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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to expect school to communicate they are taking an extra class

24 replies

beckstar24 · 05/04/2011 13:59

before admitting them? School places were allocated yesterday yet we were told by the school that no decision had been made on a bulge class - now it turns out there is one but only as I asked.

The school is being expanded but it will take 2 years so there is an extra class to accommodate throughout the expansion.

Just thought it might be nice to tell the parents beforehand?

OP posts:

FabbyChic · 05/04/2011 14:01

What difference would it make to you? Why do you think you should have been advised, not understanding your AIBU sorry.

worraliberty · 05/04/2011 14:01

What reason would the parents want to know for?

wannaBe · 05/04/2011 14:01

why?

What does it matter to you if there is an extra class?

Littlefish · 05/04/2011 14:02

Unless your child is in the bulge class (or possibly the parrallel class), then there is no real reason why you need to know.

ashamedandconfused · 05/04/2011 14:03

i dont understand the problem - is your child going to be crammed into a classroom that cannot cope with the number of kids? or do you not want your Dc to be a part of what will end up a much bigger school than you had thought?

Original poster

beckstar24 · 05/04/2011 14:11

NOt that - but it means an extra portakabin classroom on site (they already have one) whilst the school is crammed onto half the site whilst they effectively build a new school (8 class rooms and other rooms) on site - my DS is already at the school and my DD will start this year so both will be affected - I guess it's more because they said they definitely wouldn't and now we sneakily find out they have

OP posts:

ashamedandconfused · 05/04/2011 14:12

first you said they had not decided, now you say they had said definitely no - which is it

Littlefish · 05/04/2011 14:12

The decision may not have been made until recently. The LEA will have been waiting to hear back from parents either accepting or rejecting all school places to see whether a bulge class was needed.

SarkyLady · 05/04/2011 14:13

Presumably the decision was taken quite recently in response to increased applications.

worraliberty · 05/04/2011 14:14

Most LA's are pressuring schools to take on new classrooms due to lack of places. My son's school has also taken on a 5th reception class in a portac
kabin.

The decision is soley down to the Governors and Head Teacher.

When my eldest started in the same school, there were only 2 classes in each year. Now there are 4 in each year and 5 in Reception.

At no point did I ever think the school should have run it by the parents because it's down to the school, not me.

MajorBumsore · 05/04/2011 14:14

Was about to ask the same question ashamed. The school will be under a great deal of pressure to do this by the way, they won't be doing it to get one over on you

ashamedandconfused · 05/04/2011 14:15

so for a bit of short term chaos, lack of space and noise/disruption, your kids will end up with a newer, bigger, modern school - sounds great to me!

do you think the teaching will be any less good?

I did not really enjoy it when we had a kitchen refurb but it was sooooo worth it! and we did not starve in the process either.

the kids will probably LOVE the excitement of it all!

codandchipstwice · 05/04/2011 14:19

The school officially said no decision, the head unofficially said definitely not as nowhere to house it as no space - and whilst yes the long term benefits will be good that's 2 whole years plus it's going to take to get there, a long nearly a third of their time at school - with not having access to outside space becuase of the building works - I think that is rather a lot to ask of small children

mumto2andnomore · 05/04/2011 14:23

No access to the outside at all ,are you sure ? The Foundation stage relies heavily on free flow to the outdoors.

Hassled · 05/04/2011 14:24

The Governors can't tell you until it is carved in stone by LA Admissions. And LA Admissions will carve it in stone when they feel like it. Have been there as a Gov and it was very frustrating.

If a school is asked to expand, they can decline - but bear in mind most of school funding is on a per-pupil basis. More pupils = more cash, and while yes, there is the extra teacher and the extra resources to pay for, the remainder of the money will benefit the whole school. No school these days is really going to be in a position to say no.

worraliberty · 05/04/2011 14:28

Who said there was no access to outside space?

codandchipstwice · 05/04/2011 14:29

Hassled - thanks for the explanation - it does make sense to a point

Just generally very aggrieved with school anyway and this is the last straw so to speak

worraliberty · 05/04/2011 14:32

Oh right you've changed nickname OP....that's why I was confused

So there will be no playtime/outside PE at all for the children for 2 whole years?

crazygracieuk · 05/04/2011 14:40

Our school has had to take a bulge class and had a brand new building for the juniors but didn't announce it until the funding etc was in space. It has meant that Reception has gone from 2 classes of 30 to 3 classes of 22. The school probably found out about the bulge class after the application deadline and the LA knew how many places were available vs how many were needed.

You should be relieved that the school is getting money for building when so many schools have had their building work cancelled.

CaptainNancy · 05/04/2011 14:43

The school may well have had no say in the decision- schools in my LA did not.

We turned down a place as DD was in the bulge class- parents were promised a rebuild, which obviously has gone out of the window now... 18mo on no building work has been started, children (not Reception admittedly) are in portakabins.

worraliberty · 05/04/2011 14:46

That's very unusual Captain normally it's entirely down to the Head Teacher and Governors.

Nothing wrong with portakabins really though. My son's one was nice and cosey, well heated and a seperate toilet from the rest of the classes.

ChippyMinton · 05/04/2011 14:50

Modern portacabins are fine though.

Our school was forced to make a bulge class last year because of the numbers that won a place on appeal, plus several out-of-catchment siblings that the school wanted to accommodate.

It will be interesting to see what happens this year re appeals.

CaptainNancy · 05/04/2011 14:51

The problem with portakabins is that they take up valuable external space- something of a premium in inner city school yards with no greenspace.

CaptainNancy · 05/04/2011 15:07

I am also surprised that no-one on this thread seems perturbed by the rapid expansion of schools!

There is a huge difference in the 'feel' of a 2-form entry school than a 4-form entry school- some children would not be able to cope in a very large school, likewise some find a small school difficult to cope with- when you apply for a school place you make the decision on the information you have when you look around schools and speak with the staff- NONE of the staff mentioned to us the possibility of expansion, and I know the decision was only made by the LEA in the 2 weeks prior to letter going out (when parents with children already at the school were also informed)

Our LA has seen a >25% increase in birth rate- obviously this is going to impact hugely on school places- but I cannot believe that increasing schools' intake numbers will not have a detrimental effect on their performance, and on the pupils' learning.

They should be building new schools, not expanding existing ones that are already in overcrowded conditions with outdated, dilapidated buildings.
Goodness knows what will happen by the time it comes to Secondary school for this cohort

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