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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be irritated by son's school sign, which is incorrectly spelled?

60 replies

SlinkyB · 16/09/2015 14:27

My ds has just started in Reception at our lovely local school.

However, it is annoying me on a daily basis that the big signs at the school have spelled the name wrong. To save outing myself, I have changed the school name to Mumsnet...

Mumsnet Infant School

Since buying the uniform, PE bag, and getting the book bag, I have realised it is actually:

Mumsnet Infants School

I know it's only an s, but it's bugging me! I must admit to being a pedant regarding spelling and grammar (awaits posters telling me there are errors all over my post) but this is a school and they are big, professionally made signs Confused

AIBU to want to mention it to a teacher, and suggest a fundraiser to replace them?!

OP posts:
Happfeet2911 · 16/09/2015 17:07

'Spelt' dear, I don't you're in any position to question an extra 's'

spiderlight · 16/09/2015 17:15

It would irritate the hell out of me, OP. I'd be at those signs with stick-on apostrophes in the dead of night.

squoosh · 16/09/2015 17:17

'spelled' is also correct, just not as commonly used as 'spelt.

Amummyatlast · 16/09/2015 18:21

As Abraid2 says, the infants don't own the school, so there shouldn't be an apostrophe. It's an adjective derived from a noun, so therefore no apostrophe is required.

Spelled and spelt are both fine, as are Chris' and Chris's. Both are accepted variations.

Original poster
SlinkyB · 16/09/2015 18:36

Let's not get our knickers in a twist over 'spelt' or 'spelled' (both are acceptable) - my post was about whether it should be Infant School or Infants School.

I have looked at other school stuff and it's a mix of all three variations!

Clothing = Infants
School sign and FB PTA group: Infant
Glossy school brochure and leaflets: Infants'

I can't cope! FWIW, the Junior is just Mumsner Junior School.

Surely other people on here send their kids to an Infants school and can tell me how they spell it?

OP posts:
TurnOffTheTv · 16/09/2015 18:42

Mine is XXXXX Infants' School.

BoGrainger · 16/09/2015 18:47

And mine. And I think it's correct.

amazonqueen · 16/09/2015 19:00

We have 7 schools for infants in our LEA.

Only one has infants the other six are infant . Out of the six ,one is a Junior, Infant and Pre-school and the other is an Infant and Nursery school.

I tend toward Infant myself as a PP said ( I think) - the school doesnt belong to the children , its a school FOR children.

OneDay103 · 16/09/2015 19:05

Get a life seriously. This is eating at you? Biscuit

HaydeeofMonteCristo · 16/09/2015 19:18

I thought it was Thomas'.

hackmum · 16/09/2015 19:56

The word "infants" here is adjectival - it's rather like Kids Company, which also lacked an apostrophe (though obviously had lots of other problems).

Original poster
SlinkyB · 16/09/2015 20:09

Mmm, a biscuit, thanks for that OneDay Smile Clearly this is a light-hearted thread about spelling, I didn't realise I'd have to point that out.

Hmm, I do now think it should be Infants School (not sure on apostrophe, but I don't think it needs one). Which means the signs are wrong. I will just have to avert my gaze every day Grin

OP posts:
MirandaGoshawk · 16/09/2015 21:21

Re Thomas's - I've heard that with names, you use 's, unless the name already has S in the middle, like Moses or Jesus, in which case it's Moses' and Jesus', because you can't have Moses's

spoonfulofgoodness · 16/09/2015 21:43

I think spelled is correct as is spelt Hmm

spoonfulofgoodness · 16/09/2015 21:43

Like burned or burnt

Original poster
SlinkyB · 16/09/2015 22:19

Yes, we've established either version is fine spoonful.

Miranda that makes sense about the names with s's in the middle.

OP posts:
nocakes · 16/09/2015 22:35

My son's school has got their golden rules plastered all over the place. One reads "Do not interupt " Aaaagghh!

Original poster
SlinkyB · 16/09/2015 22:51

That's annoying nocakes! I get that we all make mistakes sometimes, and that we're all human (including teachers!) but surely when something has been put on display, or printed, it should have been checked?!

OP posts:
PinkSquash · 16/09/2015 22:57

The worst mistake I've seen (Relatively few thankfully!) was on my DS1s printed spellings list, it was awkward as no one else had picked it up until I spoke to the class teacher so they had to retract it after the children had been practicing for two days.

Andrewofgg · 16/09/2015 23:20

It should be "spelt the name wrongly" Smile

SuburbanRhonda · 16/09/2015 23:35

pinksquash

Do you mean "practising"?

Grin
overthemill · 16/09/2015 23:42

It's not about spelling - it's about pluralisation surely. It is a school for Infants. It is an Infant School just as it is a Junior School

CrazyBoo · 17/09/2015 02:14

It is a school FOR a number of infants; try replacing it with the word 'toddlers'. If we ran a party for twenty toddlers, we'd call it the toddlers' party. Same principle. Infants' school is the correct usage.

(BTW, 'spelled' and 'spelt' are interchangeable, but 'spelled' is preferred as 'spelt' can be can confused with its other meaning - of a type of grain.

MidniteScribbler · 17/09/2015 05:14

Couldn't it be that someone has pinched the S?

Sitting in my office glaring at the school sign out of the window which reads 'have a go d h liday' because some yobs have pinched the Os, again.

Squeegle · 17/09/2015 05:42

overthemill is correct. It should be mumsnet infant school. Just as it would be mumsnet junior school and mumsnet senior school.

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