to be really annoyed with the school?

[mumnotmachine]

I picked my 9yo son up from school today and he promptly burst into tears when he saw me.

He was due on a nature walk with school this morning, he went in today with the permission slip, wellies and drink as requested.

It turns out he wasnt allowed to go on the walk- the reason? I hadnt crossed out on the permission slip I do/do not give permission.

When I enquired as to why I wasnt contacted (its not as though they had to go delving through files for my number- it was written on the permission slip) the secretary said that due to the number of people who either hadnt sent the slip back or not crossed out the relevant section the head had said it wasnt feasible to contact all those parents for permission.

There were 10 slips.

AIBU to be fuming with the HT?
While I can see that I didnt cross out the relevant part, surely the fact that he had wellies etc with him says something?
And it was 10 slips- wasnt exactly going to involve hours of phoning.

I cried my eyes out in the car- it seems so unfair.

[mumnotmachine]

And they werent going out until "approx" 9.30

[usualsuspect]

Its Elf and safety gorn mad

YANBU .I would be very annoyed too

[TheCrackFox]

I filled in a slip incorrectly and the HT phoned my up at home. She was lovely about it.

YANBU

They could have used common sense as I would imagine that the wellies certainly implied consent.

[Insomnia11]

Yes Friday for Tuesday is very short notice. Most of our stuff comes by e-mail on a Thursday, so I know to check the e-mails in the evening, but the odd note gets put in the bag and doesn't go by e-mail too.

[EuphemiaMcGonagall]

I used to work in a school where many of the kids had chaotic home lives. If they had been this pernickity about form-filling, two-thirds of the kids would never have been on any trips. They would just get all hands on deck phoning parents for verbal permission.

[mumnotmachine]

We dont get emails, or texts, it all comes by letter.
If you actually get a letter to beging with

[bubblesincoffee]

Common sense wouldn't help the school if you tried to sue them for an accident that happened when you hadn't given permission for your son to go on the trip.

'But he had wellies with him!' really wouldn't stand up in court.

It's a shame that this is the way schools have to behave nowadays, but with so many parents ready to complain to the school about the slightest thing, they have to protect themselves.

[cjbartlett]

It's too short notice
If all the slips had a deadline of a week before then there would have been plenty of time to phone parents
At least you'll never make that mistake again though
Bit shocked you cried in the car though, I'd have been jollying my dc on at that point with offers to take him somewhere special at the weekend but perhaps you're emotional at the moment?

[Sirzy]

10 phone calls on top of everything else the secretary will need to do is a lot though. Half the time it will take a few calls to get through to the parent.

I feel very sorry for your son but don't blame the school for the stance they took

[mrsdonkeybucket]

And the Education Minister has announced that he will be cutting 'elf and safety roolz from skoolz so that lots of red tape can be cut.......

"No, we can't take your child who has provided the proper equipment (eg wellies) to go on a walk in a field adjacent to the school, but we can take them base-jumping (for example ) without your permission.

[Bast]

I'd arrange an alternative trip for him (and any of his school friends who were barred from the trip and wished to come) during school time and ring the school on the day of absence, stating absence for educational reasons.

[mumnotmachine]

He was the only one in his class that didnt go

[MorticiaAddams]

How did the other 9 manage to do the trip then?

[mrsdonkeybucket]

mum

(((HUG)))

I do feel for you and your DS.

I would actually do as bast suggested. Keep him off and go on a nature walk of your own, and tell the school why.

[marcopront]

Why didn't you fill the form in correctly?

[mumnotmachine]

They didnt Morticia, he was the only one in HIS class that didnt go. The others were in different classes

[mumnotmachine]

Because Marco, I am human and I made a mistake.

MY mistake which my son has been punished for.

[LineRunner]

I'm with you OP. Your intent was clear.

[mumnotmachine]

Thankyou Linerunner

[pointydog]

10 kids didn't have the slip correctly filled in and handed in before the day of the trip? Is that right?

If that's the case, I can understand the school having a crackdown. That's a high number.

Trips take a lot of organising and school office staff have LOADS to do without making up to 10 phone calls every day there's a trip on.

[zelda1982]

I don't see why the HT couldn't of just circled that bit (so if something were to happen he'd be covered) rather than disappoint the poor kids. There'd be no proof the op didnt circle it.

[youonlygetonelife]

I feel sad for you and your son.

You need to persuade your school to go with a blanket permission system for local trips instead. At our school, we sign a permission slip at the beginning of the year to say that the children may be taken out of school on foot in the local area. Then the school don't need to collect new permission slips each time; parents are just informed that the outing will take place. We only have permission slips then for longer/further trips involving coaches etc.

Saves loads of time and hassle for school and parents.

[zelda1982]

That is if it was obvious the mother intended their kids to go ie wellies etc

[southeasthamster]

thank god the tories want to cut down on all this permission slip crap (though that's the only good thing i have to say about them)

[Fifis25StottieCakes]

YANBU , i think our school would have contacted me. They rang me today to say my dd had no sandwiches in her packed lunch (still on bench when i came in) and they have gave her a sandwich so dont worry shes had some dinner.