A Welling primary school child has been found safe after leaving the grounds of Hillsgrove Primary School unnoticed during the school day, prompting a frantic search of the surrounding streets and a full investigation into how the youngster managed to slip away.
The incident happened on Tuesday at Hillsgrove Primary School. Staff realised the child was missing and began searching the nearby area at around 1pm, checking surrounding streets including a parade of shops before the pupil was located.
Posts shared on social media claimed that a member of the public found the youngster elsewhere in Welling and contacted both the school and police. Those claims have not been independently verified.
The school has confirmed that the incident took place and said it will now be thoroughly investigated, with the circumstances, procedures and responses involved all forming part of the review.
In a statement, the principal said the safety and wellbeing of every child in the school’s care was its “highest priority”. The principal added that the school recognised how concerning an incident of this nature was for families and the wider school community, and that it was being taken extremely seriously.
The school also said it always communicated with the local authority and worked together with it when incidents of this kind occur.
The principal acknowledged concerns raised by parents about communication around the incident. Some parents said they had only learned what happened after seeing posts on social media, prompting fresh questions about both safety and how quickly families are informed. The school said its review would look at how information is shared with families, balancing the need for appropriate reassurance with its responsibility to protect individual children’s confidentiality. “Hillsgrove is a caring school and we remain committed to listening to concerns and acting on them,” the principal added.
The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment following claims that officers were contacted about the incident.
Schools have a strict duty to keep pupils safe while they are in their care. Primary-age children are expected to remain on the school site throughout the day and are normally only permitted to leave with an authorised adult, with each departure recorded through formal sign-out procedures. Entrances are typically supervised at the start and end of the school day, while late arrivals and visitors are usually required to sign in at the school office, and no pupil is expected to leave the site unaccompanied during lessons. A child found off site during lessons triggers an immediate response — a search of the immediate area, calls to parents or carers and, where necessary, the involvement of police. When a breach does occur, schools are expected to examine how it happened and strengthen their procedures where needed.
Attendance registers are taken twice a day in most schools, and unexplained absences usually trigger same-day calls to parents or carers. National guidance also stresses that safeguarding is the responsibility of every member of staff, with regular training on spotting risks and raising concerns.
The Welling incident follows a similar case elsewhere in the capital this week, where a Greenwich primary school tightened security after a pupil slipped away from breakfast club, launching its own investigation.
The focus on keeping pupils safe extends beyond the school gates. A record 1,057 London schools have won gold awards for greener and safer journeys, recognising efforts to protect children on their way to and from school each day.
The case has also renewed attention on safeguarding standards in the capital’s schools, coming after the recent conviction of a former Hornchurch teacher for child sex offences.
The investigation at Hillsgrove is now under way, and the school said it would continue to listen to parents’ concerns and act on them as the review progresses. No timeline for the review has been announced.
