Class WhatsApp Groups

We have an informal FB messenger group for parents who were in primary school that moved up to the same high school. It has been fine. Typically weeks go by with no messages and when they do come through they are admin related questions or messages - e.g. about school trips / which timetable week they are on etc. Can't remember who set it up but it was a case of 'add the mums ypu know should be in it'. No reply- but if someone gets information from the school that is relevant they might share it.

Heavens, I feel I have been so lucky with class whatsapps. The group for one of my children's class is still going even though our kids all left school years ago 😂

Just don't join or turn the alerts off if you don't like them.

We have a year group WhatsApp at secondary. It's been fine except the skirt length debate!

Ok. So kind of need to know someone to get invited as such. We are new to the area and I go back to work from mat leave soon so I may well miss out in September as wont do ss many drop offs! Hopefully works itself out

PTA at my school. They elect a ‘rep’ in each class and that poor sod has to do the group and Christmas whip round, cascade things.

they still have a PTA app, a school dinners app, an app for school trip payments, an app for random payments, an app for the wraparound club…. Managing the school correspondence is a full time job

some examples of batshittery

• the time a mother worked out her kid (notorious class bully) wasn’t being invited to parties and asked why in the group
• wildly dramatic and unsolicited health advice for everything from chickenpox to head lice from one wholly unqualified parent
• the time a parent new to the area accused all the other mums of being stepford wives
• slagging off teachers
• Mindless wittering about school trips, content of PHSE lessons, school dinners, lost cardigans, lost air-ups, timing of school disco, whether the PTA are creaming a bit off the top
• and overall just the flaky cows who can’t bother their bum to read an email and rely on the group for everything from pick up and drop off times to the theme for non-uniform day

Exactly this, we have year group specific ones for years 7 and 9. Engage with them at my discretion when useful. Definitely not the same as the primary versions. Don't know most of the people on them but useful for general info, things I might have missed and the occasional question I have. Much less keen and full on than the class groups of primary.

The trouble is you get all of the "OH NO! I am so sorry to hear that" x40 half of whom you only vaguely know and asking when they can meet, ad infinitum. How can anyone enjoy reading through that after work and not feel it is impersonal and a waste of time?

After the shitshow that was primary WA group I decided not to join the year WA for secondary. The school will keep you up to date on the reality rather than the drama and you won't get weird opinions on every teacher from people who's kids are/aren't doing well in their subjects pretending to be "concerned" when stealth boasting or trying to hijack a teaching career. It is a LOT calmer, trust me.

We have a year group one with over 200 parents on it. It's mostly just straight information, like non-uniform days. Occasionally I have to mute it when it disturbs me at work. But most of the time it's fine.

So you don’t miss any news perhaps? Like a friend who has cancer and has been updating us as a group rather than having to send multiple messages .

Not talking about school WA groups etc but surely you have some people that you care to hear from? 🤣

My daughter is year 6 but ours have been great. Both the class and the year one and then a cross class parent one that somehow got formed. Funny and irreverent for the last one and then supportive and practical for the other 2. Sometimes those that complain the most are the drama bringers

Usually one of the mums and then makes everyone admin so people can add other people

Who makes the class whats apps? I wondered were we missed but I checked with 2 parents im friends with outside of the school clique and my sons class has none atm anyway - sorry hijacked thread he is only 4

I’ve not had any issues on any year group wattsapp groups (2 form entry primary here)

som now in secondary and here they go to several different ones but someone set up a (made up name here)

”Kings Primary > Bishops comp Sept 26”

and all the transition stuff we put on there - some of us lift share if there’s a sports tournament on or we share stuff about a concert, secondhand uniform - it’s all very civilised there’s about 20-15 of us on it

All my WA groups are muted, why on earth would you have any that aren't?!

I’ve put 2 kids through primary in two different schools and we’ve never had a class WhatsApp. We do currently have a Facebook messenger community or whatever it’s called for announcements and information for the whole school. It’s mostly adminned by some of the teachers who are also parents and PTA members, basically where we get reminders about home clothes day or school trips or if they need milk jugs for some sculpture thing. But because there are teacher parents on there, there’s no drama or gossip. It’s mostly just someone asking if they need PE kit on Tuesday and then lots of discussion about how icy the hill is into the village in the winter. The other day we had a small aircraft crash near the school and we could quickly chat about which roads were closed and how to get there. It’s not at all annoying though.

Nothing at all formal like that in secondary, though we do have a little group of us from the village with dc in the same year, but we don’t really use it, maybe a few times a year. We’re all friends though so we’re probably just as likely to just chat when we see each other.

That said, I have all group chats on WhatsApp muted, even family ones, because I have zero desire to see photos of everyone’s cats or hear what anyone did over the weekend. Dh literally has to prompt me to look at them when there is a death or a new baby because I honestly don’t care.

Yes we have one and it’s been really
useful. Quieter than primary one and no drama. Just useful info and reminders! It was very helpful last week with the heatwave and at the beginning when they started the school.

We’ve had some craziness and we’re barely through the first year. Once parent calling out a local business for not being welcoming of a single mother. Very lengthy rant across several messages, after which another parent piped up that they work there and that was not at all what happened (‘in fact, it was YOU who told them to F their F-ing coffee….’ 🫣). It got very heated and bordering on personal. Another similar situation more recently where a recommendation of a local child-centred business was called out by a rival business owning parent on the group. The politics is crazy.

I'm also curious too. I may make another thread asking for juicy Class WhatsApp group craziness and batshittery.

DC's one is actually helpful with reminders and the occasional question about lost PE kits or checking if the no uniform day requires a £1 donation. All very mundane.

Some class groups can be batshit.
Some can be minimal and sensible.
Most have the occasional “moment”
Thankfully they disappear at secondary school

None at our secondary. There is an fb group but it’s barely used. I don’t even know my kids friends parents very well, let alone any others!!

Intrigued about what makes some of them batshit! Mine are all just people checking what day PE is or whether someone’s taken their child’s jumper home.