Should I say something or keep my nose out?

Janepig

I drop DD/DS (10 & 7) off at breakfast club every morning at around 7.45am (school starts at 8.30am so breakfast club has to be open that early) before scooting off to work. I drop them in the parents car park then sit and wait in the car until I see them going in through the door into the hall from my vantage point.

Anyway, as I was waiting this morning, a taxi pulled up on the road next to the car park and out gets one of DS's classmates, taxi does a u-turn and drives off and he strolls into school. He's 7 (8 in February I think). Now I'm not one of your helicoptering, bogeyman around every corner type of parents at all, but I was really surprised, shocked even.

The child's not a particularly nice kid, DS has been beaten black and blue by him over the years. He used to have a lift (I thought he still was) from DS's classmates's mother who lives in the same street, but when I talked to DD about it she said that he had been violent to the boy whose mother had given him a lift so they stopped.

I hope it's a one off, but if I see him again, do you think I should maybe have a word with the head? Although technically it's not his problem. I just don't know how this boy's mother can go about her day not knowing if the child has got to school or not. I'm also thinking it's going to be dark at that time in the morning soon and although there are houses on one side of the street, the other side is the car park and a large playing field/trees.

Jx

bigmomma051204

You could let the head know, so that school are aware of it.... but actually, many LEA's used to pay for children's taxi's to school when parents were on benefits etc and couldnt get them there (think rural areas etc) so this is actually not anything unheard of :cool: I wouldn't do it - but others would!

Janepig

bigmomma051204 wrote: »

You could let the head know, so that school are aware of it.... but actually, many LEA's used to pay for children's taxi's to school when parents were on benefits etc and couldnt get them there (think rural areas etc) so this is actually not anything unheard of :cool: I wouldn't do it - but others would!

Yes, I'm aware of that, and I've seen other kids getting taxis (although not many) and I know that sometimes when the school attendance officers (or whatever they're called) are involved because of difficulties in getting a child to school then they sometimes provide taxis, or if Social Services are involved, but I'm pretty sure that in those cases they have a chaperone in the taxi too, and wouldn't just dump the child on the side of the road and drive off. And knowing a vague bit about this family I don't think this is the case. Although it had crossed my mind.

Jx

meritaten

It may be a one off - perhaps the chaperone was ill or hadn't turned up. but, it wouldn't hurt to have a word with either the class teacher or the head, or the person in charge of breakfast club (as technically they would be the person responsible for him). better to 'poke your nose in' than ignore what could potentially be a big problem.

marisco_2

Janepig wrote: »

I hope it's a one off, but if I see him again, do you think I should maybe have a word with the head? Although technically it's not his problem. I just don't know how this boy's mother can go about her day not knowing if the child has got to school or not.

I wouldn't jump to conclusions about the child's mum too quickly. She may be under the impression that her son is being taken door to door. Collected from home, taken to school and trusting that the driver parks as you do and doesn't leave till he/she has seen her son enter the school premises. You could approach the head teacher and mention your concerns, so as he can inform the mum of what is actually happening. She could then address this with the taxi firm or look into alternative ways of getting her son to school.

ska_lover

Janepig wrote: »

I drop DD/DS (10 & 7) off at breakfast club every morning at around 7.45am (school starts at 8.30am so breakfast club has to be open that early) before scooting off to work. I drop them in the parents car park then sit and wait in the car until I see them going in through the door into the hall from my vantage point.

Anyway, as I was waiting this morning, a taxi pulled up on the road next to the car park and out gets one of DS's classmates, taxi does a u-turn and drives off and he strolls into school. He's 7 (8 in February I think). Now I'm not one of your helicoptering, bogeyman around every corner type of parents at all, but I was really surprised, shocked even.

The child's not a particularly nice kid, DS has been beaten black and blue by him over the years. He used to have a lift (I thought he still was) from DS's classmates's mother who lives in the same street, but when I talked to DD about it she said that he had been violent to the boy whose mother had given him a lift so they stopped.

I hope it's a one off, but if I see him again, do you think I should maybe have a word with the head? Although technically it's not his problem. I just don't know how this boy's mother can go about her day not knowing if the child has got to school or not. I'm also thinking it's going to be dark at that time in the morning soon and although there are houses on one side of the street, the other side is the car park and a large playing field/trees.

Jx

At seven years old, I was walking myself to school/home again. At seven years old, most kids are too young to consider bunking off. I don't think you should go stirring it here, you do not know the circumstances, maybe the childs parent was ill that morning or something

Frith

My son had a taxi to and from school when he was at a special school 30 miles away. Some taxi drivers are better than others! Most would make sure I either was out of my house on the pavement or at least waving through the window before dropping him off.

Once I was a few minutes late home. I saw my son playing on the swing outside and the taxi driver had dropped him off and driven away!

yvonne13_2

OP I think it best that you mind your own business. You don't know if the taxi person is a relative to the child or not.

barbarawright

ska_lover wrote: »

At seven years old, I was walking myself to school/home again. At seven years old, most kids are too young to consider bunking off. I don't think you should go stirring it here, you do not know the circumstances, maybe the childs parent was ill that morning or something

Until 20 or so years ago, 90% of seven year olds walked to school. What is the problem with a taxi - maybe the driver was a relative or family friend anyway?

Spendless

Janepig wrote: »

I just don't know how this boy's mother can go about her day not knowing if the child has got to school or not. Jx

Wouldn't the school contact her if the child hasn't gone to school and no-one has contacted them to say why they aren't going to be in? That's what happens where I live.

Is the child going to the breakfast club?The wrap-around care at my DD's school insists on an adult dropping off/picking up child. It's stricter than school that has no rules about children going to and from school alone from yr 3.

Janepig

Interesting points all, thanks.

I had considered that the taxi driver might be a relative but I know before the lift with the other boy was arranged, his mother used to accompany him in a taxi then walk to work from the school. DH also suggested that maybe she thinks the taxi driver is watching him going in.

I was also walking to school without my mother aged 7 but it's not really something you see now, for good or bad.

Jx