Should I say something or keep my nose out?

Brighton_belle

I can't understand the aggressive nature of some of the replies to the OP.
The issue the Op seems to be checking out if she should be concerned about is not that the child comes in a taxi on his own, but that at 7 years old, he's left to make the final bit into school by himself and could easily wonder off if inclined to. Doesn't seem an unreasonable 'slight concern, I'll just check it out with others here first before doing anything first.' She hasn't said anything to anyone in RL.
She's show caring concern for a child who has a few issues, that's all for goodness sake, and checking out if her thoughts are appropriate. Would it be so very difficult just to say a pleasant - no, don't think it's a problem, you are worrying needlessly?

Am I the only one who had never ever dropped a girlfriend off at night by car and not waited until she opened her door, gone in and shut it again before I drove off? It's just basic care isn't it?

Spendless

poet123 wrote: »

I suspect that because the child seems to have form for misbehaving the OP is thinking that unless he is seen to enter school premises there really is nothing to stop him looking like he is going in but actually then just bunking off. If he did that the breakfast club would have no way of knowing and potentially he could be missing for anything up to an hour before the school register was taken and the usual non arrival procedures swing into action.

Wouldn't you have to book child in said breakfast club? You do at DD';s school. It has a limit on numbers and you need to pay in advance (I've been refused a space before as they were full). You can't just turn up. Ours an adult has to fetch them in though, so a child wouldn't be making their own way there. It's the same at the after school club, child only can be signed out by an adult.

pmlindyloo

Brighton_belle wrote: »

I can't understand the aggressive nature of some of the replies to the OP.
The issue the Op seems to be checking out if she should be concerned about is not that the child comes in a taxi on his own, but that at 7 years old, he's left to make the final bit into school by himself and could easily wonder off if inclined to. Doesn't seem an unreasonable 'slight concern, I'll just check it out with others here first before doing anything first.' She hasn't said anything to anyone in RL.
She's show caring concern for a child who has a few issues, that's all for goodness sake, and checking out if her thoughts are appropriate. Would it be so very difficult just to say a pleasant - no, don't think it's a problem, you are worrying needlessly
Am I the only one who had never ever dropped a girlfriend off at night by car and not waited until she opened her door, gone in and shut it again before I drove off? It's just basic care isn't it?

I so agree.

I am amazed by some of these replies.

I don't know how long ago the 'I walked a thousand miles to school on my own when I was three years old' brigade are referring to but the truth of the matter is that times change.

It is not about the taxi driver being CRB checked/whatever, it is the fact that this seven year old child who appears to have some 'issues' is being left to walk the rest of the way to school on his own.

It would be wonderful to believe that Breakfast Clubs and schools check when a child is absent but the truth is they usually don't.

At the very least the OP alerting the BC or the Head with a 'I hope you won't think that I am being neurotic/whatever but I was a bit concerned when......may put some check in action.

Of course we all know that things have got entirely out of hand with the 'danger in every corner' angle but would any of you sleep at night if, by some chance the child went missing and you had done nothing about it?

OP go and see the teacher/head/BC bod and alert them. I would have absolutely no hesitation in doing so and bu**er whether anyone thought I was a nosy old bag or not!

Spendless

paulineb wrote: »

A child not going into school could happen anywhere. I dont know what the protocol is when a child doesnt turn up at school and the parents havent called to say they will be absent.

I can only answer for my kids schools but if child doesn't turn up and no-one has contacted them to say why, they ring the house/mobile phone number of the people registered on their contacts list to ask why.

And now how I know they def follow this thru. Some time ago, me and both kids had the 'lurgy' so I asked Mr S to ring school saying kids were sick so we could all go back to sleep (it was too early for school office to be open). He forgot! I was woken from much needed sleep by the school office to ask why children weren't there.

poet123

Spendless wrote: »

Wouldn't you have to book child in said breakfast club? You do at DD';s school. It has a limit on numbers and you need to pay in advance (I've been refused a space before as they were full). You can't just turn up. Ours an adult has to fetch them in though, so a child wouldn't be making their own way there. It's the same at the after school club, child only can be signed out by an adult.

No idea, I have never used one, but he may well be booked in and paid for but if he decided to wander off would he care about that?

For me it is about whether, if he was supposed to be there but didn't turn up there are procedures in place, or whether the club just assumes that the parent has just decided not to avail themselves of the service that day and leave it there.

Spendless

poet123 wrote: »

No idea, I have never used one, but he may well be booked in and paid for but if he decided to wander off would he care about that?

For me it is about whether, if he was supposed to be there but didn't turn up there are procedures in place, or whether the club just assumes that the parent has just decided not to avail themselves of the service that day and leave it there.

I think that is what needs addressing and I think that's where I'd start my conversation off about it, to the breakfast club staff 'what is your procedure if a child doesn't turn up here given that the older children are allowed to make their own way in' and you haven't heard in advance from a parent that they will be absent'

Janepig

Spendless wrote: »

I think that is what needs addressing and I think that's where I'd start my conversation off about it, to the breakfast club staff 'what is your procedure if a child doesn't turn up here given that the older children are allowed to make their own way in' and you haven't heard in advance from a parent that they will be absent'

I hadn't thought about it from that perspective. The breakfast club at the school is run on a kind of "open house" rather than a formal basis, so you could go one day but not the next. I don't think they'd logistically be able to have some sort of absence procedure in place because it's too soon to ring the school to say if you're not going in.

Thanks to all the posters who "got" what I was trying to say. Good job I'm a veteran of these parts so knew what to expect when I started the thread! :rotfl:

Jx

duchy

Janepig wrote: »

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

No they don't routinely have a chaperone in taxi situations ...the cab company's contracts say any drivers doing these jobs has an enhanced CRB and often they have to attend training run by the LEA too. This is assuming the transport in provided through need and not just Mum popping him in a random taxi....Most cab firms wouldn't accept a job for such a young child unless it was LEA contract so a risk assessment will have been done.

meritaten

I understand your concern Janepig. Knowing this lad you suspect that he may have had a diagnosis of 'special needs' and that he should be 'chaperoned'. this is not unusual where I live, and my DDs best friend works as a 'chaperone' for a taxi company. and yes, she is supposed to escort them to the door of the school and make sure there is a member of staff there who is aware they have arrived.
as his mum previously took him then it must have struck you as unusual to see him arrive unescorted - so why other posters are going down the 'OMG - I walked five miles to school on my own when I was five' route is puzzling to me. You are concerned and if you (as a responsible adult) feel concerned then yes by all means mention it to a staff member - if only to put your own mind at rest. or it could be that the taxi company is deliberately not using chaperones to save money (they do have to be paid!).

Soleil_lune

I think if the kiddie is being dropped off by the gates then I don't see a massive issue, and I would stay out of it.

I have been amused by people saying that they got buses/trains/tubes/ to school, (ON THEIR OWN) Plus a 20 minute walk along a main road, when they were seven or eight! I know children need to be encouraged to be independent and do 'some' stuff themselves, but there are limits!

No WAY would I let a child of mine at 7 or 8 years old go to school on their own if the trip was by bus and tube and involved a long walk too. And why would this even be anyway? Most primary schools are within a 15 minute walk of peoples homes. :huh: