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Induction day-school has forgotten my daughters existence!

34 replies

user1468352691 · 12/07/2016 21:07

My DD had a terrible induction day. Her primary school class walked up to the high school, lined up in the playground then the form tutors came out and took the children who were going to be in their class. DD was excited as we had been told that she'd be in the same form as all of her friends, but then the form tutor didn't have her name on his list, and neither did any of the other form tutors.

Someone at the school made a terrible cock-up and even though we had it confirmed many times that my daughter had a place at the school, the school apparently have no record of it, despite the fact the school emailed us themselves in June.

She was then sent to sit in a year 8 class (the school couldn't find anywhere else to put her for the day) , she said these year 8's would ask her who she was and taunt her. After sitting in her first class with these year 8's, no staff came to collect her so she had to walk around the school in tears trying to find the main reception area. Then, for the rest of the day she was sat in reception doing text book work because none of the staff knew what to do with her. The primary school grouped back up and walked back down, it wasn't until I went to pick her up when I found out, as her teacher wanted to "have a word" with me. I'm absolutely fuming. DD started crying in the car on the way back so I made her some hot chocolate, we had a cuddle and I told her we'd sort it but I don't know what to do. I'm having doubts about sending her to this school after this.

OP posts:
leccybill · 12/07/2016 21:58

Can't believe this happened.

I used to be responsible for Y6 transition. A year group of 210 and I remember counting and counting to check I had 210 every time, when I was planning the new form groups.

I can't think of any staff member, admin SLT or teacher, who would suggest putting her in with Y8.

If she was left to roam the school, there is a clear safeguarding issue and you need to raise this.

I hope she feels better after such a bad day.

wizzywig · 12/07/2016 21:53

Lily i think education is like a business. They want to prove that they are worth applying for.

Lilly948204 · 12/07/2016 21:51

I mean what gives you this impression (ps the way they behaved was ridiculous)

Lilly948204 · 12/07/2016 21:50

Just curious, why do you think schools are "so obsessed about making a good impression to the new year 7's?"

user1468352691 · 12/07/2016 21:25

@admission There was a lot of upheaval in our lives at that time, we were living in a different LA and then after I got divorced we ended up moving and so subsequently decided that the school DD was originally going to go to was too far. We eventually got her in at this one (or so I thought Confused.

Schools are so obsessed about making a good impression to the new year 7's so I'm surprised they had the nerve to treat DD like they did.

OP posts:
admission · 12/07/2016 21:18

So the first question must be did you get the offer of a place on the 1st March and did you accept the place. I guess from your post that this was not the case and you got a place offer sometime after that.
If you have then confirmed acceptance then I cannot understand how the high school can manage to get it so wrong. Surely somebody could have spent 30 minutes sorting out exactly what the situation was and actually to put her in with year 8s just makes me so angry that they could be so crassly stupid about what is probably one of the most important days of your daughter's life. They could just put her in one of the groups for the day. Complete lack of common sense and management capability.

Also was there not somebody from the primary school at the high school who could also take some responsibility to sort this out.

HSMMaCM · 12/07/2016 21:18

That is terrible. She should have been added to one of the classes while they sorted it out. Poor thing.

user1468352691 · 12/07/2016 21:17

@PotteringAlong That's what I thought! There were 6 induction classes but none of them took my daughter on for the day as there was "no space". I can't see how letting my daughter come and sit in a class with people her own age would do any harm, but apparently it will disrupt the other children Confused

OP posts:
PotteringAlong · 12/07/2016 21:11

That's ridiculous - why didn't they just bung her in the induction class and deal with it later?!

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