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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think SOMEONE should be contactable in the school office over summer?

258 replies

Lmnop22 · 20/08/2024 08:55

I am moving house this week to a new area and local authority. my DS is due to start reception this September.

I was unable to apply for a reception place in the new area until I had a date to exchange contracts in order to prove I was in the very small catchment area for the school I wanted.

I didn’t exchange contracts until mid July when the summer holidays had already started. I immediately made the application for the Reception place and the council offered me the place a couple of weeks later. I accepted.

Then nothing. I have had no response to my email accepting the place. I have called the council and they say their part is over now and I’ll “hear from the school” but the school is closed over summer and there are no staff. When I told the council this, they said “oh yeah there won’t be anyone in until September now”.

So do I have the place? Do the school have my DS on the register for September? What uniform etc do I buy? How do I organise breakfast/after school club provisions?

Am I being unreasonable to think a member of staff ought to monitor emails and/or voicemails over the summer and communicate with parents in my position?

OP posts:
ReluctantSwimMum · 20/08/2024 09:01

Reception is almost always a staggered start -usually half days for the first couple of weeks. So your DC won't miss out on any settling in and you'll have plenty of time around the edges to get uniform, etc.

Can you see the first day of term on the school website? Some schools will have an inset day on 2 September this year but that means staff will be in, so again works in your favour. Just relax for the rest of the holidays.

BlackBean2023 · 20/08/2024 09:00

They will be back after the bank holiday. It may be worth emailing in as sometimes the phone lines are out on an automatic answerphone

LadyHester · 20/08/2024 09:00

Of course there should be - but if the school are having to choose between manning the phones over the holidays or buying textbooks I know where I’d rather their priorities lay.
Private schools are expensive for a reason.

Bluevelvetsofa · 20/08/2024 08:59

I expect they’ll be in the week before term starts.

Mymanyellow · 20/08/2024 08:59

pr a week or so before the school opens they’ll be someone in the office.

HelenWheels · 20/08/2024 08:58

dont stress about uniform
its just a jumper surely

InevitableNameChanger · 20/08/2024 08:58

But if your place has been accepted then you're surely fine to crack on and buy the uniform etc!

InevitableNameChanger · 20/08/2024 08:57

I expect you'll find there are people back in next week.

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