to be annoyed with school?

[KeithLeMonde]

Genuine question - would this annoy you or am I being a twat?

DS is 12. This morning they were told they were having form photos taken (it wasn't on the school calendar, it hadn't been in any letters home, apparently they had been told last week that it would be one day this week but not which day it would be).

They were, according to him, taken into the hall where they waited around for ages, missing half their lunch hour, and in DS's case, missing a music lesson which we had paid for (they are not cheap).

I asked him whether he told anyone that he had a music lesson but he says it was all rather chaotic and he kept thinking that they would be done soon, and it kept dragging on until he had missed the lesson

Obviously he should have said something but AIBU to be pissed off that no-one from the school considered the clash between the music lessons and the photos, or gave the parents or kids a bit of notice of when the photos would be taken?

Apparently his form tutor wasn't in today so they are going to have to re-take the bleeding photo anyway.

Can't he just reschedule the music lesson? Presumably other kids have music lessons scheduled in slots right through the week - school can't ensure that every event avoids all of them.

No, I don't think so. He's missed it, so we've paid for it.

If we'd known in advance about the photos we could have re-arranged the lesson.

Sometimes these things just get sprung on teachers at the last minute, it doesn't sound like anyone really had any notice.

Unfortunate that your DS missed his lesson, it really is unlucky that they happened at the same time. It would have been the last thing on anyone's mind when trying to get teachers and students organised.

The music lessons in our school are
Provided by private music teachers who we pay directly. The lessons are facilitated by the school in terms of allowing them to use the premises and allowing the kids to attend during school time.

If the kids miss a lesson it's tough. They can't be rearranged so sounds similar to you OP.

I sort of think it's a bit unreasonable to be moffed with school as they can't know every kids music lesson slot but I'd be pissed off at my child for not telling a teacher who may have been able to rearrange the lesson.

School should have given you notice of course, but I think your son needs to take some responsibility here and should have spoken up.

He should have said. I'd doubt they'd redo the photo for the form tutor. Just as they don't re do for missing students. Some tutors don't want to be in the photo

I am annoyed at my child for not mentioning it to someone, though I can sympathise with the reasons why he didn't.

I do think that there must be all sorts of things that interrupt the normal weekly routine - trips, photos, vaccinations and the like - and I would have thought they would have a system whereby the students' music lessons could be re-arranged, or at least the clash would be flagged up to someone. If I'd known myself that the photos were being taken today, I would have called and re-arranged it.

I'm just annoyed about paying through the nose for a lesson that he never got, and I do appreciate that it is probably not entirely fair to blame that on the school.

Still, worth having a winge at the school.

There is a system by which a clash can be flagged up - it's called your child!

I've never worked in a school where teachers have a clue in advance when individual music lessons are scheduled. You just have to take a child's word for it when they turn up late for your lesson, or don't turn up at all, that that's where they've been. I wouldn't have thought any of the teachers managing the chaos that was the photos would have had a clue that your son had a music lesson and I'm afraid my vote is another one for your son should have said something. Having said that, it is bizarre that they didn't let parents know in advance about the photos. We always do, in the hope that everyone will turn up in a clean shirt!