re School???

[pinboard]

School is to close.
It is 'under consultation'.
Staff have been told not to express opinions online.
There is a parents support group, which is 'closed' ie private.
I posted about not receiving some info from School.
next day had a text from staff member saying 'here's the info you are missing'
I checked and the staff member is a member of the support group.

at one of the parents meetings, I said that I had been told by a member of staff at the school that the school would not close VERY recently (when they already knew different!)
I did not name the member of staff or say rank or even whether M or F. but it was senior management.

there was a recent public meeting where another parent said the same and was shouted down as a liar. so I confirmed our experience, as above.

the staff member then approached me after the meeting in the hall (in front of my children as we were preparing to leave) and said they 'had heard I was going around the village saying things that were not true about them and that they had not said what I claimed'. I said that I had not given their name to anyone, but that both H and I were quite clear about what they had said. They continued to argue about it, and I said it was not the time or place (i'd had to shoo kids away). I spoke to the HT briefly and he said that I could take it further but i'd have to name the staff person.

would you take this further? I just feel I cannot trust that staff member now, and they will be handling things like SEN referral, bullying etc, both of which are currently relevant

Sorry but I don't really understand the issue? The staff member acted unprofessionally by approaching you in that manner but it is perfectly plausible they may not have known the school was going to close. To close a school is not a decision that anyone will have taken lightly and I would imagine it is highly stressful situation.

The staff are going to be incredibly stressed and worried about losing their jobs, just remember that.

So staff member said to you privately that school was not closing but later denied it? Is that it?

We have recently joined School. We relocated from another country.
It is a state school but has a 35% SEN pupils and is supposed to be v good. That hasn't proved the case (ie its good but not SEN good).

When we were discussing timing of move with School, that staff member told us to join 3m before we had planned the move as they expected the classes to fill (identifying reasons so wont give details).
So we did, at great expense. Our decision, but based on that info.

Then, 6 weeks later, we hear a rumour that School might close.
So, we have a meeting at School with that staff member (senior management) who 'personally assures us' that the School will run next year. THIS is what is now being denied.
12 weeks later the kids come down the road telling me the School is to close.

You do realise that people are losing their jobs here?

At the time the teacher who spoke to you might well not have known that the school was closing.

It won't be the decision of the staff as to whether it will close or not so their assurance is irrelevant.

I'm not sure there's much you can do at this point, if the school really is going to close. Hope you manage to find alternative schools for your DC - what a pain for you.

You moved from another country to go to this school or were you moving anyway?

I moved specifically.
I changed job. H changed job.
It was already being discussed re a closure.
the roll (v small) increased by around 15% from families moving a long way on the assurance of a 'business manager' who was trying to get numbers up so the school wouldn't close (knowing it was on a knife edge)
We were actively misled. I cant prove it, but it is quite clear.
The senior management person knew.
Now, despite my being v careful not to refer to who said this, I am being approached in front of my kids and told 'don't talk badly about ME around the village'. Not professional.

My concern is my kids education, solely that.

You honestly moved country? Not county, country?

I would be very pissed off. However I have to say that moving everything to go to one state school is putting all your eggs very much into one basket. If it was a private school then fair enough, but a state school I doubt the senior management knew much. The decision would have had very little to do with them.

You weren't misled. Obviously they hoped to get numbers up high enough to stay open but they cannot dictate which schools parents chose or whether they remain there or move on.

People move all the time. Children leave schools all the time. No-one can guarantee that a school roll will stay above the required numbers.

It is a Voluntary aided School.
The Governors are recommending to County that it closes.

yes, Country, not county.

We were misled if they already knew that they were struggling with numbers but told us to 'join quick in case it fills up'.

And I still think that the staff member was hugely unprofessional.

Yes I agree that the staff member in question was rather unprofessional.

However you have taken a huge risk moving everyone so for for a ordinary state school.

The staff member might have been unprofessional but they are loosing their jobs and frankly probably have bigger things to worry about.. I understand you're disappointed but what would you gain by pursuing this.

They may have misled you about numbers but I would guess they were trying to increase the numbers so it was viable for the school to stay open. The Governing body will make the decision to close the school. The staff member may just have been given a remit to get those numbers up. Unfortunately the Government are continually moving the goalposts and many schools are facing a significant drop in budget as of next year.