Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

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

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Having to leave 4/5 year olds KS2 at school gate?

62 replies

MammaCS · 17/04/2018 22:18

Hi everyone,

No idea how I do this as I’ve only joined today with the biggest bee in my bonnet!! My daughters school have introduced a new process where we are required to leave our children at the main gate to make there own way to the class!!! I would like to add there is a teacher at the gate and a few on the journey to help them find there way but this feels me with dread that I’m expected to leave my little one who’s just turnt 5 to make her own way to class! Am I being a nutter? Would you let you child? Does your school do the same? Who do I go to to complain? I’ve emailed the head, deputy, assistant and whole safe guarding team who aren’t interested and have pretty much told me I have no choice! The education authority have told me this is the schools discretion and to be completely frank I’m on the verge of a major melt down!

Sorry for the longest post and thank you if you have any advice X

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

louise5754 · 17/04/2018 23:12

Oh I'd hate that. I take my 5 and 7 year old right to the door and watch them walk up to class. I do have anxiety issues but I couldn't do that. Wouldn't have a choice though if that's what our school decided to do. I would prob be ok with my 5 yr old but not the older one she has a few issues.

BackforGood · 17/04/2018 23:14

It does depend on the actual geography of the site, but this isn't that odd. How do you think they could get out, if there is a teacher on the gate ?

If there was an incident recently, then it sounds like they have reviewed procedure and are implementing a new system to make it safer for everyone, with no chance of unknown adults getting access to the children.

This:
I’ve emailed the head, deputy, assistant and whole safe guarding team who aren’t interested and have pretty much told me I have no choice! The education authority have told me this is the schools discretion and to be completely frank I’m on the verge of a major melt down!
sound hysterical and completely over the top.

Dinosaursdontgrowontrees · 17/04/2018 23:20

I take my 5 yr old to her classroom door where her teacher is waiting and greating the children. I would not be comfortable leaving her at the main gate. Only yr 6 (10/11yr olds) are allowed to be left at the main gate at our school.

PinkCalluna · 17/04/2018 23:25

Surely they don't just send them out at the end of the day without knowing if there is anyone to meet them at the gate?

Yep, bell rings at the end of the day and the kids pile out. They either get on the school bus, find their parent or walk home themselves.

They aren’t handed over into anyone.

It’s the norm in Scotland as far as I know.

Ceirrno · 18/04/2018 00:13

Mine walk into school on their own from the car. The older two are fine, the 5 year old I help out of the car as it's a big jump down and then off he goes... So I don't even take them to the gate.

Applesandpears23 · 18/04/2018 00:27

Can you see the school building from the gate? Can you send her in but stand and watch her to check she doesn’t come back out? You could stand there all day just to be safe.

Apple23 · 18/04/2018 03:19

Tell your child to go straight to wherever she needs to go (most likely the classroom or lining up area on the playground) when you say goodbye. If you get her there on time, she should just go with the flow in the right direction. If she is not in class when the register is taken, school will ring you unless you have already contacted them that morning to say she is off sick.

If she has a genuine identified special need that means she can not follow this instruction and would not be relied upon stop when an adult on the gate tells her, then meet with the school to ensure they have an arrangement that prevents her walking out of school.

BalloonFlowers · 18/04/2018 05:13

I get how scary it it, but it is amazing what kids are capable of when given a chance.
I'm not in the UK. The kids school is massive (3000 students) and the primary is tucked away in the back corner.
From reception (age4), they are expected to get off the school bus from the village, walk through security, and go to the schools internal bus to get driven to school. From Y2, they are expected to walk through the secondary school up to their classroom - and do the reverse in the afternoon ie walk through school and then find their bus out of the 101 white busses in the car park.
Give the system a chance. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Fairenuff · 18/04/2018 07:48

Yep, bell rings at the end of the day and the kids pile out. They either get on the school bus, find their parent or walk home themselves.

4 and 5 year olds Pink? OP is talking about a reception child starting school, not older children.

dementedpixie · 18/04/2018 07:52

I'm in Scotland and primary 1 and 2 are brought to different doors and let out gradually with the proviso that if no-one is there for them then they come back to the teacher. The rest of the school are let out into the main playground. Again if the expected adult is not there then they go to the office

Snowysky20009 · 18/04/2018 09:48

This was normal at our primary too. You are way over reacting! One what of 'Those' parents. The children are in fact way safer than having 200+ parents/neighbours/family friends/relatives on the yard first
Thing in the morning.

gallicgirl · 18/04/2018 10:38

Normal at my daughter's school too. Reception class has a separate playground so parents drop off and pick up there but everyone else just leaves their child at the gate and teachers supervise them to ensure no one leaves.

At home time parents wait outside the classroom (each room has an external door so parents don't need to come into school building) and the teacher lets the child out when they recognise the parent. Works just fine.

KoshaMangsho · 18/04/2018 10:43

Normal here too. Drop off and the kid makes their way to the classroom.
I have a niece in Japan and 6 year olds make their own way to school on public transport. I was 😱😱😱 and I am not sure I’d have been entirely happy with my 6 year old doing that. But dropped off at the school gate? Totally fine.

KoshaMangsho · 18/04/2018 10:44

Yes and why would she come out if there is a teacher at the gate? And also our school has roll call twice a day. Did you think you were going to walk her to her classroom every single day? 30 parents maybe more doing that every day would cause chaos.

Springnowplease · 18/04/2018 10:53

Perfectly normal. It stops parents nattering to the teacher and delaying the start of the day.

MrsPworkingmummy · 18/04/2018 11:05

You sound a bit neurotic to be completely honest. I can't believe you have went as far as emailing so many different staff members - one to the head would have been sufficient. The school are trying to instill independence in your child. It sounds very well staffed and as other posters have suggested, there aren't as many random adults on the yard (parents of nursery children is still far less than parents of every child in the school). I really don't get what your problem is?

PinkCalluna · 18/04/2018 11:47

4 and 5 year olds Pink? OP is talking about a reception child starting school, not older children.

Yes, 4 and 5 year olds Faire

louise5754 · 18/04/2018 12:46

I don't think any of the "this is normal" comments sound normal. At our school at home time reception and year 1 have to have their parent at the door. Even if they are a family member that doesn't often collect they need a password. Year 2 have to point out their patents in the yard. Year 3-5 are told if they do not see their parents in the yard they have to go back to the teacher. Year 6 can walk home alone with written permission.

AmysTiara · 18/04/2018 13:01

Your school might do that Louise but there's enough people saying their school lets the children run in without parents that shows it is a normal thing to do.

Digestivescusturds · 18/04/2018 13:13

I didn’t even know this happened at schools, I still walk into the cloak room with DS sometimes and he’s 7. I don’t see the problem though, if there’s teachers around and they’re on school property they should be fine. It’s playground they run around and play in every day isn’t it?

Ceirrno · 18/04/2018 13:34

Coming home from school is even looser for my kids. If I collected them the teacher would have to see me but instead they use the bus. A teacher puts them on the bus and checks they're seats correctly but after that it's a free for all lol. There doesn't have to be anyone at the stop to collect them and they can get off at any stop with nothing to stop them. And yes, that includes the youngest.

mindutopia · 18/04/2018 13:36

That’s the norm at our school. For the first couple weeks of reception we walked them to the classroom, but after that, she’s gone in herself from the gate. I just wait there til I see her disappear around the side of the school before I leave so I know she hasn’t come back out (there’s a teacher there anyway). Mine felt very grown up and it’s been fine. She’s been doing it since she was 4. The only times I go in now is if I have to carry something heavy for her.

louise5754 · 18/04/2018 13:55

@AmysTiara yes agreed

unintentionalthreadkiller · 18/04/2018 13:58

Our school has always been like this. IN the first term of reception they have a 'guardian' from year 6 who meets them and takes them through which I think is a lovely idea.

SpartacusTheCat · 18/04/2018 14:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread