Are schools ruining our society? Advice.

I used to ride a bicycle aged 12 to school.......that was about 5miles from home but I grew up in Greece.

I have come to understand that in this country people have the mentality of suing for anything just so that they get some form of payment. I feel this is the root cause of the issues and the "covering my a55" mentality along with the stupid H&S processes.

I would just ignore the letter but that is me.

[Messie]

The new Ofsted school's inspection framework has firmed up considerably on watch is referred to as 'safeguarding'. This in a nutshell sets out precisely and clearly exactly how schools need to protect their pupils from hard potential harm.
You may have noticed, for example, that all schools are now getting high fences around them as one of the more obvious effects of this policy. It also includes us knowing details about absolutely everyone who on the school's premises at any time.
At Inspection time if a school is deemed to be unsafe, for any reason from fences to people, it is an instant Ofsted FAIL. No appeals, no saying oh but our results are good, our kids are happy and parents satisfied. FAILING SCHOOL.

I suspect this acting head sees that an Ofsted is looming and is doing everything he can to protect the children, and the reputation of the school. You can't blame him, can you? He has to set the boudaries, physical, temporal and parental, so this is clear to all. It's not picking on anyone individually.

Maybe it's us in society to blame for being so over-protective of our kids - so in fact, society is running our schools!

[Mej]

to be fair i was left to my own acord when i was about 8, i used to talk the mile or so to school and never had any problem with it.

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by Messie

Maybe it's us in society to blame for being so over-protective of our kids - so in fact, society is running our schools!

+1 Messie.

Time to buy the book '50 dangerous things you should make your children do'

[Messie]

Mmm interesting mistype from me there - society 'running' or 'ruining' our schools?

Running perhaps. Ruining dunno?

I bet loads of the parents on here would be the first to complain if their child got hurt somehow in school.

And Mej - did you talk the road into submission?

[Mej]

lol, we had a mutual respect, although it tripped me up a few times

Originally Posted by Messie

The new Ofsted school's inspection framework has firmed up considerably on watch is referred to as 'safeguarding'. This in a nutshell sets out precisely and clearly exactly how schools need to protect their pupils from hard potential harm.
You may have noticed, for example, that all schools are now getting high fences around them as one of the more obvious effects of this policy. It also includes us knowing details about absolutely everyone who on the school's premises at any time.
At Inspection time if a school is deemed to be unsafe, for any reason from fences to people, it is an instant Ofsted FAIL. No appeals, no saying oh but our results are good, our kids are happy and parents satisfied. FAILING SCHOOL.

I suspect this acting head sees that an Ofsted is looming and is doing everything he can to protect the children, and the reputation of the school. You can't blame him, can you? He has to set the boudaries, physical, temporal and parental, so this is clear to all. It's not picking on anyone individually.

Maybe it's us in society to blame for being so over-protective of our kids - so in fact, society is running our schools!

Glad so see that Osted have it regulated and it's not up to individual schools.

The stuff I've highlighted in blue I would agree with in principal, but it doesn't seem to be that way in this case. From the OP it sounds like this is not a letter sent to all parents, but is somebody picked on individually because he sits in his car to watch the child go through the inner gate, whereas the school wants him to get out of the car and escort the child.

Sending a letter setting out the schools responsibility is fine in this case. But is that the case here? Would Ofsted agree that the school is not responsible for the child until they reach the classroom. ie: if something happens in the corridor, or the locker rooms, or the toilet before class starts in the morning, it's not their responsibility? I personally think that's taking it a bit too far. I'd want my child to be cared for from the moment they entered a so called 'secure area' inside the school grounds. And I actually don't care what time of day it is, if the school unlock a door or gate, and open access to an area in the morning, then they should be able to secure it.

Maybe at age 7 Ofsted say they should be taken right into the classroom, I don't know. At age 2 I have to deliver my son directly into the hands of a nursery worker, whether that be at the front door, in the corridor or the nursery room doesn't matter.

I suppose the question I would have for Messie, is by signing this waiver, would the OP be relinquishing the school of a responsibility, that Ofsted would say should sit with the school?

We are over protective of our kids in a lot of situations, but when it comes to trusting a 'third party' to care for your children, ie: someone who is just doing a job, you can't be too careful. We are all guilty of not doing our job properly from time to time, but when I don't do my job properly, it just costs a commercial profit making organisation some money and my boss gets ****ed off, no real consequence. That's why a dedicated, vocational civil servant, such as a good conscientious teacher, or good conscientious nurse, are gold-dust.

[Messie]

I think much depends on the actual wording of the letter tbh. I stringly suspect that the school is, rightly, saying it's not their responsibility outside the school gates, but that the OP has read into it that it means as far as the classroom. It may depend a lot on the time of day and when the child is being dropped off, rather than which bits of the school.
Our school gates are open from 6.30 am each day but we have made it clear that we cannot be responsible for students from that early time. We run a full duty system for 10 minutes before the first school bell to 10 minutes after and it's only between those times that we are fully responsible (unless they're in school for a school based activity/club/detention)

[Messie]

Originally Posted by Demonz

I think this is ridiculous or am I an irresponsible parent?

Today we received a letter from the 'acting' head our sons infant school. He is 7 years old and in his final year here. It's not a big school 150 kids perhaps at most and a small 'community' one at that.

In the letter it asked for a written guarantee that we take responsibility for our son if we are not walking him all the way to his classroom in the morning.

This included - the 30-50 metre walk along the footpath of the road outside, across the staff carpark entrance (used in frequently and around 12 spaces), into the main walk-in gate, into the area he drops his lunchbox off and onto his classroom.

I got into trouble the other day when dropping him off for sitting in my car and watching him walk into the gate, before driving off. I have done this on and off with my daughter when she was at school here and have just started if I can get a park close to the gate with my son and see him on the path in.

My son is quite proud to be able to walk in himself and for me it is giving him some responsibility and part of building confidence - earning trust etc. For the teachers I guess I am lazy and irresponsible...

I can understand they are worried about health and safety but I think they are going to far making an issue out of things like this due to policy that does more to protect the school than teach our kids.

I am unsure if I should think differently and just wanted others opinion on the matter before taking a stand on the matter - or complying with the other lemmings and walk him into the classroom.

Sorry demonz I should have responded to your concern first.
I'm sure your son's school wouldn't want you to feel accused of anything; they are trying to ensure that your son is safe, as are you. By all means go in to discuss the issue with the Head but I'm as sure as I can be that he's only trying to clarify things for all - yourself, your son, the school and Ofsted

Originally Posted by Messie

I think much depends on the actual wording of the letter tbh.

How was the letter worded Demonz? Did it actually say they were not responsible for him unless you delivered him to the classroom?