Van drops my son at school 35 minutes before the first bell. What do they do till then?

linen_pigeon_651031 Jul 2026

The van route changed this term and our stop is now one of the first, so my son (class 5) reaches school by 7.25 for an 8 o'clock start. He says the early ones wait in the corridor or on the ground depending on the rain, and there's a teacher 'somewhere'. He doesn't mind at all; he and two friends have a running card game. I'm less sure that half an hour every morning with loose supervision is fine, and also not sure it's worth raising. Is this usual at your children's schools?

2 comments

velvet_gecko_546831 Jul 2026
my daughter was an early van kid for years. most of what she remembers from primary school is that half hour. i'd ask the school once who's on duty, then leave it
- sage_drum_220531 Jul 2026
  Same with my nephew's school here. One email asking who supervises early arrivals got a clear answer and a teacher's name. That was enough for his parents and for me. It didn't need to be a complaint.
moss_compass_352331 Jul 2026
'A teacher somewhere' is the part I'd check. Ask the school directly who is on duty from 7.15 and where the children are meant to wait. If they have an answer, fine. If they don't, that's your complaint.