Is it ok to leave four yr old in the playground in the morning?

[twynkle]

I have to be at work some days by nine, kids don't go into school into five to. Is it OK to leave dd to fend for herself in the playground for five mins so I can get to work on time? I felt really bad doing it this morning because all the other reception class mums seem to stay till the bell goes and help them hang their coats.

Can't say I know the area at all. Live in the west of Swansea area and work even further west. Do love to go east to Cardiff for shopping though. Swansea is terrible these days.

this is obviously a difficult subject and every school will have it's own policy. breakfast clubs are good but ours is full always and you can't do it ad hoc just when you need. it. i'm not intending to be critical of anyone, do what works (and i do cut and run if i have to get the train) but i would say use it as an opportunity to get to know one or two mums. return the favour in other ways (picking up from rainbows, eg) if you can't do the playground helping out. and maybe lobby the school? it's stuff like this that made me stop working in a traditional way

Agree, ask another parent; I think you'll find you have several offers. Or ask the teacher or TA to recommend someone.

Depends imo.

dd is meant to line up at 8.55 with the TA there, ready to go in at 9.00. Most of the time TA is there, occasionaly not.

My dd is in Yr1 and has been at the same school since Nursery, is generally pretty sensible BUT still gets carried away and runs around/off at times.

Deffo ask other parents - we do this for each other sometimes and parents are still doing this in year 2, so they aren't even leaving 7 year olds on their own in the playground (and I wouldn't either). THey always make sure someone is looking out for them and 'sees them in' safely.

It's a big school, huge playground, very bustly so there's no way I'd leave mine.

At our school the children aren't allowed in before 8.40am. School begins at 8.50am. They like you to drop the children off & go on. There is always an allocated teacher on playground duty

When dd started in Sept the teacher made it perfectly clear on the first day that parents were not expected, nor wanted, to be hanging around in the mornings

At DD's school children cannot be left until the supervising teacher comes out into the playground. This is t 8:15am, and school starts at 8:30am. If there is no teacher outside you cannot leave your child not being watched.

Agree, ask other parents or ask your boss if you can come in five minutes later (surely five minutes won't make that much difference at work). Not on to leave a child of this age on their own, I'm afraid.

At dd's school if yo arrive before 8.30pm you take them in to the hall where they are supervised by care club staff.

After 8.30pm the playground is supervised by teachers and you are free to leave, most parents drop and run.

No choice at our school, apart from the first few days, all the children, including reception, go through the door into school and onto the (supervised) playground.

No parents are allowed onto the playground in a morning, although one or two do hang around the (locked) gate, watching the playground.

Thank you for all your posts - it is amazing the difference in policy isn't it? Some parents not allowed to leave, others not allowed on the playground! It is quite a small school and there is always a teacher supervising in the playground so I know lots of other parents do just leave, it was just the age thing really that I was worried about.

Good idea about trying to push them to organise some kind of wrap around care - I know ALL scholls are going to have to provide something by a certain date aren't they? Maybe I'll put myself up as a governor...

good idea twynkle! the only way to make changes is to get involved!

I wouldnt leave a 4yr old but would ask a friend and leave them with him/her.

Didnt leave mine in playground until juniors when they were 7

ds2 (in reception) can be dropped at pre-school club from 8am, or from 8.30 can be left in the playground - which is supervised. I had no idea that wasn't normal practice actually- is there a breakfast club or something that your dd could go to at the school? At ds2's school the parents don't really go into the playground just drop the child off.