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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

Child left unsupervised

77 replies

Hutch1n5 · 03/03/2020 19:57

January this year my 7 year old child was allowed to go outside to the playground during lessons to look for her coat she thought she left it out there. Another child volunteered to go with her. The teacher agreed that they could go. As the kids went out the door, it automatically shut behind them. The teacher did not realise the kids were missing for 35 minutes until they were let back into the school again. I have spoken to the school about this matter but do not feel the conclusion is good enough. Does anyone know what law exactly this breaches such as Health & Safety, safeguarding or Child Law as surely the class teacher has a duty of care to safeguard not only my child but the other child involved. I have reserched for weeks but have not come up with a definitive answer. Thank god nothing bad happened as i honestly dont think anybody would of even noticed immediately. Sorry just isnt good enough.

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Tootletum · 03/03/2020 20:36

Teachers are human too. They've done what they can to prevent the mistake happening again. Obviously it wasn't ideal, but it sounds as if you want some sort of public naming and shaming or someone to lose their job. Maybe take your cue from the other kids mum, does she think there's anything more to do here?

morriseysquif · 03/03/2020 20:38

Sue the school for chilblains and get the Dail Mail to do the sad picture?

Seriously, they have responded. Bad stuff happens, mistakes get made. Teach your child that sometimes the adults get it wrong.

Original poster

Hutch1n5 · 03/03/2020 20:39

There is no way I would name and shame the school or I would of done it by now. I'm not asking for money or for teachers to be fired. I am merely checking that people think the school are doing everything they can. As I previously said, this is not my first issue with the school and I feel personally let down. I understand that teachers are humans and make mistakes. This post was not to start an argument, its a concerned parent asking for suggestions.

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SnowsInWater · 03/03/2020 20:40

In the nicest possible way you need to let it go. Your mind is racing with the thoughts of all the bad things that could have happened, they didn’t. The kids were cold and scared, they are ok now. Replaying the incident in your mind with “what ifs” is not good for your mental health. The school has put an appropriate action plan in place to prevent further incidents, I think you are only justified in being so upset if they hadn’t. There is nothing further that can be done - your trust in the school is now gone which is understandable but the only thing that rebuilds trust is time and consistency so you either keep your child there and gradually trust the school again or you remove your child and find another school that you feel more comfortable with.

fairlyplump · 03/03/2020 20:41

Oh dear, just let it go, an accident, yes they happen and your child came to no harm, dramarama

saraclara · 03/03/2020 20:42

If they could get in, you'd be composing that any stranger could get access into the school.
The teacher will have been super busy when they asked, and just forgot that after playtime the doors would be put back to self locking. Nothing hideously incompetent there. Just a small error with no danger involved.

saraclara · 03/03/2020 20:42

Composing= complaining

BobbyBlueCat · 03/03/2020 20:42

The school have stepped up and are putting multiple things in place to help prevent it happening again.
What more do you want, for fucks sake?!

You're a parent. You've fucked up at some point with your child - lost them for a few minutes, haven't been quick enough to prevent them hurting themselves, they rolled off bed/sofa, they choked on something you gave them, they let go of your hand and ran off etc etc.
How would you feel if, instead of just learning from that situation and preventing it happening again, you had social services, then police, then court, then prison, then the child removed and on and on.....because 'somebody' wasn't happy that all you'd done was made sure it wouldn't happen again?

Shit happens.
They learned from it.
They're rectifying it.

Talk to your kid about consequences and that this all happened because they don't look after their possessions.
Thank the school for what they are doing to fix this.
Be grateful that the doors automatically lock and nobody can get in that shouldn't be there.
Move the fuck on.

SpruceTree · 03/03/2020 20:45

Schools response sounds good. Your child was not hurt in any way.
To be honest I can easily see that a teacher might not miss a child in a busy, loud class of 30 odd 7-year olds.
I would consider it dealt with and move on. I am sure the teacher feels bad but I don't the incident doesn't need you baying for blood. Accidents happen - teachers are only human.

Littletabbyocelot · 03/03/2020 20:46

The lying (saying it had only been 5 minutes) would bother me and in your shoes I'd feel better if it was acknowledged

jillandhersprite · 03/03/2020 20:46

You are asking for suggestions but nothing else needs to be done.
Do you have anxiety, is this about how you can move on? Most of us would accept they made a mistake, a plan has been put in place for the future and move on...
Or is it really about what your other complaint with the school is?

Stormyjupiter · 03/03/2020 20:48

What a silly responce from a parent. A child left things behind. Teacher asked her to go look for it, in the secluded area, without any danger. The door got locked. They went knocking on the door, but unfortunately, it took 35 minutes since they were let out and allowed back in to the class. But the parent is furious.

OhCaptain · 03/03/2020 20:51

@Hutch1n5 with kindness, you don’t know what you want done but what’s wrong with what they’re doing?!

reefedsail · 03/03/2020 20:55

You've asked for advice, mine would be this:

Let it go now- nothing bad happened and the school have made a thorough response.
If she was overwhelmed and distressed by this incident, work on your DD's resilience. 30 mins in the comfortable environment of the school playground after asking to go out should not have caused significant ongoing trauma.
Work on your own resilience. You seem very anxious- are you OK? Would a trip to your GP be of benefit?

Original poster

Hutch1n5 · 03/03/2020 20:58

All I wanted to know is that the school are doing everything they can to safeguard all the kids in the school. The majority of people think that the school are following procedure so I'm happy (ish) and yes there is a bigger issue going on to do with safeguarding and the school which has caused my child and I greater distress. It unfortunately does have an impact on this incident. Thank you all for your advice and I do have another meeting with the school to ensure everything they stated they will do has been done.

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ButterflyBitch · 03/03/2020 20:59

I don’t think they could have come to any harm as school grounds are or should be locked up tight but I do think it’s a bit shit that the teacher didn’t realise they were missing for 35 mins.
I’m a TA and tend to clock when a child has disappeared for longer than they should and go in search for them (normally mucking about in the toilets 🙄 or distracted by something) an adult should have been aware that they had gone and been keeping an eye for them coming back and gone to look when they didn’t.
We’ve gently told kids off if they bugger off without telling a teacher/TA or going where they shouldn’t because it’s our job to keep them safe and if we can’t see them we can’t keep them safe. In this circumstance an adult would have kept an eye from the door or gone out with them so they could unlock the door when they came back in.
Hopefully they’ll rethink their procedures so it doesn’t happen again.

CatMuffin · 03/03/2020 20:59

What is the other complaint you have lodged?
I have reserched for weeks but have not come up with a definitive answer
It sounds like you are spending far too much time obsessing about this and how you can get the teacher into further trouble. You've raised a complaint and the school have looked at cctv on your insistence and they've come up with an action plan. That's enough.

Chloemol · 03/03/2020 21:00

I don’t think they could do any more. Time to draw a one under it and move on

FlipperSocks · 03/03/2020 21:01

I think it's fair to be concerned about this - for young children to be locked outside and not noticed missing for 35 mins is pretty serious. But you don't need to refer to a particular law to follow up your complaint.

Sounds like the school has taken it seriously but I would like the school to communicate when the exterior bells have been installed, the training/policies put in place to make sure staff maintain the register of children, I would want to feel satisfied that it won't happen again, and would continue to follow up until these things had happened.

Sirzy · 03/03/2020 21:02

It sounds like your letting a relatively minor thing which has since been thoroughly resolved to become a massive issue and letting it eat away at you.

If you have so little faith in the school even after them going to such lengths perhaps you need to look at an alternative school?

Sarahandco · 03/03/2020 21:05

I think you should let go of it. It is good that they are putting a bell on the outside door? (it is difficult to image the playground set up) They should also tell the kids what they should do if it happens in the future.

However, I do think that if the school have to deal with too many complaints like this, that it is taking their time away from the job they are actually meant to do which is teach. I do therefore think that you you be satisied that it is dealt with.

Original poster

Hutch1n5 · 03/03/2020 21:06

Thank you @FlipperSocks. This is exactly the kind of response and help I needed. I will check that all has been done and be happy about it.

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Stormyjupiter · 03/03/2020 21:08

I totally agree with Sirzy. To most of parents, I don't think it is a big issue.But for you, it is. It indicate that you have no trust or faith in school or teachers, for some reason unknown to us.

comfysocks8516 · 03/03/2020 21:10

You’ve made a complaint and they’ve addressed it. There’s not really a lot more the school can do, and all you’ll do by complaining again is label yourself as a difficult parent

converseandjeans · 03/03/2020 21:10

You are going OTT with this. I don't expect your child will forget their coat again?!
Teachers make mistakes, the school site is secure, your DD is actually fine, they are putting measures in place.
The teacher has probably had a disciplinary about this - I doubt they will make the same mistake again.
What outcome do you prefer? The teacher to lose their job?
Honestly if it's that awful there maybe you need to move DC?

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