Would it bother you if school showed a movie with a rating above your child's age?

[Keremy]

DC1 ended up in school in a mixed year group due to an event just before Christmas.

The children involved were year 8 to 10 so 12 to 15. The teacher was aware of the kids ages.

Dc1 had been asking to watch a film and as it was three years above their age range I refused. They have seen 12s at 11 and stuff so I'm not a total fuddy duddy but I think it is entirely dependent on the film.

Anyway dc came home saying they had watched this film and I have just checked with another parent and it is true.

I'm really relieved to read your update, Op. I would go nuts if a teacher thought Bad Santa was appropriate for 12 year olds to watch. It also would be a huge problem going forward because I wouldn't trust their judgement. So pleased that it was a miscommunication.

This thread is a great example of why a politely enquiring note to the teacher is an excellent first step, rather than the "complain to the Head/Governors/Offsted often recommended on MN.

Well done OP

Yes I can fully see how the dc surmised Santa was indeed bad given the film plot and their understanding.

I'm so glad I didn't go in all guns blazing. I'm going to have to look her in the face at parents evening though after questioning whether she showed my child a film containing what seems to have included anal sex

Surely the first step would have been asking the DC for a summary of the plot. Then a note to the teacher could have been entirely avoided.

Bad santa is not appropriate. I still stand by my opinion that age ratings are not really relevant to me when a school is deciding what/if movies should be shown because I trust common sense to be applied. You need to be able to trust the school to show appropriate content and that is not appropriate.

Just read you update OP, hilarious

PerspicaciaTick it would have been that simple if child didn't have special needs.

They didn't remember when asked other than Santa was very very bad but couldn't elaborate. I asked if there was swearing and was told I think so but they aren't overly reliable.

Having not seen the film and not wanting to open a worm hole by asking an sn dc if there was sex in it it was easier to ask the teacher to clarify.

@PerspicaciaTick - the teacher won't have minded being questioned. A brief and polite note / email is perfectly fine.

@Keremy

I'm so glad I didn't go in all guns blazing

Obviously. That would have made you a moron and you clearly aren't.

I'm surprised you said they were embarrassed. Are you sure? Don't worry about parents evening. You did the right thing (politely) questioning it. You were put right and can move on, happy that your son's teacher isn't an idiot!

Knowing the film would help!

Great ending
Well handled OP.

I think partly shocked that I thought they would show my child a heavily sexual film and also I suspect the dh got some grief last night

NRTWT but fwiw - quite a few years ago, DD, age 4, was in after school club. For context, this club catered for ages 4 - 11, in one room. And it's about a week before Halloween.

When we pick DD up, she is sitting on the knee of one of the staff, in tears and terrified, together with two or three others, and a DVD is playing.

I realised that the film was Hocus Pocus. A 15 certificate. (And incidentally one of my favourites). Turns out the staff had put it on at the request ofonw of the oldest boys (still only 11) and having only noticed the Disney logo, didn't check the age, sat the kids down, pressed play and pottered around until the younger ones started crying - but even then did not switch it off. I was livid. The film starts with s small girl being snatched away and killed by the witches.

DD hads nightmares for months.

Since then, if DVDs have been suggested I have always asked which they will be, and when I ran a Brownie pack we always told parents what we were intending to show a week in advance. DD is now 15 but we still discuss films / DVDs before she watches them.

So ,after my random wittering, nope definitely YANBU

I remember when I was 13, we were allowed to watch a video at the end of term by our English teacher. One lad brought in a pirated copy of Silence of the Lambs (just been out in the cinema) which obviously is an 18.

The teacher hadn't seen or heard much about the film, so we all swore blind that it was a 12 so he'd let us watch it. I think he realised quickly that no way was it a 12, but for some reason he let us carry on watching it! He did give us a lecture about lying to him at the end though. Most of us were fine, but one girl's parents complained as she'd had nightmares about it. I've only just realised that we had a new teacher after Christmas, and this is probably why!

Am laughing lots at the idea of you storming in and having a go about swearing and anal sex jokes, when they just watched a sweet kids film

arrrrghhwinehelpswithteens

I'm fairly sure that Hocus Pocus is a PG certificate.

Hocus Pocus is a PG. They showed it at the village Halloween party last year.

Our primary showed a PG film to children from Years 3 to 6 last week, and they emailed us (on the day, but hey) to check we were OK with it. Which I am pleased about as PG does mean Parental Guidance. Yes, most seven year olds would be OK with a PG film but I am glad they checked.

I was more put out by the fact the film was shown to all children (including DS) who "stayed green" (the school's behaviour system) all last term, which was apparently the majority of children. It seemed very unfair for a small minority to have to stay in the classroom. I asked DS what the other children were doing in the classroom and he said making plans on how they could do better in terms of behaviour this term! (This is just from him though, might not be the case).

Like I said, depends on the film

Most people would be ok with Hocus Pocus as it's a PG.

Some children can be easily frightened

My Dd is nearly 4 and is frightened by Monsters Inc. A film most kids don't blink twice at.

She's also terrified of people in the big foam costumes

TBH I don't see the issue, I grew up with my DM not fussing over age ratings. Certain films she would put a stop to like horror films with some of my sisters because they couldn't handle them; with me she didn't bother after she found out I'd been sneakily watching DF's 'Nightmare on Elm Street' collection when I stayed over at his at 7
I think it depends mainly on the child and what the film features though, but aside from horror movies children often see much worse just watching or reading the news.

I don't think Bad Santa is appropriate to be shown in a school setting whatever the age group, so no OP, you are not BU.

Sorry folks, just caught up on the ENTIRE thread. Ignore my last comment!

My mother thought she was ever so 'cool' and 'edgy' to show me the violent and scary scenes in 18 rated movies when I was just a little kid. I cried a lot and said I didn't want to and she'd say "stop being such a baby."

Consequently I err more on the side of caution.

I do personally wish schools would show fewer films. It really gets on my nerves that if I took my child out of school for a day trip or a holiday I'd be fined, but they can dedicate half days and days to poor quality films and it's considered perfectly OK. He's seen more trashy films at school than I've shown at home.

We send a letter first to see if parents object and if anyone does, we don't show the film but show one with appropriate rating

Nope, wouldn't bother me at all. By 12, there's NOTHING they haven't seen/heard/done/been taught about anyway. You're being naive.

I have 3 children 21, 12 & 10 and I have over the years ran various film nights. Always without fail I have always been asked or I have sought permission from parents. I just had a letter home from school this week saying that they were going to show a small section of a PG to my 10 year old to illustrate a subject they are learning.
Very unprofessional of the school and in my experience unusual!

Was it 50 Shades of Gray? Otherwise I wouldn't be arsed.