School has binned my daughters belongings

Katie-Kat-Kins

red_devil wrote: »

How do the school reimburse you? Where do they get the money from!

The member of staff who saw fit to dispose of something that didn't belong to them that was clearly labelled with the identity of they owner.

What if this had been a purse with money in and a card with the name of the owner inside, would we think the school would be justified in keeping it just because it was forgotten on the last day of term???

cte1111

I had exactly the same thing happen to my daughter's PE bag earlier in the year, e.g. she accidentally left it on her peg at the end of term and when we tried to reclaim it the next term, we were told that all items had been thrown away.

I complained to the head and she refunded the cost of replacing my daughter's top and shorts, I did not ask them to refund her new pumps as she needed a new pair soon anyhow.

We did not realise until the beginning of the new term that my DD's PE kit was nowhere to be found and spent quite some time looking for it around the school until we were told that everything had been thrown away. I was furious as the bag had her name printed on it in big black letters and all the items inside it were also named. The head agreed with me that a lack of common sense had been applied in throwing away items that clearly belonged to somebody.

We do now make extra sure that everything is brought home at the end of term, but young children can't always remember everything and like the OP, we were used to leaving the bag at school most weeks.

red_devil

KatP wrote: »

The member of staff who saw fit to dispose of something that didn't belong to them that was clearly labelled with the identity of they owner.


it wont happen they have covered themselves.

They cannot be reimbursing people for everything

Katie-Kat-Kins

I'm not suggesting she sues them, just that she complains to the head. In anyevent telling "everyone" isn't an excuse, they took it upon themselves to dispose of someone's property without permission. Fair enough if it was unlabelled and untraceable (though they should allow a reasonable opportunity to reclaim the item - say until the end of the first week of the new term) but this was clearly labelled.

If your neighbour is parking their car over your drive and you say to them if you do it again I'll key your car, and they do and you carry out the threat, you are still guilty morally and legally of criminal damage, your warning is not sufficient to "cover yourself".

In any event the point is that the system the school has is illogical, unfair and wasteful and should be challenged. They may not agree to pay for the items (although they may do and the cost of doing this multiple times may encourage them to get a more sensible policy) but it may prevent the same thing from happening next term.

I hate the way schools think they can make up what ever rules and laws they see fit without even considering reasonableness or logic.

Katie-Kat-Kins

red_devil wrote: »

it wont happen they have covered themselves.

They cannot be reimbursing people for everything

Oh and you ignored the second part of my post! What would you suggest the school do in that scenario?

red_devil

stop arguing neither you or I know what is going to happen until the poster comes back and tells us! I gave my opinion. Why argue with me!

tooldle

My daughters school has the same policy. It is well advertise in the news leter and posters on the doors etc. Any items left in the school after the last day of term are taken to the charity shop. Usually in the last week all the "lost" items are displayed on the stage to make it easier for the parents to sort through. I am always stunned at the volume of clothing that is never claimed.

bestpud

DD's school does the same, and I think it's a reasonable policy tbh.

They have to go in at some point, I presume, and give it a good clean, and they don't want bits and pieces hanging around when they are renaming pegs etc. I know it doesn't seem a lot, but if everyone left just the one item, can you imagine the extra time involved?

DD went up a shoe size over summer anyway, so they'd be no good if she'd left hers there.

How did you manage to forget a £35 pair of trainers? :eek: I'd have made darn sure they came home!

Personally, I check every day that dd has everything she should because I've found cardis etc can go walkabout overnight, let alone over the entire summer period.

Oh btw, I think most schools send them to a charity shop rathr than actually binning them!

Katie-Kat-Kins

red_devil wrote: »

stop arguing neither you or I know what is going to happen until the poster comes back and tells us! I gave my opinion. Why argue with me!

I'm not puporting to know what is going to happen I'm advising the OP on what I believe to be the best course of action, pointing out the legal position and drawing a useful analogy.

The school will most likely do exactly what you say in the first instance but that doesn't mean that is right or that the OP should leave it there. I'm not even arguing with you I'm telling the OP what she should do if the school do as you expect they will.

Katie-Kat-Kins

bestpud wrote: »

DD's school does the same, and I think it's a reasonable policy tbh.

They have to go in at some point, I presume, and give it a good clean, and they don't want bits and pieces hanging around when they are renaming pegs etc. I know it doesn't seem a lot, but if everyone left just the one item, can you imagine the extra time involved?

DD went up a shoe size over summer anyway, so they'd be no good if she'd left hers there.

How did you manage to forget a £35 pair of trainers? :eek: I'd have made darn sure they came home!

Personally, I check every day that dd has everything she should because I've found cardis etc can go walkabout overnight, let alone over the entire summer period.

Oh btw, I think most schools send them to a charity shop rathr than actually binning them!

But if they are collecting them up to charity shop them, why not collect them up and wait until after the first week of term to see if they are collected?

Or charity shop the unlabelled items and save the labelled ones for a week or two into the new term.

These items don't belong to the school to dispose of and many families will hand school clothes and pe kit down to a younger brother or sister.