Bincombe Valley Primary School

Drop-off and collection

The school day starts at 8:45am and ends at 3:15pm

Drop-off and Collection of pupils from school policy and procedures

Definitions

For the purposes of this Policy and procedures a child, young person, pupil or student is referred to as a ‘child’ or a ‘pupil’ and they are normally under 18 years of age.

Wherever the term ‘parent’ is used this includes any person with parental authority over the child concerned e.g. carers, legal guardians etc.

Introduction

In order to safeguard our pupils at Bincombe Valley Primary School it is essential that the school ensures children arrive at and leave school at the end of the day with a safe adult.

We appreciate that for many families, arrangements need to be flexible and it may be that a few people care for the child after school. Sometimes there will be ‘one-off’ arrangements.

For this reason, we have set out clear procedures which all staff and parents/carers must adhere to.

General Collection Arrangements

  • Children are to be collected at the end of the school day from their child’s class teacher or the teacher/teaching assistant supervising the class at the time.
  • Children should be collected from their classroom door or the designated collection point for their class
  • Any child who is unsure of their collection procedures should check with their teacher or teacher/teaching assistant who is supervising the class
  • Children are not to be released from school with someone if they are showing signs of distress or anxiety.
  • Children are not to be released if the teacher feels that the parent is not in a fit state to ensure their child’s safety. This will be immediately reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead in school.
  • In an emergency/ unplanned situation two members of staff may take a child home to their parent or legal guardian with their permission. In this case the Designated Safeguarding Lead will be informed first.

Late Collection Procedure

  • When a child has not been collected by home time, the child is taken to the school office.
  • The school office or a member of school staff will make contact with the parents by telephone.
  • If parents are unavailable, the emergency contact is called.
  • When a child has not been collected by 3:30 pm, the child is enrolled within the After School Club. The parent is liable to pay the cost for this service.
  • Lateness of collection is monitored by the school. The school may share information with regard to persistent lateness with the Local Authority’s Inclusion Lead or Children’s Social Care.

Non-Parents Collecting Your Child

Parents must have provided clear verbal or written permission to the class teacher for children to be released to an adult (or in the case of siblings, someone over the age of 14) who is not the parents or carers of the child. This permission must be given with a description of the person collecting (if not already known to the school).

Where possible, this person will be introduced to the class teacher in advance of the first collection.

  • If any member of staff is unsure of the adult’s identity, they may ask to see identification.
  • If, after checking identification, there is any uncertainty about the person collecting, the member of staff should take the child to the school office and contact the parents by telephone to seek further guidance/advice and inform a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
  • If the parents/carers are not contactable then the member of staff should refer to the procedures for children uncollected from school.
  • Children will only be released from school to young people over the age of 14 years, including older siblings, when the teacher is satisfied that it is safe and reasonable to do so.

Children Travelling Home Independently

 “There is no law prohibiting children from being out on their own at any age. It is a matter of judgement for parents to decide when children can play out on their own, walk to the shops or school”. (Is it legal? A parent’s guide to the law by the Family and Parenting Institute -June 2011). The NSPCC advise the following:

Children under 8 should not be outdoors for a considerable length of time unaccompanied

 Children under the age of 12 should not be home alone for more than a very short period of time

Only children in Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 4, 5 and 6) are allowed to leave school independently to walk home provided parental consent has been given (preferably in writing).

The school will keep a register of children who have permission to travel to and from school independently which is shared with the child’s class teacher.

Children must notify the class teacher when leaving school. The children will always be encouraged to walk home together in pairs.

In an extenuating circumstances or if an alternative method of transport (e.g. buses/ taxis) are required for children in Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 4, 5 and 6) to travel home in independently, then a request should be made in writing to the Headteacher. If approved a signed parental consent form will be kept on record. If a child should not arrive home at the expected time the parent/carer is expected to notify the school immediately.

These permissions only apply to children leaving school at the end of the school day: any child leaving school early (e.g. for medical reasons) or leaving school later than normal home time (e.g. PTFA event) must be collected by a responsible adult.

Early Collection Procedure

Whenever pupils need to be collected before their formal dismissal time, parents/carers must provide prior notification by writing or by telephoning the school. This is to ensure that the class teacher is notified and therefore has sufficient time to distribute any homework/notices. At the time of early collection, parents/carers must report to the school office.

Parents/carers are required to sign the child out with the time that the child is being collected. Office staff will notify teachers that the parent/carer has arrived to collect the pupil. Parents/carers are kindly requested to wait in the office area for their child to arrive from the class.

The School recognises that at times, pupils will need to attend appointments (including medical appointments) during the school day. In such cases, parents/carers are welcome to collect their child for the appointment and then return them to school during the school day.

Parents are required to sign their child out of school. The office will ensure that the child is signed out of school when leaving the premises.

When parents return their child to school, they must report the child’s return to the school office so that the school is aware that the child has returned and is back on the school premises. The office will ensure the child is signed back into school upon their return.

Supervision in the School Grounds

Parents should note that the school does not provide a member of staff to supervise children before the doors open at 8:40 a.m. (unless the children are part of the agreed breakfast club or attending booster classes) or after 3:15pm (unless children are attending an after school club organised by the school) and therefore the welfare of children until/after that time is the responsibility of parents.

Children should not be dropped off and left on the school grounds unsupervised. If this happens the children will be placed in either Breakfast Club or After School Club and parents will be billed accordingly.

However, if a problem or difficulty arises and is brought to the attention of the school, the school will intervene, e.g. if a child falls and hurts themselves the school will provide medical assistance.

Parental Responsibility

The school acknowledges that those with Parental Responsibility have a legal right to collect their children from school which will be respected by the school. In the event of any dispute, it is the responsibility of the parents to notify the school of the arrangements that have been made. The school will of course comply with any court orders that may be in place.