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Original poster

It's now 3pm on the Friday before back to school week...

100 replies

SirSamuelVimes · 03/09/2021 14:02

... and my DDs primary school have still not told parents anything about the arrangements for next week.

We don't know:

What the arrival time is
What the end of day time is
If staggered starts / finishes remain
Where on the site to take our child
What the rules are for site access, mask wearing (we had to wear masks in the playground for pick up and drop off until the end of the summer term)
What can be brought in from home, or not.

I am lucky in that my working hours are fairly flexible but even so this is stressing me out.

Is it just me, or is this ridiculous?

They go back on Tuesday. Wouldn't be surprised if we got an email on Monday afternoon.

OP posts:

BlackeyedSusan · 03/09/2021 20:40

we had an email ages ago about when dc are going back to school. and I fucking lost it I remembered when the last one was going back as I have been whinging about it for two months, but not when the other one was supposed to be back.

Thankfully school have sent out another email with the details and a time to save me from having to email and apologise and ask for updated information.

RedToothBrush · 03/09/2021 20:49

@WinTheNight

So how on earth has our head managed it?

Because all school and Local authorities are different.

Yeah some are well run and organised and some are fucking useless and couldn't manage a piss up in a brewery.

I think thats the only revelation on offer here.

Heartofglass12345 · 03/09/2021 21:01

My kids go back Tuesday and we had a text today to say they would be letting us know the arrangements on Monday

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itsgettingwierd · 03/09/2021 21:49

I agree it's late notice.

But in schools defence they are so use to getting the guidance at midnight the day term starts they are probably holding back for another U turn.

January was even worse. Made everyone go back and then announced via tv broadcast that schools were locking down and going online from Tuesday. Expecting that to happen overnight.

itsgettingwierd · 03/09/2021 21:51

@CaptainMarvelous

If the head is anything like ours, they will wait till 5.30pm on Friday to send anything out so they can immediately go home and not have to deal with the replies

I only recognise this behaviour because I do exactly the same in Local Government

You don't work the SEND department so you?

That's their usual trick!

My caseworker stopped doing it when she realised it gave me Friday evening to fume, Saturday to research the law and Sunday to write a shit shot reply reminding them of their legal duty and asking for specifics on how they would meet each point I raised and get it sent ready for her return to desk Monday.

CoffeeWithCheese · 03/09/2021 22:02

We got all of the initial plans sent before the end of the last term. Head on playground first day - we've been back a couple of days (well he's out there most mornings and afternoons if he can be) to individually welcome every kid by name and tell them they looked really smart to the new Reception little ones - and sort out parents who were trying to figure out which door they were using for drop offs now.

Update newsletter out tonight before the end of school clarifying things in the light of how they've worked this week. Some things from the Covid era they've kept as they've worked better for the kids - like a ten minute period at the start of the day for the kids to come in gradually rather than a bell and lining up, but lots returned to how they'd previously done it from what I gather (we're new to the school).

Old school was terrible for communicating - usually someone would crack and ring and ask the office staff and then message everyone else with the vital information no one had bothered to tell parents. This place is such a small school the Head pretty much could ring every family individually in under an hour if needed to!

Timeisavirtue · 03/09/2021 22:21

I was surprised as Dds school is usually like this... but they had it sorted a5 the end of the school year. Usually they send us emails they know will have come back at 4pm on a Friday, pretty sure it’s because no one will be in the school for 3 days to deal with the comeback....

AnneElliott · 03/09/2021 22:30

That made me laugh @RedToothBrush. So many excuses on here when it's obvious to the non teachers here that some schools are great, lots average and a few completely shite!

Yubaba · 03/09/2021 22:45

DS2 went back on the 1st September and we didn’t hear a peep from school about their arrangements, I basically had to guess about what was happening with him
I did however get 19000 messages on parenthub at 4:30 this evening about PE, forest school, PGL and Christmas of all things!
Dd and DS1 went back today and I got an email yesterday about their school arrangements.

BluebellsGreenbells · 03/09/2021 23:07

They don’t do it to annoy parents

The school secretary will be dealing with a hundred jobs and then have some quiet time later in the day to send emails and text alerts

Do you really think they have staff meeting in how they plan to piss off parents this year?

CurlyhairedAssassin · 03/09/2021 23:36

@Crunchymum

We go back Monday. Message at 16.45 today.

Going back as normal. No staggered drop offs and pick ups. Parents allowed back in playground (we had staggered drop offs and collections outside of entire premises)

No need to self isolate unless showing one of the main 3 symptoms / have tested positive. Absolutely no mention of what happens if you have other kids in school whilst you await PCR results / you have one positive child

Masks "encouraged", loitering to chat after pick up and drop offs "discouraged"

Back to normal.

You want to know what happens if you have other kids in school whilst you await PCR results/you have one positive child? Shame the Department for Education hasn't considered this either and told schools what they need to do.

We can't pass on information to parents if we haven't been informed ourselves. Stuff like this will have to be decided by individual heads on a case by case basis as it happens probably. All families will have different circumstances. Some siblings (or indeed children) of positive contacts have people other than a parent who can take them to school. Others won't, and good primary schools will know their families and understand this. However, schools now are technically only supposed to be providing online work for children who actually are positive/showing symptoms themselves, not those who are isolating as a contact (as far as I understand it), so inevitably this will mean that some children who don't have anyone to bring them to school will end up with no work.

The problem is that often the local authority, unions, D fE and heads themselves are not agreeing over the right way forward.

I work in a school office, by the way, new in post. (I've worked in schools before but not in the office). I had no idea the amount of prep for the new year there is that goes on behind the scenes. Very little of which can happen during the school holidays as there is no funding to pay admin staff more than the measly term time only salary they get (less than 17k for me). I worked 2 days in the summer voluntarily, unpaid, as we had got behind during COVID with staff isolating etc. I don't think some parents realise what little prep time there actually is for the new year!

chocolatecentral · 03/09/2021 23:38

We got an email at 5pm today with all the information for return on Monday, including how the kids now have to wear PE kit to school twice a week and keep it on all day. Would have been useful to know that before buying uniform for 5 days (they’ve always changed in to their PE kit at school). 🙄

CurlyhairedAssassin · 03/09/2021 23:41

@chocolatecentral, do you mean you bought 5 of each item of uniform?!

chocolatecentral · 04/09/2021 07:36

@CurlyhairedAssassin No, not 5 of every item; they don’t wear a whole new uniform every day!! But clearly the amount of clothes needed for 5 days is more than needed for 3 days!

Postitmug · 04/09/2021 08:11

Noworneverever
We got an email 3.30 yesterday telling us Monday would be inset day. Hasn't left much time for organising childcare.
The first day in September is always an INSET day

@Pissinthepottyplease Monday isn't the first day in September, and many schools are open to pupils on Monday

Pissinthepottyplease · 04/09/2021 11:46

@Postitmug

Noworneverever We got an email 3.30 yesterday telling us Monday would be inset day. Hasn't left much time for organising childcare. The first day in September is always an INSET day

@Pissinthepottyplease Monday isn't the first day in September, and many schools are open to pupils on Monday

Really? I worked in a few different schools for many years and I’ve never come across this before.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 04/09/2021 11:49

@Pissinthepottyplease many schools returned last week. Including on Wednesday 1st September.

AmelieLovesAutumn · 04/09/2021 15:01

@DappledThings

We got the email last week but there wasn't much to update anyway really. Window when gates are open in am is 5 mins shorter, pick up is 10 minutes later and is now from gate rather than everyone walking through the playground.

Our school was pretty light touch on all this throughout though fortunately.

That'll be fabulous when it rains...

DappledThings · 04/09/2021 15:34

@AmelieLovesAutumn I don't get it. What's the issue with rain? Haven't children been dropped off and collected in the rain for hundreds of years?

liveforsummer · 04/09/2021 16:43

The staff will still be on holiday til Monday I imagine. We went back on a Wednesday but staff were in from the Monday and the emails went out then.

AmelieLovesAutumn · 04/09/2021 23:27

[quote DappledThings]@AmelieLovesAutumn I don't get it. What's the issue with rain? Haven't children been dropped off and collected in the rain for hundreds of years?[/quote]
Yes, but the teachers & children usually wait inside, not standing around in the rain. It's one thing to walk home in the rain, quite another to be just stood there while everyone sorts themselves out.

But if you think it's marvellous, great'

DappledThings · 04/09/2021 23:35

@AmelieLovesAutumn last term was when they were standing outside. They all lined up in class groups in the playground, only after which were the gates opened so we could traipse past each group picking up our children as we walked past in a crocodile and out the other side! As they are now being sent out to us at the gate I assume they will be coming straight to the gate and therefore outside for less time.

Having said that then no, I didn't ever consider 5-10 minutes in rain in a coat to be any kind of issue. I'm amazed anyone does.

AmelieLovesAutumn · 05/09/2021 07:23

[quote DappledThings]@AmelieLovesAutumn last term was when they were standing outside. They all lined up in class groups in the playground, only after which were the gates opened so we could traipse past each group picking up our children as we walked past in a crocodile and out the other side! As they are now being sent out to us at the gate I assume they will be coming straight to the gate and therefore outside for less time.

Having said that then no, I didn't ever consider 5-10 minutes in rain in a coat to be any kind of issue. I'm amazed anyone does.[/quote]
Well fabulous for you then 💁🏻‍♀️

DappledThings · 05/09/2021 08:15

Well fabulous for you then 💁🏻‍♀️
What an extraordinary reaction. No idea what the feminine symbol has to do with anything! Missed the memo when drizzle became a feminist issue.

Noworneverever · 05/09/2021 11:59

@Pissinthepottyplease that's what we all thought would happen but info on school website up until wed said that children start back on the Monday, suddenly this changed. Can't see a reason they couldn't have had inset on the Friday tbh and avoided parental complaints about having to negotiate the emergency childcare fiasco.

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