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Primary education

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Original poster

What is the law about this - year1 children have been found wandering the streets. school not taking any action

38 replies

Pollyanna · 20/05/2009 13:15

ok this sounds very dramatic, but twice this term children in dd2s class (aged 5-6) have left school at home time on their own. In each case this was because the parent was late, but in one case the child got all the way home across 2 very busy roads. The school is in a city centre.

We got a crappy newsletter home after the first event which put the blame firmly on the parent. there is no process for letting children out, I often meet dd2 at the gate although I don't think she will leave on her own.

I want to write a letter to the school threatening that I will take my child out as I really don't feel that she is safe. Can I threaten to tell ofsted? I have told the governers who have done nothing. I am livid about this situation - I can't believe 5 and 6 year old children are wandering the street and can't believe that the school is doing nothing about it

(I'm sure I've outed myself here to several parents!)

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Icantbelieveitsnotbitter · 21/05/2009 13:32

Our children are let out, one at a time, once the teacher has seen the parent/carer.

If parents are late the kids are taken back into the classroom and put in the unwanted's corner aka the book corner !

This continues until they leave the infants school y2.

My son (5) is also told that under no circumstances does he go further than the school gate (whether I'm lagging behind or not there) without holding hands. Lost in a shop - you go to the payers. Lost outside, go to nearest shop or policeman if he can see one. When we were recently in London on the Tube and using all those busy tunnels he was told that if lost me he must stand with his back against the nearest wall and I would find him (chances of me ever letting go of his hand are completely nil, zero, never, but there's always that one time they pull out of your vicelike grip!)

helpYOUiWILL · 03/06/2009 20:23

just wondering what the outcome of this is??

sunnydelight · 04/06/2009 00:49

Is this S school Pollyanna? And to think how hard people try to get in!!!!!! I've never known a primary school in your LEA to let K-2 kids out without identifying who they are going with; if you don't get any joy othewise your local paper LOVES stories like this.

Legally it will be about duty of care and when does it end. Does it end when the school bell goes, does it end once the child has left the school grounds, I'm not sure. I would have thought negligence as a minimum though.

furrycat · 04/06/2009 12:02

Pollyanna tell the paper!

katiestar · 05/06/2009 14:41

The school shopuld have a policy for 'uncollected children'.I would ask to see it.they either haven't got one or are not following it either gives a good basis for a complaint.
At our school they make siiure the R and Yr1s are with an adult but the older ones are expected to go back into school if there is no-one there to collect them.

ChildOfThe70s · 05/06/2009 14:51

This is something that really worries me about my DCs' school. The Reception children stay with the teacher until their parent/carer arrives, but the others are just let out into the playground. If the parents are late they are supposed to go and wait in the school office. It is a very small playground that gets really crowded, and it's really easy to lose sight of your own children in there. DS1 is very sensible and knows he is not to leave the playground without me, and I totally trust him. DS2 however is a different matter. He's in reception so not a worry at the moment but I could easily imagine him panicking if I was late and running out to try and find me.

Tamarto · 05/06/2009 14:54

According to our HT the school are not allowed to insist that children are picked up by an adult, so must let them go.

They do say to the children, if mum/dad/the dog isn't where you expect them to be to come back inside. They are let out class at a time, and it bothers me.

HSMM · 05/06/2009 14:57

Our reception children are only allowed out with their parents, but the rest of the children leave school by themselves. The school should have a policy for non-collected children, whether it is because of lazy parents, or because their parent has crashed the car on the way to school. If parents are not letting the school know they will be late (without good reason), then they are effectively abandoning the children and it is the parents fault. However ... if the parent is at the bottom of a pile of cars, they can hardly be expected to let the school know and the school should have a policy to deal with this. The school could also talk to the children about NOT leaving the playground until they see their parents - this is what our school does and it seems to work fairly well, with children going into the office if they are not collected.

katiestar · 05/06/2009 15:08

Furrycat wrote 'Pollyanna tell the paper !'

What !! Tou think advertising in a paper that uncollected children of 5 and 6 are wandering the streets unaccompanied is a good idea !!

furrycat · 05/06/2009 15:41

I think the chances of them being run over are bigger than them being abducted if that's what you're implying.

hippipotamiHasLost33Pounds · 05/06/2009 15:44

In our school the child is not released by the teacher until she/he (teacher) has seen the parent and waved. (the waving bit is important ) This is the rule for YR - Y2 full stop and also for the first term of Y3.

Not sure if it is a law or not, but it is certainly common sense!!

littletree · 05/06/2009 20:15

I don't know what the law is for a primary school but I was the chair of a local pre-school that had a child (age 4) wander out at drop-off to find Mummy. She got about 10 feet from the door and under Ofsted's rules the head of the pre-school was required to alert Oftsed which she did within 24 hours. It was a huge deal and as a committee we took it very seriously and put in place a door procedure policy so that it was very clear what staff needed to do at pick up and drop off. It caused a huge blow-up within the community but luckily because we all acted together in the interest of child safety Ofsted were satisfied that we had things under control. The staff member ended up resigning. It was an absolute horror and really put me off doing committee work for awhile! Even though the child was safe (thank goodness) who knows what could have happened? I shudder to think. 5 and 6 year olds should be treated no differently.

ellingwoman · 06/06/2009 11:27

I'm amazed at schools letting infants out without an authorised adult. Apart from me spotting the adult I also make sure the child has seen the adult before letting them go because if mum isn't looking and the child can't see through the melee of legs then they could miss each other. It is essential for parents to tell their child not to leave the playground alone. The school should tell them anyway but it needs to be reinforced all round.

Definitely take it further.

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