Advice needed please - 4 year old let out of school alone

somethingcorporate · 18 September 2012 at 5:31PM

This is quite worrying apathy from the teachers. If you cannot get any good traction with the teachers bring it to the attention of the Governors (you could also consider joining as a parent governor yourself) and help make a positive contribution to the school. The teaching staff ultimately report to the Governors and from my experience the board I was on hated things getting escalated like this that should have been dealt with responsibly by the staff in question.

Good luck.

Tiglath · 18 September 2012 at 5:39PM

Just spoke to DH as he's a teacher. He said speak to the headteacher first, and if you don't get a satisfactory response, contact the chair of governors. His view is that the teachers there have been negligent in letting him get out into the playground on his own; if a child goes missing from a classroom, there should be an immediate all-round alert and the parent should be notified.

ellay864 · 18 September 2012 at 8:15PM

Out of interest, what's the playground layout like? When my sons were at primary school the playground was small and gated with a teacher on the gate. Children could come out into the playground (which they preferred to sitting in a hectic classroom at the end of the day) but there was no way they could wander off further without the parent or whoever was collecting them.
If that is someting that is done routinely then it isn't as bad, but if they are meant to be collected from the classroom then somebody isn't doing the job properly in loking ater the children in that situation

neonlights · 18 September 2012 at 8:36PM

I'm actually a Reception teacher so I read this with interest. I understand it was worrying and upsetting for you to see your child had been let out of school alone but I'm sure the teacher(s) didn't let him go on purpose knowing you weren't there. However, that definitely doesn't excuse the error.

I would say arrange an appointment with the headteacher and raise your concerns in person. Action will almost certainly be taken at this point, reminders to staff about home time practices or maybe rethinking/reworking the system so similar mistakes don't happen again. If it happens again or you don't feel you've been taken seriously, then the Governing Body would be your next point of contact and the contact details will be available on the school's website or by contacting the school office.

Fluffyfluff · 18 September 2012 at 8:51PM

ThumbRemote wrote: »

It's quite likely that a large crowd of parents around the door contributed to your son being let out early. The teachers won't be able to see the parents properly and may think they saw you.

I'm slightly confused though, you talk about a large crowd of parents around the door, but then say your son was "wandering around the playground alone". Were there no other parents around?

Alone as in without a parent or teacher with him. By that time, as school had finished earlier than usual which I'm also not happy with, the large crowd of parents had been for their children and gone. So at the point that I got there, there were only a few people in the playground.

Fluffyfluff · 18 September 2012 at 9:02PM

Poppie68 wrote: »

Your child being the 'youngest in the class' is irrelavent, all children in his class surely will be 4 years old and just as inportant.

At this age it makes quite a difference when one child's birthday is say September this year and another child reaches the same age in July of next year. As they get older it seems to even out development wise. And this was told to me by a Paediatric consultant. Also, the reason I brought it up was so that they are aware that he can't quite understand some things. Afterall, I'm his mother, I know him best as apposed to a teacher who has known him two weeks. It wasn't brought up so they could keep an extra close eye on him.

The letter i would of thought would be given to yr1 and 2 parents because maybe they are causing the problems and ensuing chaos, and maybe the reception kids find it all abit imtimidating.
You son will learn where to stand and wait it just all takes time, you dont know all the facts yet with regards to what happened so dont go in all guns blazing, and i dont advise you making yourself a nusiance as advised by another poster....what will you gain from that.

What other facts do I need to know? All I know is my sons teachers let him out of school 5 minutes before they should have done and I found him thankfully before he made his way towards the school gates onto a busy street. And I am supposed to be nice about it?

If you have time offer to go in sometime and volunteer your child will be elated to see you there and it will help to make school a more positive experience for both of you.
I'm sorry but I find your post quite patronising. When I go to work, because I do actually WORK, I expect my child to be in safe hands. Also, I don't see any relevance this could have to my post. Whether I volunteer or not, at some point my child is going to be left in the care of his teachers and I'm not going to be there.

Please see my answers to your post in red.

Fluffyfluff · 18 September 2012 at 9:04PM

bosseyed wrote: »

Yes, but at that age there's a bit of difference in terms of development between a child with their birthday in September (oldest in their class) and a child with their birthday in June (youngest in their class). A difference of 8-9 months during these formative years can be quite striking when comparing two children's development, both physically and mentally.

So being the youngest in his class does have some bearing on his ability to understand all the dangers etc I would say and is of relevance.

Ah you got there before me thank you.

Fluffyfluff · 18 September 2012 at 9:09PM

ellay864 wrote: »

Out of interest, what's the playground layout like? When my sons were at primary school the playground was small and gated with a teacher on the gate. Children could come out into the playground (which they preferred to sitting in a hectic classroom at the end of the day) but there was no way they could wander off further without the parent or whoever was collecting them.
If that is someting that is done routinely then it isn't as bad, but if they are meant to be collected from the classroom then somebody isn't doing the job properly in loking ater the children in that situation

The playground layout, well its just a square playground with a an open gate leading onto a path which leads to either the school carpark and onto the main road or into an entry type path onto the main road. Either way, very dangerous. The car park alone is always full of cars, some park wherever they can find such as up on verges, up on the kerb, that in itself is an accident waiting to happen because its always congested.