To expect the school to care about what it looks like?

[3yearsnosleep]

So I've just finished my first week dropping off and picking up my DD at her new school and I'm surprised (maybe I'm naive) by the lack of care and attention to the outside of the school, e.g notice boards that need a good clean with notices that are years out of date. It looks shabby and says to me that if nobody cares enough about the school and what the parents think to be bothered to clean the sign and notice board every so often, how much do they care about my child? I'd love to bring it up with the office but don't want to get a name for myself already! AIBU?

[melibu84]

Maybe a little bit. What are their OFSTED reports like? If the quality of the teaching is good, and they care about the students, maybe the last thing they're thinking of is the noticeboard . . .

[Beeziekn33ze]

Sounds as if some senior staff are a bit past caring! First impressions are important.
Don't do anything yet, later on, if you've time, get involved in parents' activities and see whether things can be improved.

[MidniteScribbler]

Yup, teachers should of course be putting far more time in to cleaning noticeboards than planning quality lessons for their students.

Sounds like the school needs a parent to step up and volunteer to take on some tasks around the place. OP?

[citychick]

I disagree. i think it is important. some notice board are looked afte by the PTA.
why dont you join the committe and bring up the subject . they might be having their agm soon...you will raise it then.
good luck!

[3yearsnosleep]

Its OFSTED is good not excellent and it hasn't been renewed since 2011 which seems a long time to me so I don't know what it would be now. We're only at nursery stage at the moment and have to apply for a reception place soon so I'm trying to decide if these things are an indication of the school itself or if my expectations are too high - (I do work in marketing). I completely understand that teaching is their number one priority, it just surprises me that nobody realises that parents would notice and judge this sort of thing.

[citychick]

you could raise the then
sorry

[HateSummer]

A school is a community. Why don't you offer to clean them? Get a group of parents together and clean up the school. Run some cake sales and get new sign posts? I don't know. That's how things are done in our ofsted rated excellent primary school.

[VioletBam]

Watch the children and parent's behaviour at pick up and drop off. That's more of an indicator.

Enquire about what after school clubs there are too. And see what the Autumn fairs and Christmas fairs are like....if good, then that indicates a strong parental involvement which a school needs to function well.

[Atenco]

It depends. The school I choose for my dd was a bit like that but had a wonderful headteacher and most of the teachers were great too.

[phillipp]

Our notice board is looked after by the 'friends of the school' and the PTA, it's for up coming events.

Personally I would feel a bit like you. But I would decide on wether my child was going there based on what's happening in the classroom and how happy my child was there.

Dds first primary was an amazing modern building, everything was pristine, always looked perfect. It was rated 'excellent' The head teacher was crap and I had to remove Dd due to severe bullying that the school just wouldn't deal with. Within a year, I know 4 other families took their children out due to the same issues.

We moved her to a 'good' school, the building wasn't as impressive and the facilities not as great. But the teachers and head made it a wonderful place. Ds is in year 1 there now and there was no contest when deciding what school he went to.

What I am saying is that looks and ofsted reports aren't the be all and end all.

[merrymouse]

I wouldn't be bothered about the cleanliness of the notice board, but notices that are years out of date does sound a bit sloppy.

However, there are plenty of other things to judge a school on and presumably you have a while before you have to apply for a reception place.

[Sirzy]

What's it like inside is more important

The notice board at Ds school isn't updated that much. But the school is fantastic, both in cleanliness and "looks" and more importantly how much of a caring/nurturing environment they have

[3yearsnosleep]

Thanks all this is really helpful x

[GoblinLittleOwl]

What does the inside of the school look like; is the reception area attractive, clean, tidy, informative; are the displays attractive and well-displayed? This is a better way to assess a school, although I agree about the display board. Has it been replaced by a website and nobody's responsible anymore? Probably best not to mention it just yet though.

[Lazyafternoon]

Yes I think it is important. A good image is important to show kids a high standard is expected. But the question is - who would you be expecting to do something about it...?

So - YANBU if are you thinking of going in to the office to volunteer your time and resources to doing something about it. Joining the PTA to show you care and want to support the school and it's image is a great thing.

But, YABU - if you are expecting to go into the office and tell the already underfunded and overworked teaching and support staff to spend any extra time cleaning, painting and tidying up noticeboards, weeding, litter picking etc. Personally I'd rather they spent what time they have concentrating on what goes on inside of their classroom.

As other posts have said it's usually the PTA etc who would have the resources to do that sort of thing. So I'm sure they'd be delighted for another helper!!!

[BathshebaDarkstone]

Is she happy there? Will her classmates go on to reception there? These things are more important than a notice board.

[3yearsnosleep]

Now I'm realising the difference between a private nursery and a school and the PTA's role which I had no idea about tbh. I expected that the school would have a caretaker or something whose role it might be. It's just not very nice taking her somewhere scruffy every day when it's small things that could so easily be fixed but I'm more than happy to get stuck in now if I can.

[corythatwas]

In all schools my children have attended, this would fall under the remit of the PTA. So OP- that means you.

[opheliaamongthelillies]

It didn't put you off enrolling her in the nursery though so can't be that bad.

[Nanny0gg]

Why is it the PTA's job?

At my school it's the Admin's responsibility.

Is it just the notice boards or the whole outside?

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

I would think that the area outside the school would be the responsibility of the site manager. Not sure about the notice boards, although many school associations do use he notice boards for announcements.

Where I live, there's a new school that's been open for two years. The outside area is a mess, weeds everywhere, dead plants and litter. I'd think the site manager wasn't doing his job, but of course there may be another reason.

[BarbarianMum]

Hmm. Notice boards wouldn't bother me much as most communication with parents is done by email/text these days. I would expect to see good, up to date displays of children's work uin communal spaces such as corridors and play areas and the library clean and bright and enticing though. Beware of a school that works really hard to sell itself to parents but isn't really child-friendly though.

[MidniteScribbler]

Quite honestly, it's probably been the brilliant idea of some head or AP (or the PTA) to have the noticeboard there, and it was their special project. They've since left the school, and no one has taken it on as their responsibility.