A different adult is collecting from school: make a specific contact note
By Erik Nilsen · Kroni3 min read
An aunt is collecting your child on Thursday, but she does not know the playground or the usual way home. “You will find her at school” is not very useful when there are three exits and the child is still indoors. A contact note can collect precisely what this handover needs. It does not replace the school’s procedure for notifying staff about collection changes.
Start with the school’s communication channel
Check how the school or after-school club wants changes reported. Give the name of the adult who will actually arrive, the relevant day and a contact number where needed. A message in your family chat does not also notify the school.
Then prepare a short note for the collecting adult:
- Your child’s name and class or group.
- The date and agreed collection time.
- The specific entrance or meeting point.
- The member of staff connected with the arrangement.
- Who to contact if the plan does not match what they find.
Share the details needed for this day rather than a collection of unrelated family information.
Describe a place someone can find
“At the gate” may mean something different to the aunt and your child. Try “the gate facing the library, beside the blue bench”. If the club expects adults to come inside, say so. Avoid arranging an outdoor meeting that conflicts with the usual handover.
Tell your child the same plan: “Aunt Mari is collecting you after the club on Thursday. You will meet in the way the club has agreed.” Ask who is coming. This checks whether your explanation was clear; it is not a test your child needs to pass.
Check the note against one real day
Mari can arrive at 3.20. Your child needs to bring a drawing pad, but does not need to wait for another parent to deliver anything. The note therefore says “3.20, club entrance, drawing pad in the bag”, rather than “usual time, usual things”.
Also agree what Mari will do if delayed: contact the club through its normal procedure and update the family. Your child does not need to relay messages between two adults trying to locate each other. When two adults offer, use one confirmed collecting adult.
Close the arrangement afterwards
A short “collected now” may be sufficient if you have agreed to send one. Date or remove the note so Thursday’s exception does not become next week’s default. Ask Mari whether one missing detail would have helped.
Related paperwork can follow your routine for notes in the schoolbag. Keep the contact note brief and current: its job is to help the person arriving today.
