No pta and no parents communication group

I'm going to go against the grain and agree with you. The lack of class reps isn't a big deal in itself, and as PPs have said, WhatsApp groups are parent-led and wouldn't be initiated by the school. But what you seem to be saying is that the school is actively discouraging parental engagement and that the leadership is authoritarian and lacking in transparency. These are valid concerns - the culture of the school is set from the top, and it sounds like your instincts are telling you there is a problem.

PTAs are hard work for volunteers but delivery huge value to the children through the events themselves and the funding they generate. School fairs, discos, film nights, class parties etc are such a lovely part of a primary school calendar and I'd be very disappointed in a school that prevented these things from happening despite there being (from what you've said) parents who are ready to help.

You don’t need class reps or WhatsApp groups- you really don’t. I have a 19 and a 9 year old and survived many years at primary successfully without either and the thought of either makes my stomach curdle. PTA can be useful but is really so much work for so much moaning and criticism and politics. Both of my kids were/are very happy at different primary schools without any for these things. To me, they would create more problems than they’d solve.

My children’s school doesn’t have a PTA either. A private FB group was set up for my oldest during Covid and has just carried on so I started one for my youngest when he started.

Sounds idyllic to me.

The PTA at my school raises over £20k a year. It’s very odd to discourage that as it helps the children.

What's an integrated school and how do you mean they've only invited half of community for RE?

I’ve never known a school to start or arrange WhatsApp groups. Just start one and invite parents in the class to join as and when you can.

god i hate parents whatsapp groups 😂
my DD changed school last year, i know they have one for her class, ive had 2 parents ask me if im on it, im actively avoiding joining it. 😂

Schools don’t have any involvement in WhatsApp groups or Facebook groups at our school either. It’s not their place. So YABU there. As for the other things only you can decide if this school is a good fit for your DC if your not happy with how it’s run move them.

Out of 13 years of education my kids were only only in classes with parental reps for two years. I remain unconvinced that there was any benefit to either staff, pupils or parents in having reps.

As far as getting numbers, I had parental contacts for pretty much every parent in my kids’ year groups, I did it the old fashioned way - I talked to people (and I was a full time working Mum).

School have no involvement in the WhatsApp groups. Just a couple of parents start a group and invite more people and try to make sure everyone has been invited organically.

I am the class rep for the PFA. It is nothing to with either the WA group or being a link between the school and the class.

No, there’s a school Facebook group and a parent in each class takes the initiative each year to set up and post a link to a WhatsApp group. It’s all parent led. It’s an infant school so not loads of year groups and it’s very community based.

What are reps? Ours was just set up in the playground and people got added gradually over the first term.

You don’t need to have reps. You can have a WhatsApp group without them.

They must be involved somehow by giving the reps the mobile numbers?

There's none of that at my youngest DCs school. I actually love that there isn't anything like that.

We have year group WhatsApp groups, but they’re set up by the parents. There’s no drama on them - yes sometimes it’s a bit annoying with “X has lost his jumper, can everyone look” but it’s more just people asking the odd question like what time do they need to be there for the school trip etc. generally they’re pretty quiet.
But like I said, no school involvement at all. You should just set one up if you want one. I wouldn’t expect the school to be involved.

It’s a shame about the PTA though. Ours raises a lot of money and the children do a lot of trips because all the coaches get funded by PTA money.

Our class WhatsApp is just full of “who has Lucy’s jumper?” And “what day is PE?” Totally not required.

PTA is hard work so lots of parents don’t ever volunteer sadly

PTA requires parent volunteers who have to do all the shit work then get criticised for doing so by the non contributing parents. No wonder there isn’t one no one’s mug enough to do it.

I think YABU. The school doesn’t want a PTA so you need to accept that.

Any WhatsApp groups will be parent led and nothing to do with the school. Just get a few numbers yourself and ask them to spread the word. Many people deliberately avoid the groups because they are generally regurgitated information that the school has already sent interspersed with lost property or moaning.

Lack of parent WhatsApp group is so far removed from being a red flag I don’t know where to start.