Resolved Question

Is the school held responsible?

Has the school got a duty to protect personal property?
my daughters phone was stolen from her pocket while at netball practise.
There was no security box for valubles,
The changing rooms were left unlocked,
Theres no cctv outside
No signs saying left at owners risk.
the school must have a duty of care for its pupils.
so can anybody tell me if i can claim the money back for the phone off the schools insurance.
the police were told the next day after the theft.
the head teacher is also looking into it.
atb
en
1 hour ago - 4 days left to answer.
Additional Details
it is in a English school

money ,house keys, new trainners, bags have gone missing at different times
pupils need to know they can leave their personal stuff safe.
and the school MUST provide this.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

The duty of care you refer to is for the individual not property. You are rightly angry of course but unfortunately the school, staff or insurers can't be held responsible. Your best bet is to try to get the school to improve it's security for pupil's possessions. The changing rooms should have lockers and pupils should be issued a key before P.E.. and return it afterwards. Perhaps a word with the PTA would be a way forward.

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Other Answers (3)

• I can't possibly see how the school can be made responsible for pupils leaving their personal possessions left unattended.
  
  Let's face it, it's common knowledge that kids know stuff goes walkabout especially things like phones.
  
  Just because there are no notices it doesn't mean that they haven't been told personally by a member of staff. Also the school is under no obligation to provide anything regarding personal property.
  
  You would have been given a crime number by the Police so claim on the phones insurance or your house insurance as I can't see the school paying up.
• No, she brought it to school at her own risk.
• The school is not responsible for keeping every pupils belongings safe, that is down to the pupil. Most schools actually have policies against mobile phones brought to school, i know when i was at school (was only 6 years ago) that we were all told that mobile phones were our responsibility and we were responsible for there care and safety. If we brought them to school it was at our own risk and we learnt to keep them locked away in our lockers. Does the school provide lockers? If so then they are therefore already providing somewhere safe to keep belongings, it was your daughters choice to leave the phone unattended. I know very few schools that now don't provide lockers to all pupils. Money, keys etc should be locked away in a locker unless required at the time. Why would schools provide signs that say left at own risk? common sense tells you if you leave something worth money unattended its at risk of being stolen.