School remaining open during polling

Unfortunately, there are sometimes no alternatives. The area that the station needs to cover is not flexible, it must be within the specified boundary. It must also have some parking, disabled access, safe lighting, toilets for poll staff... There aren't many options!
Also, even if 99% of voters were using postal votes, they would still need to set up the polling station in exactly the same way to serve the voters that do wish to vote in person, so less demand does not change how many polling stations are needed.

Right. And you've left your kids at that school after being tortured during PE but spend your time whining to the head via email about a complete non issue such as polling day? Bizarre.

The elections 3 weeks away. The RA probably hasn't been written yet,the head's too busy "never" responding to email. How many do you send?!

A little?

He doesn't need to use an inset day, he's able to close for an extra day for voting of that's deemed necessary.

He's trying to help parents out by not closing for an additional day. Im sure he and hisbsraff would love it if they did close, infact hes probably alreay having to deal with disgruntled staff. Schools and heads really can't get anything right.

But if you're really worried, rather than looking for an opportunity to stir things up, keep DC at home.

the people sent from the council to run the polling stations won't be DBS checked

Of course they won't, because they won't have any unsupervised contact with the kids.

OP, none of this is going to pose any kind of risk to your child.

I would have had the same worries as you, OP. Gently, I would have been over-reacting too.

Has the school been used for this purpose before? Presumably, all was well.

Precisely. They have been running elections in primary schools pretty much forever. If the council did not think the school could remain open then they would be closed.

Of course they have also added an inset day the following day!

My daughters Primary School is used as a polling station and they have made the decision to move to home learning that day due to the safeguarding risk.

As a HS officer I'm also inclined to think children should not be in school that day.

You're being daft. Much more sensible than closing for the day and inconveniencing hundreds of working parents.

My previous address the local polling station was the primary school. It was either in a hall or a little room. Both had direct access from outside and there was no access to the rest of the school.

OP you are overthinking this.

I've been a poll clerk in a school that has remained otherwise open. The voters will have to go in an entrance and exit that keeps them separate from the children. I had to request for the caretaker or a member of school staff to walk me to the staff toilets every time I needed the bathroom or kitchen facilities whilst the school was open. One things councils do well and are very experienced at is running elections and they would not be using this school if they had not done the relevant checks and made sure pupils and voters are kept apart. You honestly do not need to worry.

Honestly I think you are overthinking it.
My DS school has been used for local elections recently. They relocated students that needed to be (breakfast club and afterschool club) and locked interlinking doors (changing fire escape routes where needed temporarily). Staff manned the areas that needed to be watched at all time. It was all fine and noone really noticed a different and everyone was safe.

The only thing I'd like to add is, demand a F2F appointment and demand to see the risk assessment

Good luck!!

From your update, it seems there may be some 'activist parents' at your school. I would try and think broader and consider there may be another quieter group of parents are grateful that they don't need to book time off work, there might be other parents who are pleased their kids can access a free school lunch, SEN parents who are pleased their kids routines are beung maintained etc.

If you truly don't have trust in school, have a look around for another one.

My approach to managing the relationship with the school is that I don't get involved in any politics and anything that doesn't directly affect my child. IE I choose my battles.

This works for me. My child has SEN, and there are certain times it has been helpful to have the school on my side. I don't know if I would have achieved this if I had been emailing head teachers asking for risk assessments.

My kids from the age of around 9 tended to wander around the school fayres with their friends. I never for one minute thought they were in any danger. I was there too but was ditched from pretty much the moment we arrived!

My daughters primary school (she is at secondary now) is the village polling station and always remained open. It's interesting how different people react to that, husband and I thought it was excellent that it stayed open meaning children were not missing a day of school. You may want to reflect op that there will be children for whom being in school on that day with what you consider risks is a lot less risky than being left at home with their "caregivers".

If you mistrust the school so much, why do you still send your children there? Its illogical.

I think it’s about time they stopped using schools for this. Use libraries, community centres , church halls or set up temp voting stands. People can vote by post as well so it’s really unecessary to use schools

What do you think might happen? It’s only in recent years (since Dunblane?) that schools have become fortresses.