 onwards are just let out of the gate and head off to meet parents or go home by themselves.