All primary school early intervention classes during the day

[Libra]

DS2 is due to start primary school in the village in August. Today we have received a letter in the post informing us about a schedule of five 'early intervention' workshops during the next two months that parents should attend. They are on subjects such as the primary curriculum, early maths, early writing, introduction to Primary 1, etc. ALL are scheduled during the day from 1.30 to 3.00. I will therefore not be able to attend one of them unless I take a day off work. It is not possible for me to do this every Tuesday between now and the end of April. I am a university lecturer and can't simply cancel lectures.
My question is: am I being unreasonable to feel that some allowance should have been made for working parents?
As it is, I will try to attend the one on the Introduction to P1 and will miss the others. DH is working in Germany next month so won't be able to go to one at all. DS1 went to the school some years ago and so I will assume that nothing has changed, but it just makes me so annoyed that, yet again, I will be marked down by the headmaster as that working mother who never comes to important meetings. He once told DH that he was aware that I had 'a little job'.

Our school does worsksops (like early maths/early reading) both in the afternoon and repeated in the evening for parents who work. They were done early in the frist term though - not so far in advacne as in your case.

They did an intro to P1 while the kids were themselves getting a feel for the school, which I also had to miss as I had a work commitment I couldn't get out of. But that was the only thing that there wasn't a choice of times for. And given that the kids were are the school at the same time, it was understandable

You could write a letter to the school asking what consideration has been given to working parents. Not sure if that will change the headmaster's view, as he seems a bit mysoginistic.

You are also now as a parent automtically a member of the "Parent Forum" and consultation should currently be going on as to how you want to be involved the education fo your child and the issues that are important to you. You have right to set up a parent council (these will replace school boards in August) - and the head teacher has a duty to listen to the parent council's views. Lathiuygh he/she is not bound to do anything in resposne, as a statutory body, it will be difficult for him to ignore the voice of the parents. Have a look at this - go to "PARENT FORUMS/COUNCILS - WHAT WILL THEY DO FOR ME?"

You could also make contact with your ds2's new teacher and say you are not able to make the meetings and is there anything she can give you that will help you support your ds2 as he enters P1.

Thanks for that Prettybird. I will look into it.
I doubt that the school has even considered the needs of working parents (never has before!) but I will write and ask what provision they are making for us. There are a few more in the class that I know of.
I agree that the headteacher is incredibly misogynist. I have had run-ins with him before.... so another 7 years ahead of us!
One good thing is that I will not be able to attend the session on the curriculum where participants are asked to bring their trainers! Presumably lots of running around the school gym with hoops or balls is envisaged! Pity I am unable to attend.

... also ask him what is happening about the Parent Forum/Parent Council! Watch him take fright!

It's up to him to orgnaise the initial meeting, if you don't have an active school board or PTA. You should by now (especially as you have an older child already at the school) have had a letter notifying you of the fact that you are a member of the Parent Forum and inviting you to set up a parent council - there should also havebeen a leaflet (produced by the Scottihs Eexecutive) telling you waht it means.

In the past I have had problems attending meetings at school during the day because of work commitments. I spoke to dd's teacher about it and she went through the important points with me and gave me the handout from the meeting to read through.

Nope. No letter re parent forum or anything like that, although to be fair DS1 is at the Academy now. Will chase.
KSLatts. I know that I should be able to do this (once they decide who will be teaching PS1 in August, sigh), and I will, but it's the principle of the thing. Does every working parent have to individually approach the teacher about every meeting they decide to have during the working day for the next 7 years? Why on earth do they assume it is possible for parents to take five separate afternoons off work without offering them an evening option just once?

Roughly where are you Libra?

You shoul dhave had a letter from the Academy though for your ds1.

You can still ask the headmaster what is being done about parent Coucils, as there are issues yuo want to discuss with them.......

Just ot re-iterate, as a parent of a child at the school, you are automtically a member of the parent forum. The parent forum has the rgiht to set up a parent council - this may already be being done. Ask the heamdaster what is being done.

The way the porcess works this year (the transition year) is that a working group would be set up, who would work out a constitituion, (which can be very simple, espcially for very samll schools) and then it has to be passed by the parent forum before being given to the education Authority, who in theory are supposed to consult the parents agin to cofnirm that they are happy with the proposed constitution.

If the parent forum makes the decision not to set up a Parent Council (which they can choose to call anything they want, eg School Comittee, Parent Council, Freinds of x school, or even Parent Teacher Council or School Board!), then the Education Authoirty will need proof that there has been consultation that came to that decision.

Once aP arent Council is set up (and the working group could choose to co-opt teacher, community representatives etc as wll), then the head teacher has a right and a duty ot attend its meetings. Denomination School also have a rgiht to nominate a relgious representative onto the Parent Council.

Aberdeenshire.
I think that there were elections for the Academy PTA at the beginning of the year. Am embarassed to say I can't remember. Am sure that the academy would be on top of what they are supposed to be doing. I trust THEM.
You seem to know a lot about this Prettybird - are you on your school's council?

I'm charima of the School Board (Primary School) and my dh is Chairman of the PTA (we didn't plan it, but we needed to set up the School Board again after it folded due to lack of interest), so we are heavily involved in this process. We've been to a number of training sessions on how to set up Parent Councils and are about to start the process for our own primary school.

charima=Chairman