to think schools should know where their pupils are?

[stickeywicket]

tried to drop off son's (year 8) lunch today that he had forgotten. Receptionist said she would 'do her best to get it to him - we do have 1500 pupils here.' What?? Surely they all they need to do is look at their timetable and know where he is that way. I wouldn't have minded but her manner was so passive/aggressive. She just kept repeating in a very stressed angry way 'we'll do our best'. I left it at that as my son has just started there and he'd die if he thought I was making any kind of fuss. Should I take it up with the head?

stickey - am wondering why you have only responded to the person who agrees with you

@ noblegiraffe!

Of course the deputy is going to be all nicey nicey on the phone. He's not about to tell you YWBU is he now!?

and still no reply as to why she kept repeating the 'I'll do my best'

When DD2 was a bit younger and had only just started secondary school she went through a phase of forgetting everything - lunch money, school books, PE kits, etc. As she never had any credit on her phone she always ended up badgering the receptionists to let her use their phone to call us and we'd have to go with whatever it was. Needless to say we went in with the right attitude - an attitude of 'I'm really sorry for the disruption to your job, here's the xyz that she forgot, thanks so much for getting it to her' - rather than an attitude like the poor receptionist owed me a favour. We've never had a problem and items always reached DD2 (whether she collected them or they found her).

Some people seem to think that simply because someone is in a front desk position that they don't need to be humble when asking them to do something that isn't in their job remit. It's not a receptionist's job to run around after your children, so at least have the grace to act grateful rather than expectant. If the receptionist had to keep telling the OP that she would do her best, then it sounds like the OP was badgering her for a guarantee that the lunch would reach the child.

We never take things in to DD2 now and haven't done since Y8 - if she forgets it, it's big fat tough titty.

Excellent post notjustme; you sound like the sort of parent that school staff are thankful to come across - supportive, patient and friendly.

Believe me, if a parent has your kind of attitude, staff will bend over backwards to help them. Of course they help everyone - but are a heck of a lot more inclined to assist those parents who believe that there is a partnership between home and school, rather than some sort of business arrangement, where good 'service' is expected.

Most parents are fabulous and do all they can to ensure that their child's and the school's days run as smoothly as possible - the small minority, however, cause the overwhelming majority of unecessary hassle and effort.

Knowing that I'm probably preaching to the converted () can I implore every parent of school-age children to make sure that you:

• make sure that your contact details (especially mobile numbers) are always up to date; several additional contacts are so useful in an emergency. You would not believe how much time and trouble this issue causes

• always return trip consent slips and money as soon as possible

• badger your kids for letters that they might have in their bags!

• phone the school each day that your child is absent, as early as possible

• phone if they have a medical appointment - don't rely on a note to the tutor reaching the office

If every parent did all of these things, there'd be less money spent on admin and more on the actual teaching of children.

Apologies for being a preachy old bag; please enjoy your day

So far this morning...

1. Lunch money
2. PE Kit
3. Message
4. Football boots
5. Lunch

and now a baking tin....

and now a key...

Don't you think, Bella, being on the front line and all, that this sort of thing should be expected and built in by the school (all schools) as part of its modus operandi? It is a building full of children, after all.

It is unrealistic of schools not to make provision of one kind or another.

Indeed, Hully.

I would say that if there were particular people who were serial offenders, then that should be raised.

And also that pupils should know what to do when they realise they've forgotten xyz - ie go to reception and see if someone has kindly droppped it off for you, rather than the receptionist having to traipse about delivering stuff.

There is provision for things like forgotten lunches/money - all they have to do is ask and they will get a cafeteria credit.

If PE kit is forgotten they get to choose from spares and (at dd's school) get a demerit.

It's not like they expect the kids to go hungry.

My dd is in 6th form and forgot her keys the other week. I knew I was going to be late home as I had the dentist appointment from hell (extraction of impacted tooth with deformed roots) - so I sent her a text and told her to go to debating club or use the library for an extra hour. Bit of a pain for her but she's the one who forgot her keys.

Yes. Perhaps schools should use their HUGE budgets to permanently employ a member of staff to collect the belongings of PFBs and distribute them round the school. In fact, perhaps the school could have a little train that goes round all the classrooms, tooting a whistle so little Johnny can come and collect his sandwiches.

My collegaue was telling me yesterday how the manager's WIFE once brought in his sandwiches for him as he'd forgot them. Obviously his staff now have much respect for him....

Dd has just popped back for a coffee during break and reckons if anyone's mummy had dropped their lunch off in year 8, they would have had the piss ripped out of them.

My collegaue was telling me yesterday how the manager's WIFE once brought in his sandwiches for him as he'd forgot them

And?

The manager is a grown man who can walk- and our office is next to a supermarket. Quite why his wife has to take time out of HER work, go home and deliver his sandwiches to him, I have no idea.
But no doubt his mum did the same.

No I don't.

Yes, kids do forget stuff, I know that... I have two boys of my own. But as a working parent, they have to suck it up!!

Having said that, at this school, every week we have a different Yr8 form group that help out and the pupils take it in turns to do a period every day and they do our errands. But, when one pupil forgets (and I am not allowed to leave reception), then it all goes tits up.

At my ds's school it is the childrens' responsibility to come to the office and collect things parents have dropped off. The only way you can be sure of getting anything to them is to make sure you drop it off before afternoon registers are given out and the item can go with the register.

It's the same at DS' junior school, you can drop off things at reception but it is the children't responsibility to pick it up. And they all know what to do when they have forgotten their lunch, even the 7 year olds.

Maybe the deputy delivered the forgotten lunch in person accompanied by a lecture about responsibility :)

What should this system be exactly? How would it work?

Tag 'em! The kids I mean. They we'd know where they are all day

Or microchip them like pets?

If we forgot our lunch when I was at school (and this was before all the high tech emails, phones in every classroom - which is still not all THAT common, cards with lunch credit on etc etc) we borrowed money from the office and had to pay it back the following day. Simple, form tutors knew the system existed and would just send us down with a note to that effect - no need for an endless stream of mums and errands.

Heck even in primary, one primary I know of takes the line that we'll ring home for forgotten swimming kit to be brought into school twice per child only and then you're outta luck matey cos you should have remembered.

She is a receptionist so she would not know where all the pupils are. Yes she probably does have access to the timetables but it will take time to look up where your DS was and sometimes rooms change at the last minute.