to be annoyed at this school (long sorry)

[LesbianMummy1]

my daughter started junior school in September the school is really popular and we had to appeal to get her a place but the receptionists are making my life unbearable every week I have at least one issue to deal with through their incompetence to list just a few are
*a phonecall to tell me they have lost 2p of her dinner money
*they told me she could not have the school dinner I had paid for if she was 5 minutes late back from a dentist appointment
*after expressing concern she might forget to go to choir and double checking what time it ended being told she missed half an hour because the receptionists forgot she was meant to go and giving me wrong finish time so if I had not been running early she would have been waiting 20 minutes
*loosing a child I child mind for by telling me a club was still running when it had been cancelled
*not letting her take her dinner money to the office as they collect it from the classroom then not collecting it for 3 days
*AND TODAY a phonecall to say that her meal she has prepared especially because she has an allergy and has to be altered for her has been given to somebody else and she is in tears because there is nothing left she is not allergic too

[mumblechum]

Take it to the head would be my advice.

Hope you get it sorted.

[VinegarTits]

YANBU complain to the head

[LesbianMummy1]

spoke to deputy head last week as head was away her answer was these things happen but is not good enough really not sure whether head would say any different

[SoupDragon]

1. they were actually phoning because they think you underpaid the dinner money.
   
2. TBH, they can't cater for children who are late for dinner. When DSs have been late after a dentist appointment I've simply taken them home for sandwiches.
   
3. I don't understand why it is the receptionists' job to ensure your daughter goes to choir
   
4. I agree they stuffed up here
   
5. Not entirely sure of the problem here really.
   
6. How is it the receptionists fault that the kitchen made a mistake with the dinner? I have to say that if the school are prepared to make a special meal just for your DD at all you are exceptionally lucky.

[peanutbutterkid]

Don't just speak, put it all in writing, and demand a written response. Gear yourself up to Pursue up to the governors if the head/deputy won't take your complaints seriously.

I have a theory that 'popular' schools are prone to being just like you describe, they aren't as motivated to keep parents or children happy!

[bigchris]

the receptionists can't be running round after every child in the school

you need to take it all up with your class teacher imo

[LesbianMummy1]

Soup dragon
1)2p surely it cost more to make a phonecall
2)it was a possibility she would be 5 minutes late due to them being 10 minutes late finding her when I collected her she has heredity gum problems and goes to dentist regularly
3)I had asked them as I child mind and her teacher was away so could not get in before end of school day to make sure about this they have to wait in reception if you are late to collect them
4)dangerous
5)they can phone me for 2p yet leave over £10 sat in her book bag they also lost over £30 last term by this we are not allowed to pay it in either
6)what can I do if the school make an error my son is in hospital I have only come home for 2 hours she has meal adapted due to allergy not for any other reason

[LesbianMummy1]

big Chris asked for meeting with class teacher but all these meetings need to be organised through receptionists who don't pass messages on only managed to see deputy head as I caught her as she walked past me been waiting 6 weeks for appointment with head already

[bigchris]

'they can phone me for 2p yet leave over £10 sat in her book bag '

how old is she?

ds is 5 in year 1 and has to give his dinner money in to the teacher

they don't check book bags every day

it is up to the child to take responsibilty for handing things in imo

[bigchris]

at the end of the day don't you pick up dd from her classroom? can't you say 'can I have a quick word?'

[LesbianMummy1]

she is 7 that is her school policy the reception staff are meant to collect money every morning she has it in her hand when she gets there but is told to put it in her bag if not collected by 9:30am she went to office before because it was not collected and they told her off the £30 then went missing

[LesbianMummy1]

no chance to speak to teacher at end of day I child mind so have 3children to collect and have to be at 2 more schools within 15 minutes the school always let them out late as it is they are not available in the morning

[Hullygully]

Put the lot of them up against the wall and shoot them. What sort of business are they running?

[mumblechum]

Arf Hully

[peanutbutterkid]

You won't get far just calling them incompetent. You've got to tell them what you want them to do different (they wouldn't need to be told if they weren't so incompetent, lol).

Some of it is inexcusable lapses: lost mindee, allergen-free meal lost (if they agree to make it, they should get it to her, how dangerous is her allergy??), difficulties in getting dinner money to the office even if you follow their correct procedure (does that mean no hot dinner if she doesn't pay in time??).

I'm not sure why the 5 minutes late=no hot dinner, we would get a credit for hot din on another day, in that case, except for special outside-made meals. Was she late to choir or... not sure I understand that. It is reasonable for you to expect them to give out correct info re timings of afterschool clubs (if receptionist doesn't know, she should find out and let you know).

I can sort of understand the 2p thing from both sides, I'd let that one go.

[MintyCane]

I don't understand why some schools won't take payment for lunch at the office TBH. My youngest has SN and would not be able to take care of money or hand it in to school so I pay the office myself. There must be other families in this situation.

[bigchris]

yes we can either hand money in at the office or put it in the bookbag for the pupil to hand in

[LesbianMummy1]

peanutbutterkid just said maybe 5 minutes late for dinner in case we got stuck in traffic we were 10 minutes late leaving school as she had gone to office to wait for me and they had told her to go out to play even though I gave them copies of all her dentist appointments so they knew when she had to go
choir they sent letter out on last day of term before holidays was first day back she had to go new routine asked them just to remind her if she went to office saying I had not arrived but they told me wrong end time too

[LesbianMummy1]

big chris apparently because it junior school it's all down to children to hand in parents can't go to office yet at last school money was only paid into office

[MintyCane]

I don't think you can expect them to keep track of the times of your childs dental appointments.

[Hullygully]

Why the hell not? What else have the lazy soandsos got to do all day? Count a bit of dinner money and that's about it. Schools make me sick.

[Stayingsunnygirl]

Her dd was waiting in reception - presumeably she told the receptionists she was waiting for her mum because she was going to the dentist - and LM1 had given them a copy of the dates, so they could have double-checked.

[MintyCane]

Why would they though. She is going to the dentist why would they think to check if she will be back in time for lunch it is not their problem.

[Stayingsunnygirl]

I'm saying they could have checked the list of dates that LM1 had sent in, to verify that her dd should be waiting in reception, then her dd wouldn't have been sent out to play. This delayed LM1 10 minutes, when she arrived to pick up her dd, so making it more likely she'd be late back from the appointment.

I wasn't suggesting the receptionists check whether she would be back for lunch.

[Hullygully]

It's exactly this sort of thing that makes me think all schools should be abolished, as Cameron said.