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Original poster

Serious school meeting to be held about year 6

231 replies

Liglig · 09/02/2023 11:41

I have just received this message from the school head and it has made me very afraid if what could possibly of happened. Has anyone ever had a message like this from a school? What could it be? Many thanks.

Dear Parents, due to a serious incident I am holding an emergency meeting in the school hall for Year 6 Parents on Friday 10/2/23 at 3.30pm. I expect all parents to attend.

OP posts:
JemimaTiggywinkles · 09/02/2023 13:37

A staff member with direct contact with that year group being arrested would fit the bill.

This is the only time I've known a meeting like this to be called. And it is far better to get the whole story from the head in one go than have people gossiping, worrying, exaggerating etc as normally happens.

mauvish · 09/02/2023 13:37

ALL parents? Both birth parents of every child, plus assorted step parents, foster and adoptive parents, other guardians and adults in parental roles?

Goodness, that school hall is going to be full ---

What a crap way to try to encourage parents, aka adults, to engage.
There's no way that I could possibly have attended something at such short notice when my daughter was of that age, UNLESS it was literally life or death (mine or my daughter's!)

What's going to happen to the parents who don't attend?
Will they all get detention?

SerafinasGoose · 09/02/2023 13:38

'I expect all parents to attend' is admittedly not a great way of guaranteeing people's cooperation. It will simply get people's backs up. Some teaching staff forget they are talking to fellow-adults when they rap out their imperious orders.

This is coming from a university lecturer; ie one who would absolutely expect my fellow-educators to know better. If there's an important issue concerning my child that I absolutely have to be there for, they can get in touch with me. I'll contact the school office and make an appointment - one which doesn't clash with my own lectures and lengthy commute.

As an attempt to intimidate and worry parents, this is also unprofessional and unacceptable. Those children deserve better than this cack-handed effort at dealing with a potentially serious issue. I'm not surprised you're worried, and in your shoes would not be in the least impressed.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
WhoNeedsSleepNotISaidMyBody · 09/02/2023 13:38

Dwellingbuyingdilemma · 09/02/2023 13:21

A staff member with direct contact with that year group being arrested would fit the bill. More than one of us on this thread have experienced similar.

Show quote history

@Dwellingbuyingdilemma

there's no reason that couldn't be put in a letter to the parents with an 'invitation' to a meeting to give parents an opportunity to ask questions etc

if they can release the information verbally, they can write it in a letter. Children at risk of it involving them should be advised 1:1 not in a meeting in the school hall.

Xol · 09/02/2023 13:38

JudgeJ · 09/02/2023 13:30

There is no such thing as a time to suit all parents with differing life and work patterns. Seems to me that the school is doing its best for your children.

Show quote history

But 3.30 pm is virtually guaranteed to be the time that will suit the smallest percentage of parents, given the combination of working hours and needing someone to look after children.

Tallulasdancingshoes · 09/02/2023 13:39

If you can’t go, then don’t. They’ll be trying to get the message out in one go so it’s not like Chinese whispers. Some parents will be happy with 3:30 because they’ll be at school then anyway and it doesn’t mess up tea time and after school activities. Maybe the head can’t do the meeting tonight, due to other meetings etc. plus that’s even less notice so even worse. Schools can’t do right for doing wrong. There’s always someone who feels put out. FWIW I think it’ll likely be WhatsApp/social media related.

Choconut · 09/02/2023 13:39

My DC had a child bring in a knife to primary school and we just got an email playing it down.

My guess would be that this is something the kids have done rather than something one of the staff has done, due to the tone of the letter. Telling the parents what they have to do like they are children - I reckon the Head is fuming with some of them for not knowing what their kids are doing on SM.

EerieSilence · 09/02/2023 13:42

Xol · 09/02/2023 13:25

Is it seriously the responsibility of parents to put their jobs at risk/endanger people they care for simply on a summons from the school with absolutely minimal explanation of what it is all about? Without that information it is nothing more than speculation to say this must be about toleration of minorities, bullying, behaviour on social media etc; as matters stand it could be simply that the head has finally lost it over failure to label uniform properly or something.

And what if you can't "find time to attend" because, say, you are a surgeon whose operation list for the whole afternoon will have to be cancelled and people may die? Or you are in court representing a client who is depending on your for their liberty and good name? Or you are doing a presentation for a contact worth millions that no-one else can do at short notice? Sure, you would do that for a matter of life and death concerning your children. But because the headteacher says so, and has clearly fixed the meeting to suit their convenience and no-one else's?

Show quote history

Oh, come on. surgeon, firefighter, policeman chasing a criminal, what's next, Jesus saving the world?
Sure, I'd be trying to find out what it's about but hey, it's my child, my responsibility that's spending most of their day at school, I want to know, I need to know. Are you sending your child to school as in so they're not in the way of your work or do you want to know what they're doing there and how they behave, what they could be exposed to?

justasking111 · 09/02/2023 13:43

My music teacher vanished from school. Years later I was told that parents were informed by letter to speak to their sons about this teacher. If parents were concerned contact the police. Parents were concerned of course but it was handled differently.

Ducksurprise · 09/02/2023 13:43

Dwellingbuyingdilemma · 09/02/2023 13:34

Imagine fielding questions via email and phone from up to 150 sets of parents. In person there can be discussion and Q&A.

Show quote history

And you think that all parents will meekly read this and not contact school today?

HangerLaneGyratorySystem · 09/02/2023 13:44

Its something you won't like (or a lot of other parents won't like) and because its close of business on last day of that term, no one will be able to do anything about it for a week. Ex chair of school governors here, we used to have certain times and ways to break news.

Teacher being accused of something dodgy is usually letters sent home.

justasking111 · 09/02/2023 13:45

Ducksurprise · 09/02/2023 13:43

And you think that all parents will meekly read this and not contact school today?

Show quote history

Nope

justasking111 · 09/02/2023 13:46

HangerLaneGyratorySystem · 09/02/2023 13:44

Its something you won't like (or a lot of other parents won't like) and because its close of business on last day of that term, no one will be able to do anything about it for a week. Ex chair of school governors here, we used to have certain times and ways to break news.

Teacher being accused of something dodgy is usually letters sent home.

So it's still preferred 50 years later

Summerfun54321 · 09/02/2023 13:49

Just go to the meeting if you can and find out. Obviously they can't find a day or time to suit everyone so they just have to pick one and parents make it or dont make it. They have to make it sound serious and vague so that parents actually make the effort to turn up.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 09/02/2023 13:50

Dwellingbuyingdilemma · 09/02/2023 13:34

Imagine fielding questions via email and phone from up to 150 sets of parents. In person there can be discussion and Q&A.

Show quote history

Which is exactly what is going to be happening today anyway with people trying to find out how serious, is their child involved, do they really need to cancel work/hospital appointment/caring commitments, can they bring younger children etc etc.

A clearly worded message giving some information is not beyond them.

Ponderingwindow · 09/02/2023 13:51

We had a very serious incident happen at our school this year. Serious as in the teacher was arrested. The head didn’t mess about with in-person, school-wide meetings. The necessary information was relayed quickly and efficiently via email.

if it were truly serious, I don’t think they would be waiting for a meeting.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 09/02/2023 13:51

Even the school I worked in with the nightmare scenario where a teacher was arrested for assaulting a pupil managed to word the “please come and hear the details rather than the gossip” meeting request clearer than that!

HangerLaneGyratorySystem · 09/02/2023 13:52

@justasking111 you inferring I'm old?!

justasking111 · 09/02/2023 13:53

HangerLaneGyratorySystem · 09/02/2023 13:52

@justasking111 you inferring I'm old?!

Nah just wise 😂

LittleBear21 · 09/02/2023 13:53

Never heard of such a letter/so little information being given. Very odd/worrying tone from school and not how I'd expected to be treated as a parent (summoned). My DS hasn't reached Year 6 yet, so I'm keen to hear what this is actually all about given how they've chosen to communicate (not communicate) with you.

Catnary · 09/02/2023 13:53

Ducksurprise · 09/02/2023 12:54

But what really is that important that it can

A. Wait 24 Hours
B. Affect all of y6 but parents are not yet aware.
C. Can't be put in an email.
D. Can be told to a group of people at once.

I would be livid if I cancelled my rounds to be told of inappropriate WA business. Even if there is a safeguarding issue, it wouldn't directly affect my child (because if it did I'd expect a 1 to1 not a meeting in a hall)

More likely they think it looks poorly on the school so don't want to put it in writing.

You have absolutely nailed this.

Conkersinautumn · 09/02/2023 13:53

Internet safety week took a surprising turn at this school? If it is super urgent then surely today / an email would be the way to go. Speculation is pretty damaging to school / community relations.

Fink · 09/02/2023 13:53

justasking111 · 09/02/2023 13:26

Fine but at a time to suit parents not teaching staff

Show quote history

I used to be a teacher and now I'm a youth worker, so I frequently have to arrange meetings for groups of parents. Believe me, there's no such thing as this magic time that suits parents in general:

  • evenings no good. Childcare options are much more limited than in the daytime, especially at short notice. A large number are either single parent households or one parent works evenings. Our lowest attendance at parents' meetings is when they're held at 7pm, 8pm.
  • early morning (i.e. before school) no good for people who have a quick turnaround time between school drop off and commute, or who use breakfast clubs.
  • during school time no good for parents who work standard office hours.
  • so at school pick up, or shortly after, really is the least worst option. A lot of parents have already arranged their working life to be able to do pick ups. It doesn't suit everyone, but nothing does.
  • the only option which has higher attendance rates than straight after school, IME, is a weekend morning. But you have to be sure it's something pretty serious to call a school meeting on Saturday morning, because no one is going (staff or parents) is going to thank you for calling that one and disrupting everyone's sports clubs and lie in plans. That's the nuclear option for something very very serious that you really need everyone to attend.
IAmWomanHearMeRoar1 · 09/02/2023 13:54

If your children are in year 6 and it affects them/their classmates etc surely your kids would know what it's about as they're there. So ask your child what it's about.

Theluggage15 · 09/02/2023 13:55

How unprofessional of the Head. It’s so serious they can’t be bothered to do a proper explanatory email which would be the normal way of communicating. If they want a meeting it should be in the evening and no she doesn’t get to demand parents attend. What terrible comms all round.