to think closing a school for a day is not unavoidable if you're arranging it five months in advance?

[girlpancake]

Apparently, the local police commissioner elections are to be held on Thursday 15 November. DCs primary school is a polling station so it will be closed on this day. But the school has already set its five staff training days for 2012-13, so they are booking this day in as an Unavoidable Closure Day, like a snow day.
Surely they could move a staff training day that's not happening for months rather than just shutting the school like the lazy shysters they are?
Is this happening at any other schools?

ANTagony that's a thought. don't know what the criteria is?

I dont think that is true trikster I have been to polling stations to vote where the school was open and an area cordoned off to allow access to a portacabin classroom to vote in and our leisure centre was a polling centre onve, the main hall with squash courst etc was closed but the gym/pool was all open

Oh & 'they are taking all their five training days' means they are utilising five days of the holidays for training, as they are obliged to do.

the training is very likely something they cannot do without or rearrange to another time

I think that it has to be a community building, our chapels are used for things other than one strict religion and musn't be used for anything other than polling on day of polling.

I just can't see how something can't be rearranged with five months notice. I just can't. You could arrange a wedding with that much notice.

When a building is being used as a polling station it is not available for use by other groups.

HTH

That sounds annoying, although probably not the school's fault. It seems that the hours and workings of British schools are based around the outdated idea that mothers do not work.

I just can't see how something can't be rearranged with five months notice. I just can't. You could arrange a wedding with that much notice

Like a parent taking a days holiday? Or arranging childcare for instance?

In Scotland, it is illegal for the building a polling station is in to be used for anything else on the same day.

Your local council probably chooses the polling stations so you may want to get n touch with them.

Also in Scotland, the local authority can apply to the Scottish government for additional closure days, for example if a school is moving premises or something else UNAVOIDABLE, like an election.

I work for my la, and know the electoral officer well. I am also a school governor.
Our school was a polling station in may. The school was closed to pupils because there wasn't a room that could be isolated that was DDA compliant. As a result the hall was the only suitable room and the pupils couldn't come in,
However the rest of the staff came in and had training all day.

I am not a teacher basher by the way,
I cannot believe that the ht could not rearrange training, ok for externally arranged courses but it's rare for all 5 training days to be on external training. In my school the ht often uses at least one training day to work on whole school initiatives bringing in new reading schemes for example.

So OP I don't think uabu.

Training is training, not a holiday! I'm not sure how that makes teachers "lazy" but there we go. I appreciate that a day off means a loss of earnings but with 5 months notice you can book a paid day off yourself!

I have to be honest OP, your tone hasn't really done you any favours on this one.

To be fair, I get irritated myself by the dc's school closing for polling. It is indeed a PITA re: childcare, & I can never quite see why they couldn't use a local pub with a function room instead.

But it's not the school's fault.

I doubt the teachers will have had a say in whether the school was closed or not so the 'lazy shyster' comment is just plain rude and you have until mid November to sort out childcare....not sure I see a huge issue

AThing, I'm not sure that is quite right. No one else is allowed in the polling station, but that's the school hall itself, not the whole building. Electoral Commission guidance says that in case of problems with the intended polling station, presiding officers may make alternative arrangements (providing they are secure, confidential etc). Apparently the back of cars have been used before....

OP, I share your frustration. DS's school, is used as a polling station even though there is a council owned hall across the road... It is tough when you both work to make ad hoc arrangements, and I do think schools sometimes forget this. I don't think they are being lazy, just not very flexible or thinking creatively.

But your kids could get sick & then you'll have to take time off, too. I mean, it's a hazard of being a parent. I don't like taking holiday to cover weird things either, but it's generally known as part of the deal when you sign up.

Thankyou Idontdoironing It just seems the convenience of the school is being put before the convenience of hundreds of parents, and a day's education for the children.

How is it convenient for the school?

It's obviously convenient for those running the election, but all the school get out of it are mardy parents as far as I can see. We generally try to avoid that.

I have a feeling that the school couldn't win with you, OP, whatever they did.

They have notified you with plenty of time for something they consider unavoidable. 'Parents, we have to do this, here is 5 months notice so you have plenty of time to arrange childcare while the school is closed.'

I can imagine the reaction if they'd given you a weeks notice. Or if you've organised childcare and they then find a way around it and cancel it so you no longer need childcare.

Like I say... they can't win. And it doesn't sound like you hold them in particularly high regard, anyway.

Never really feel my dcs school tries to avoid that, but that's another whole thread...

I bet they speak ever so highly of you in the staffroom, though, OP .

You're getting angry at the wrong people. You need to voice your concerns to whichever body selected the school as the polling station - local council usually.

As stated above, the teachers are probably not even allowed in the building. They will probably be directed to work at home that day , or even directed to work at another school in the authority- they won't get a day off work just because they don't have your child in front of them .

The INSET days are not necessarily easy to change. First 2 days of term cannot now be changed, INSET provided by exam boards cannot be changed, external INSET providers may be limited in terms of available dates, safeguarding INSET cannot be allowed to "lapse" . Running a school extends beyond considering what favours you owe people.

Taking a day of annual leave to not have to get up on a cold November morning, and spend a cosy day watching movies with my DD sounds like bliss to me. Something to look forward to. You not fancy it, OP?

Surely between the pair of you one of you can take a days holiday. All my holiday gets used on appointments for my daughter, as parents its part of life.

Yanbu, they could hold it in the local library.
I really don't know working families cope. I'm not teacher bashing, they do a fab job, but with 5 months notice they can make other alternatives