Slightly annoyed at head of private school...

[chilligarlic]

...emailed request to 'take dd (4ys, reception) out of school for additional time before end of term (unexpexted trip to my family in oz) two days ago. No response, nor acknowledgment of email. We have reserved airline tickets and now have paid for them.

Private school, ffs should she not have a PA to deal with if too busy, failing that im being a moaning cow and my mail went into spam.

Even more pissed off as when dd started school her teacher was absent after a week leaving us to deal with 'where is my teacher' and no communication from school, she was absent for approx a week for personal reasons, no problem, but perhaps the school could have told parents, as opposed to girls going in every day not knowing if teacher would be there.

Grrrr....

Actually, Sharrie, the rudeness was started by others well before the OP made disparaging comments about state school.

I don't think anyone was rude until the "lucky to be wealthy" remark. But honestly, putting private school in the thread title was obviously intended to provoke, surely?

So, it wasn't rude to comment on her "sense of entitlement", to just post the sarcastic emoticons, smart arse comments about being a lottery winner (which is why the OP responded abut being lucky to be wealthy. At least she accepts she is lucky)

It has already been ascertained that saying it was private was unnecessary. I am just interested at how that one small piece of information governed the rudeness of the responses. I doubt it was intended to provoke, no. TBH, you would expect a slicker operation from a private school as they would have more support staff - a simple fact of more money for salaries. Kind of relevant... Lord knows I wouldn't expect an instant turnaround from DCs state primary, they have too much to do.

Anyway, it is well known that you aren't allowed to mention having money on MN without then being fair game for snotty comments.

I actually think the OP sounds rather grounded and not at all smug, rude or entitled. They were allocated their 5th choice school so went private - many people do end up doing this if allocated schools are dire and they are indeed lucky to be able to do so. I would expect a quicker response from a private school than I would from state. I wouldn't rely on just an email getting through though.

Tbh when I sent my DD1 to a private school at age 4 I also assumed the "service" would be better...how wrong was I?!

Granted some private schools are bette than others at communication but the school we chose, where DD went for three years, were TERRIBLE at keeping us in the loop. Teachers were always busy....head was dissmisive. So we left.

We're shocked & thrilled at the info and activities on offer in her new state school.

Well, that says it all really, Sharrie.

SoupDragon The OP set the tone. I'm an independent school parent myself so not in the least anti-private schooling.

soupy quite. Had there been no mention of "private", this thread would have had a totally different tone.

And I can see why she did mention it, because it is reasonable to assume that a private school would not have an understaffed admin office. State schools often do.

trois been meaning to ask - are you named after the restaurant or is it as simple as you have three boys. Just curious

I think all children at private schools should have their own PAs to organise their diaries - then your daughter's PA could have liaised with head teacher and this sorry mess would never have ensued.

I think it's odd you haven't had an acknowledgement at the very least.

And yes, if you're paying, you expect better than if you're not.

Or why would one pay?

You don't actually need an acknowledgement though do you? Because if the head comes back and says "no you can't go" you'll just ignore it.

I'd consider the school notified and mention it in passing to your child's teacher the day or so before you go.

I'd phone to check they got it and are aware of your plans.

I have no need to lighten up, Sharrie, but thank you for your patronising concern.

get some candles soupy

heh heh

or did she mean DIET?!

I agree with Soup. We could do with some fish to go with all the chips on this thread.

And more vinegar

Proudnscary - Great idea.

OP If you need an instant answer, have you thought of texting the head? A simple '?' or 'well?' would do it.

Well, never imagined such fiasco, thanks queen of denial, I mentioned private simply because they are not 'understaffed' - Certainly not to ascertain my 'wealth' (which comes from years of study/ and now very long hours to afford for my children what I never had as a child) Never realised mumsnet posters were so vicious. My initial post stated 'maybe I am being a moaning cow as email may not have been received' it wasn't, all sorted now. Last time I get in a huff and air my views on MN, whilst acknowledging in the same instance I could rightly be wrong.

Thanks to all the positive posters, and to those who enlightened me on time off protocol, very helpful for the future.

(the trouble with AIBU is things tend to get blown up - I once posted moaning about dh and then I had all kinds of people who I had never met me or dh telling me he was controlling and that maybe I should leave him - WTF .... .. so chilligarlic take advice you want to read and ignore the rest)

Never post on AIBU-not unless very thick skinned! People do it when they think they are not unreasonable and people are quick to put them right. You would have done better in an education topic and leaving 'private' out, as state v private is another contententious topic!