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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is school being unrassonable?

87 replies

Vickibee · 20/04/2013 13:13

We got a letter home friday stating we must collect our children at 315 instead of the usual 330 . This is because they are starting parents eve apps at 315. My work finishes at 3pm planned to fit school finishes and the earliest I can arrive is 325 as it is a 10 mile journey. My boss is really finicky over time and will not be happy about me leaving early but what else am I meant to do
Would parents be within their rights to complain about this to the LEA?

OP posts:
Original poster
Vickibee · 20/04/2013 13:17

This is for the whole of next week

OP posts:
Softlysoftly · 20/04/2013 13:18

If you go by your logic why should the teachers have to sort childcare for their kids to stay until 9/10 at night doing parents evening for you lot?

Think You might have to just get over thisone

wellcoveredsparerib · 20/04/2013 13:18

no , school are not unreasonable but your boss is. its not going to be a regular thing is it. tell work you have no choice but to leave a little early and you will make up the time ..

Original poster
Vickibee · 20/04/2013 13:19

Parents eve apps end at 430 pm anyway

OP posts:
TantrumsAndBalloons · 20/04/2013 13:20

Complain about what?

They have given you notice haven't they?

If this didnt happen, parents evening would be later which would probably annoy someone else.

Can't you take a shorter lunch or go in earlier?
Or arrange for someone else to pick up DC?

I don't know what complaining to the LA would actually achieve.

School isn't there to fit in with your childcare plans, sorry. And I am also a FT WOHM so I know it can be difficult.

janey68 · 20/04/2013 13:20

I think it's very unreasonable to just tell parents the week before! But if it's been calendared like this since sept then that's different. Still a bit odd to Finish earlier, but not unreasonable if due notice is given .tbh most working parents must be using childcare anyway- you must be the exception finishing at 3!

Original poster
Vickibee · 20/04/2013 13:21

Not really as I can't tell work until monday morn, so not really given notice IMO

OP posts:
Rosesforrosie · 20/04/2013 13:22

Talk to the school they will let your DC read a book in the library for 10 mins it's no big deal.

Salmotrutta · 20/04/2013 13:22

So you only got three days notice? And just before the weekend!

That's very tight and you certainly have a complaint right there!

I've never encountered this situation in Secondary (or the whole time my own kids were in school tbh) so I don't know if changing a finishing time is "normal" or not?

Original poster
Vickibee · 20/04/2013 13:23

The child care after school club collects children at 330 when preschool has ended so not sure how this would work either

OP posts:
Salmotrutta · 20/04/2013 13:24

Is it on the school calendar?

SavoyCabbage · 20/04/2013 13:24

I live in Australia. We have to keep our children at home on parents evening day. Twice a year.

We have to pay for school swimming lessons, or our child doesn't go. Same for all school trips. We have to buy all our own books and pencils etc or your child has no books. We have to take in a box of tissues every term.

Original poster
Vickibee · 20/04/2013 13:25

It is primary and he is only six, if he was older it wouldn't be a problem as he could sit and wait. The school day is meant to be 9 until 330 pm and should not be changed on a whim with no notice or consulattion

OP posts:
Original poster
Vickibee · 20/04/2013 13:26

No it is not scheduled as such in the calendar. Parents eve have always been after school before and it is a new thing totally out of the blus

OP posts:
janey68 · 20/04/2013 13:26

I suspect if the school has an arrangement for after school provision they will just adjust the timings- perhaps the nursery will finish earlier too? I do think you should have been given more notice. But I think tbh there will be very few parents affected because they'll either be not working, or if they do work they'll have childcare sorted anyway

ballstoit · 20/04/2013 13:27

YANBU

Sending notice yesterday about this happening Monday and the whole of next week is not okay.

There are lots of parents who will be affected by this in different ways eg leaving work early (don't know many workplaces who would be okay with employees disappearing 15 mins early, every day for a week), having to find extra payment for child minder, after school clubs may not have staff 15 minutes earlier, may have multiple pick ups from different schools.

I would be complaining, teachers are contracted for parents evenings, they get paid for staying late occasionally.

Salmotrutta · 20/04/2013 13:27

Most school trips are paid for by parents over here too.

And although schools will provide pencils to pupils who haven't got one they are certainly expected to provide their own by secondary.

We also don't provide tissues - that's a parents job. Although I do buy my own box as there's nothing worse than a sniffing pupil!

Jinsei · 20/04/2013 13:28

I would just explain to the school on Monday that you haven't had sufficient notice to make alternative arrangements and that you will pick up at 3.25pm. I'm sure he can wait in the library with a book or something.

Salmotrutta · 20/04/2013 13:28

That was to Savoy by the way! Grin

Original poster
Vickibee · 20/04/2013 13:28

My friend has a cm collect her dd from the school and shed cant collect at 315 as she is picking kids up from another school at 310. What a mess

OP posts:
Salmotrutta · 20/04/2013 13:30

It's sounds like an ill-thought out, last minute disaster tbh.

Original poster
Vickibee · 20/04/2013 13:31

The last adapt is at 430 pm anyway it iss not like they are staying til 9pm or anything. I am not really one for complaining but this has made me feel quite angry, parents have not been consulted in any way

OP posts:
kim147 · 20/04/2013 13:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

maddening · 20/04/2013 13:32

Ask about the after school club ? Do they have places for a week?

janey68 · 20/04/2013 13:33

What childcare do you use in the mornings before school? Could your child be picked up after as well as a one-off
I've every sympathy with the fact that enough notice wasn't given, but none at all for those who complain it'll cost them a bit extra in childcare... FGS that's what using childcare is all about- you pay for the hours you need, we've all had occasions when we've had to work late or whatever, and paid extra

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