To bring my children who will sit quietly during the parent teacher interview?

[DingbatsFur]

We have two DSs, both in primary school & no local family. The schools here used to allow children to come with their parents to the parent teacher interview and sit quietly outside the class for 15 minutes. It worked reasonably well and is common practice here.
Apparently last year a couple of children misbehaved and now we are told not to bring the children to the interview. Today's school collection brought home two appointments for interviews. One on the day my DH picks up the kids & one on the day I pick up the kids. Meaning we will need either to rearrange all the existing childcare arrangements and then take time off, or.... Take the kids to the interview.
My sons are generally well behaved and if handed an ipod each are likely to be quiet.
AIBU to bring the kids (though informing the teacher of the predicament beforehand)?

I simply would not be going and the HT would be getting a very firmly worded letter.

Or I'd simply take no notice and leave the DDs in the corridor anyway.

I'm afraid it is the sort of village school where the parents decline to treat the nice (but young and inexperienced) heads word as law. We have been known to organise him.

It is a daft policy, kids are allowed to come into parents evening here and they listen to what the teacher says as well, or they can sit outside or go to the computer room.

At my eldest's high school all the kids go.

Exactly, not letting the primary DCs sit in the corridor wouldn't work here.

Not many people have local family and their babysitting friends will also be at parents evening.

Leaving the DCs with dad and only mum going or visa versa is not a option for single parents or for those of us who's DH's have long commutes and don't always make parents evening as it is.

A few of you have copied and pasted my comment.

I have never heard of no children at a parent evening before.

DH has come home and agreed we should make a stand. I will tak to the impacted teachers tomorrow and if necessary strongly worded letter to HT will be prepared.

Take a stand by sitting the children down nicely... Oh dear, what a rebel I have become.

But it's not a parents evening, it's a parents afternoon. If the school are going to arrange something to cause maximum inconvenience to parents they should provide somewhere for the children to sit.
In most two parent families at least one parent will work so a least one parent has to take time off if both parents want to attend. If you are a lone parent it would be even more difficult, especially if there is no one to look after the children.
I'd just take them along to be honest.

If the school is shut every afternoon for a week, then assuming it's an ordinary state school (not academy, free, private etc), and in England, then it is probably breaking the law requiring schools to be open for 380 sessions/190 days a year. You might wish to point this out. Some schools try to be clever by having registration after lunch then sending the children home. They are being ridiculous and I would complain to the Governing Body if you have no luck with the HT.

The whole situation of closing the school for the afternoon sounds ridiculous- how inconvenient for the parents but convenient, no doubt for the staff.
I would just have a word with the form teacher and explain that you will need to bring the DC as you have no childcare or else please could they arrange the appointment at a mutually convenient time.

I would take them anyway. Not say a word.
It's unavoidable and frankly quite ridiculous when there are lots of parents without childcare facing this issue.
I'm just a very bossy person who wouldn't be told I cannot take my children to school.

Btw our secondary school closes all day for " parents consultations "
3 weeks out of 5!
I shall be checking the rules regarding attendance for this, thanks Mrs Short fuse

The Law

If the school is an academy then the law about number of hours etc doesn't apply any more.

We're in NI but I will look that up Mrs Shortfuse!

I'd have thought that either they provide a creche, you bring the DCs, or you arrange another appt when childcare isn't an issue. That's 3 choices for them to consider.

My school provides a creche

How utterly ridiculous. They expect you to sort childcare while they close every afternoon, AND have another adult available in the afternoon to speak to the teacher without DCs present.

I would be presenting the teacher (or HT) with the options of a) rearranging to a time that was more convenient, b) bringing the children along or c) they phone me at the agreed time and do the interview over the phone.

Our school had a no kids rule too. I used to get a late slot and get DH to come home early. Consequently he has never yet been to a parents evening. Your school's problem is, if they let you do it, they'll get the whole school doing it!