Is this a safe guarding issue?

[evanley]

I have just heard our summer fayre has been opened up to the general public. Usually it's only the children and parents/carers who are invited. Parents have been contacting me saying how unhappy they are with it. Highly unlikely anything would happen but in this day in age can we be sure? The school is opened up to everyone and people could scope out the school for abductions or terror attacks. It was only Tuesday a lot of schools in this county were getting bomb threats. Surely this cannot be ignored. Would love to hear other people's thoughts and any info anyone has. Maybe I am being an over protective parent but children walking around without supervision for example they need the toilet and having strangers in the school makes me uncomfortable. Thank you for any afdvice and like I say I am probably over reacting.

[BackforGood]

I'm really not convinced you are going to get many "general public" at a school fete on a weekday anyway - I mean, who exactly is going to come?
What risk is " neighbour of the school" more than Dawn's Grandad, or Jimbob's Mum's new partner ? All families of pupils won't have been DBS checked by the school. Equally, at what stage are any of the dc going to be alone with these unknown adults anyway? I can't really see some Yr6s running a stall being in any danger from 'the public' under full gaze from staff and other parents all milling around.

[user789653241]

That is very weird setting for summer fair. Wonder how much money they can raise doing it during school hours, without lots of children/siblings/grans/parents/relatives/local people visiting.

[BackforGood]

See my post at 20:09:27 - my dcs junior school always held the first 90mins of the school fetes during school time. A captive audience. Parents send money in, and the kids all feel duty bound to spend it all. Much more money than relying on people to turn up when they aren't already at school. It then closed for 15mins... all the dc went back to class to be dismissed in usual way. All the adult helpers went for a wee. Then parents /Grandparents could come in (with siblings from other schools or pre-schoolers as well as the junior school children, and more money was taken.
Works really well

[Witchend]

I think the best response for any worries on bomb threats and abductions is to tell them that you would like them to do a risk assessment in which you will consider all options including alien landings, rabid bats attacking the school, and the dinosaurs escaping from the secret Jurassic park up the road.

Alternatively you could tell them that you have done the risk assessment and come out with the conclusion that the greatest risk is falling over in the playground, and to counteract this you are asking all children to come into school entirely covered with several layers of bubble wrap.

[BingTheButterflySlayer]

Ours is ticket only - but because it's linked in with a BBQ and you basically pre-pay for your barbecue food in the ticket.

[Cyclewidow46]

In my experience School fayres have always been open to the public.
Those parents who cannot make it and worry about their child being unsupervised need to ask a grandparent to attend. Or they could ask one of their DCs friend's parent who is attending if they can keep an eye on their DC. That's what I would have done.

[user789653241]

My ds's school fairs always had quite big contribution by local people.
A lot of stalls are run by local small businesses/people, along with those run by teacher/ta/pta. A lot of performance by local clubs. Always announces quite a massive profit.

[Oblomov18]

Seriously. Parents are messaging you over this? Beggars belief. These people are clearly highly strung and over-anxious.
Most school fayres should be open to the public. To make as much money as possible. Which is the point.

[00100001]

[holasoydora]

No, it is not a safeguarding issue OP.

Pre-children I used to local school fete-hop to buy homemade jam and bric a brac. I was never turned away!

Now I avoid them

[BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou]

I’ve never known a school fayre to NOT be open to the public!

[greenbean007]

It’s not a safeguarding concern as they’re not the schools responsibility at a school fayre, they’re the parents. Most fayres are open to the public.

[SnuggyBuggy]

Surely as it's during the school day it is the schools responsibility

[Wildernessie]

Maybe see a doctor-you sound completely bonkers.How is your world so bleak&fearful..you will poison your kids with all this paranoia&negativity

[ralphi]

So you have a school fete with only a fraction of the pupils, lots of parents cant make it, and it is hardly going to be stormed by members of the public. Who is actually going to be there?

I have never heard of a fete without the community, and why do the children have to be so heavily supervised? Where are all the "bomb threats" you mention happening, or do you not live in the UK?

[greenbean007]

Nope, once the fayre starts and the public are allowed in, they are their parents responsibility. The grey area is if parents can’t make it. All schools by us have their fayres on a weekend, can’t see it making much money on a school day. Think the whole event needs a rethink not just the safeguarding.

[maskingtape]

You do realise the bomb threats were national and were all complete hoaxes don't you? You can't honestly think they're real.