to think tesco ad's in home/school diary are wrong.

[jollyma]

Ds, y3, came home today with a home/school diary full of tesco, stabilo, nintendo, x-box, etc ads. Its obviously done to save money but I just think its wrong. AIBU?

i agree.. they don't need advertising shoved in their faces at school

I'd send it back and ask for the information to be provided in an acceptable format. The school adding their imprimatur to advertising has an impact both on parents and children. It's only recently that schools have been stopped, or at least discouraged, from operating vending machines sponsored by confectionary companies, and the basic idea - that almost anything's acceptable if the school gets bunged a couple of quid - is pernicious.

Does anyone know if this is common at primary schools?

Disgraceful

If it was my dc's school, I'd complain straightaway.

I've pulled out a few of the pages but ds is thrilled with it. Will definitely speak to head.

Just pass comment that you think Tesco is a grubby/rip off/unfriendly/disorganised supermarket that you dislike shopping in.

DCs will be much more influenced by mum's view than some ad.

Complain, this is awful. One teeny step from having lunches sponsored by Pepsi or Bernard Matthews.Seriously, I would be fuming and marching back to school with it tomorrow.

jollyma - my son has too. Which area of the country are you? wondering if it is a suppliers problem...

Not good. Could you get some stickers to go over the ads?

That's awful - I'd definitely complain, is the school so short of funds that they have to endorse a big business ? I almost find it unbelievable (not calling you a liar) but just can't imagine how this would be allowed to happen. Do the governors know about it ?

We are in essex but they have the school logo printed on the front so I think must have been ordered by the school. There is an ad on nearly every page plus about 6 full page ads for tesco football camps, book of records and pens.

Josie, i have explained why i dont like it but feel thoroughly fed up with the whole school experience as i seem to be disagreeing w so many of their basic principles and approaches. I'm worried that my negativity towards the school is going to effect his positive attitude about going there.

Lots of big businesses sponsor events and also produce project / topic packs.

I would imagine that the school is most probably very short of funds.

In order to print the home/school diary in the format they have they will probably have asked for advertisers.

It is the way many schools manage to fund things.

It may not be right, and I am not suggesting it is, but I think you need to take a reality check about school funding.

It is not right, nor are the Natwest "maths" lessons or the biology topic packs provided by Monsanto etc etc.
I agree that school funding must be dire for them to have to accept this but it is not right and parents need to complain if they have a problem with it.

Complaining won`t make any difference to lack of school funds.

I completely understand the attraction but just think it is not right and for this school unnecessary. They make their own infant ones and could have asked the pa to help if they really needed flash ones for the juniors.

YANBU, I'd be livid.

No, quite right crisproll, doing nothing at all is much more productive.

Its produced by a company called boomerang-ed.com i've had a look at their website and it doesn't make it clear on the primary diary page that there is adverts. I will be making enquiries tomorrow about why they were purchased. I probably can cut most of the ads out but ds will be v upset so i probably wont. I just wish they hadn't put me in this position.

crisproll2 - the amount of funding the school gets is only one half of the equation, what about how its spent ?
I know how hard it is to manage a school budget but maybe it isn't being done properly at jollyma's school.

jollyma - it would be very interesting to know how much is being received by the school for the advertising.

Interesting, I'm in Essex too and my dcs don't get a home/school diary past reception, and even then it is just a plain exercise book - the whole thing is totally unnecessary. If I need to communicate with the dd's teachers (ds is in Reception) I can see dd2's TA before school to pass on messages or leave a note with the school office for dd1's teacher, who will ring me during the day if she thinks she needs to talk to me.

Try having a look on the DofE website for guidance about advertising within schools. I woudl also complain to the Governors.

You could also try contacting someone like Ethical Consumer. They recommend boycotting several companies on ethical grounds and you could see if any are in the diary. This gives you something to take to the head. Ethical Consumer have a good website which has loads of info on it here

Do I have a right to ask how much they got for it? Are school spending accounts available to parents?

Do I have a right to ask how much they got for it? Are school spending accounts available to parents?

one of the schools I used to work in is actually NAMED after a supermarket now, I am not joking "The XYZ (original name) ABC (name of supermarket) academy"

if tesco etc are daft enough to think that these ads will influence parents to shop there they must be mad

schools must take all money from wherever they can legally get it!

Its produced by a company called boomerang-ed.com i've had a look at their website and it doesn't make it clear on the primary diary page that there is adverts. I will be making enquiries tomorrow about why they were purchased. I probably can cut most of the ads out but ds will be v upset so i probably wont. I just wish they hadn't put me in this position.

I believe you can ask for minutes of the Governors meetings nder the Freedom of Information Act and this must come up during their meetings. Presumably you can ask to see the accounts, too.

I'd like to know if a profit is made on school meals as I've heard a whisper that it is.