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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be REALLY cross at the school

74 replies

SocksRock · 27/06/2014 14:17

I have 3 DC's, from this September 2 of them will be at the local primary school.

I also work 4 days a week and I've just been through the long and tortuous exercise that is arranging the summer holiday childcare. Kids go back Wed 3rd and I need Wedneaday and Thursday off as YR are only half days for that first week. All arranged. Every scrap of holiday used.

Now school have just texted to say that they have decided to go back a day earlier so I need to have the Tuesday off as well. Except I don't have any holiday left and a day off unpaid costs me £170 (gross - not sure of net).

I am pretty cross that this is so late being notified - or AIBU to that this is late notice and is in fact plenty of time. Do I really organise too far in advance?

OP posts:

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 27/06/2014 15:43

YANBU what if you'd been travelling back from holiday that day?

Original poster

SocksRock · 27/06/2014 15:48

Their father will do a huge amount, it's just I'm the one who get the text messages so it was me that got told first!

Just done school pickup, I'm not the only one annoyed. We're banding together to cover each other where we can, so not a total lost cause.

I have one going into YR 2 as well, and generally the school are excellent, plenty of notice etc which is why this is a bit annoying.

Seems a fairly even split of I am / not BU, so I shall seethe, but quietly while making practical arrangements :-)

OP posts:

Original poster

SocksRock · 27/06/2014 15:49

The original plan for this day was the local holiday club, which I will have to cancel, luckily no charge for that.

OP posts:

AuntieStella · 27/06/2014 16:28

YANBU

"But presumably even if they had told you 6 months ago, you would still have had the same amount of leave and the same lack of ability to manage it?"

If the actual dates had been known, then the childcare over the whole period might have been arranged differently to cover the requirement.

Once schools have published dates, they should stick to them. Families who prioritise school will make their arrangements round term dates, and will be juggling all sorts of other factors that schools may be unaware of. The school should therefor not be making changes after dates have been published, unless it wants to send a message to its community that they don't actually care about family life.

tethersend · 27/06/2014 16:34

You could always insist on the place being full time from the outset, in accordance with the school's legal obligation to offer all children a full time place from the term after they turn four.

You can agree to do half days, but the school cannot say no if you insist on your child taking up their full time entitlement from day one.

ouryve · 27/06/2014 16:41

It's 5, testers.

OP, from a practical POV, if you can't manage another day off (£170 is a lot of money), then, if you really want that first day to be the one where you do the drop off and pick up, maybe rearrange so you get just that day. The other half days I would rearrange so others do it - give yourself some leeway in case you need an emergency day off for one of the kids at some point - or in case you want to be there for Christmas plays etc.

ouryve · 27/06/2014 16:41

tethers - not testers

5madthings · 27/06/2014 16:43

What tethersend said re insisting on ful time from the start of term.

It is odd to be changing the term dates this late, our lea and School has them online for the next calender year. You may get an inset day added but changing term start date like this is very odd.

Original poster

SocksRock · 27/06/2014 16:46

I will definitely swap one of my days off to the Tuesday. And I'm going to have a stab at insisting they keep him until 3.15 on at least two of the other days, which will mean I can find cover or work 3 short days instead of 2 long ones.

OP posts:

phantomnamechanger · 27/06/2014 16:52

I think it is enough notice TBH

obviously they were intending to have that day as one of their inset days, and now they are changing that for some perfectly legitimate reason and will be putting it elsewhere in the year - maybe its because of a course being rearranged or a speaker changing availability - bear in mind that this "day off" will be happening at some point, they may well tag it onto one of the other holidays. hopefully they wont spring it on you!

yes term dates are available up to 2 years in advance but those are set by the LEA - the schools can put their quota of training days wherever they like within those dates - some schools stick them all I one block creating an extra weeks holiday at October half term, i'd quite like that

phantomnamechanger · 27/06/2014 16:53

And I'm going to have a stab at insisting they keep him until 3.15 on at least two of the other days

the school? good luck with that one!

BomChickaMeowMeow · 27/06/2014 16:57

Ours are crap at planning inset days. Parents have been asking for months whether 2nd September will be an inset day, not just for work reasons but also for holiday planning.

5madthings · 27/06/2014 16:58

She doesn't need luck she can legally insist on a full time start and not part time. I did so when ds4 started in reception along with many other parents.

tethersend · 27/06/2014 16:59

"It's 5, testers"

5 is compulsory school age, ouryve- well, the term after they turn five.

All children are entitled to a full time school place from the start of the September after they turn four. Parents can defer this, but schools must offer it.

tethersend · 27/06/2014 17:00

"the school? good luck with that one!"

She doesn't need luck, it's the law.

phantomnamechanger · 27/06/2014 17:01

5madthings - really? well that's a new one on me both as a parent of 3 and a former teacher - school is not even compulsory till they are 5, so how can schools be forced to take them full time from age 4?

phantomnamechanger · 27/06/2014 17:03

Ah x-posts, I see what you mean, yes - but even so, I don't actually think its fair on the child to single them out as different from day 1 - how will he feel being sat in a corner somewhere when everyone else goes home?

5madthings · 27/06/2014 17:05

It's been the law for a few years now. Compulsory school age is five yes but all children are entitled a to a full time place from the Sept they start school. There were lots of threads on it the year ds4 started school, legally the school have to offer a full time place.

tethersend · 27/06/2014 17:05

That is the difficulty, phantom.

It would be much better if schools were aware of the law instead of just doing what they've always done and presenting staggered starts to parents as compulsory.

5madthings · 27/06/2014 17:07

Well my ds4 wasn't the only one as lots of us knew the law and challenged the School and they then said all kids could start full time or do staggered starts, so lots went full time and some still did the staggered starts as it was what they and their parents needed. The school has managed to do both since and it works fine :)

overmydeadbody · 27/06/2014 17:07

Starting part time in Reception is better for the child, but yeah, if it suits you better, go ahead and insist on it, forget about what is best for your child, which is all the school are trying to do.

tethersend · 27/06/2014 17:10

It's not always best for the child- my DD had been in the school nursery full time for a year before reception, so starting full time in reception was actually less stressful for her as it maintained her routine.

Staggered starts are useful, but a one-size fits all approach is not helpful.

overmydeadbody · 27/06/2014 17:10

Schools are aware of the law, but their priority is getting the children settled in.

5madthings · 27/06/2014 17:10

Starting g part time isn't always better for the child, it is for some ie my ds3 who did part time until Easter as that was what he needed, my ds4 is a different child and he was ready for and needed to go full time from day one, he did so And it was fine.

My dd will start sept 2015 and I will wait and Ser what will suit her best.

5madthings · 27/06/2014 17:11

There are no studies as far aid

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