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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be pissed off at DS's future primary school already?

32 replies

gaelicsheep · 03/02/2011 23:35

Enrolment week this week. Get it? This week. So why does DS's nursery teacher have a go at DH because he didn't stay there on Monday morning and fill out the enrolment form there and then when it was given to him along with the very poorly produced "prospectus"? And again today because we didn't return an acknowledgement slip of the school placement notification absolutely immediately?

Is it the norm for schools to treat the parents like children? And to be totally disorganised, totally unreasonable, and expect parents to drop everything at the school's whim?

If we had another choice we'd be thinking twice about this school after the last couple of days. Angry

OP posts:
BeerTricksPotter · 03/02/2011 23:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

scottishmummy · 03/02/2011 23:50

why is it your only choice?did you chose it

sunnydelight · 03/02/2011 23:51

Some schools are better at administration than others unfortunately.

mutznutz · 03/02/2011 23:51

Why couldn't he take a few minutes to fill in the form on Monday morning and get it over with? And why did he not return the slip today?

The school are perhaps concerned that your child wont get into the school at all. They like to send all the slips off together as soon as possible to avoid disappointment when parents miss the deadline.

scottishmummy · 03/02/2011 23:52

four days in,you shouldnt get huff so soon.pace it you have years toget annoyed at them.dont expend all energies in 1st week

gapbear · 04/02/2011 04:35

Are you going to donate some money to the school so they can produce a whizzy prospectus? No, you're right, why should you? They can just squeeze the budget somewhere else and use equipment money or something.

YABU. And snobby.

justcarrots29 · 04/02/2011 06:13

YABU - if it needs doing straight away to ensure your son gets a place then do it - just be grateful he has a place at the school you chose. Lots of other people will get in.

Goblinchild · 04/02/2011 06:17

So, if you give the slip in late and miss the deadline and he doesn't get a place, what would you do then?
Complain because the school didn't make the urgency of the situation clear enough at the time?

Original poster
gaelicsheep · 04/02/2011 21:36

mutznutz and others - erm because they didn't ask him to. Because the deadline was today, Friday, not last Monday. Because there was stuff in the pack to read. Because he didn't magically have every piece of information to hand (emergency contacts etc). Because he had a baby in the car who needed her breakfast. Is that good enough for you?

OP posts:
Original poster
gaelicsheep · 04/02/2011 21:37

No choice because it's the only school for 15 miles and the only one where we can get school transport.

OP posts:
Original poster
gaelicsheep · 04/02/2011 21:39

And oversubscription is most definitely not a problem. There are about 5 children his age around here.

OP posts:
Goblinchild · 04/02/2011 21:39

So what exactly did the Nursery teacher say that made him feel she was having a go at him?
You both seem very thin skinned.

marmy55 · 04/02/2011 21:40

he left a baby in the car Confused

that was a joke btw

altinkum · 04/02/2011 21:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
gaelicsheep · 04/02/2011 21:43

School newsletter, sent out on Monday, said enrolment all week, make an appointment

Council website said enrolment all week, drop into the school at 3pm any day.

Nursery teacher hands out enrolment pack on Monday, which does not say it needs returning the same day, and then complains next day that it wasn't done. Hmm

I'm not thin skinned. I'm frustrated that I wasn't there to tell them what I thought. DH is very easily wound up. I can't abide poor information and lack of organisation.

OP posts:
Goblinchild · 04/02/2011 21:44

That makes sense though altinkum, rather than getting all stressed and huffy and wishing there were other schools around.
Just smile and say no.

Original poster
gaelicsheep · 04/02/2011 21:45

This is just the start isn't it? I am going to have to learn to accept this kind of thing because it's going to happen time and time again and I will waste too much energy getting wound up by them. Oh joy.

OP posts:
GnomeDePlume · 04/02/2011 21:45

To answer your question:

'Is it the norm for schools to treat the parents like children? And to be totally disorganised, totally unreasonable, and expect parents to drop everything at the school's whim?'

Yes, I'm afraid so. Dont worry, primary only lasts 6 years or so. Once your DS starts seconadary you will have ceased to exist as a parent and will have been replaced by a cash dispenser.

Goblinchild · 04/02/2011 21:45

Ask the school in a couple of weeks how many they had to chase to make the deadline.

Original poster
gaelicsheep · 04/02/2011 21:46

Goblinchild - it is my first week back at work after 8 months maternity leave. It is DH's first week looking after both children. It is a stressful week!

OP posts:
mutznutz · 04/02/2011 21:47

If there's no choice and that's the only school he's going to...there was no point in reading the pack or the prospectus surely?

Goblinchild · 04/02/2011 21:48

Ahh, bless. He'll have to develop a longer fuse and more patience if he's going to stay sane.

Original poster
gaelicsheep · 04/02/2011 21:49

DH would never fill out something like that without me being able to see it first. And I don't sign anything before I've read the information!

OP posts:
Original poster
gaelicsheep · 04/02/2011 21:50

You're telling me Goblinchild!

I'm not going to get drawn into a long thread about this now. I've had my rant, thanks v much! I have stuff to do. Smile

OP posts:
EditedforClarity · 04/02/2011 21:51

Blimey - you need to pace yourself. Your head will have exploded by the time they get to reception.

You'll get a reputation and then the school secretaries will start exchanging glances like this Hmm

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