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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Should I say something to school?

41 replies

PyongyangKipperbang · 18/05/2017 21:38

Not so much an AIBU but a WWYD.

DD4 is Y1 and was star of the week this week. She was very excited and very proud, as was I. We go to the assembly, she gets her certificate and all is well except the teacher got her name wrong!

Say her name is Jane Smith Jones, the teacher wrote Jane Jones Smith. DD isnt exactly upset but is a bit confused, I am quite bothered by the fact that a teacher she has had since Xmas (Mat leave cover) doesnt seem to know what her name is. All she had to do was check the register, the peg names, her books...its not hard to do surely?

Do I let it go or say something? I dont want to come across as petty but equally it does bug me.

OP posts:
Bananamama1213 · 18/05/2017 21:39

I would say something! Just like "DD was a little upset as you wrote her name down wrong"

GU24Mum · 18/05/2017 21:43

Can't you just say that she's delighted to be star of the week - would they be able to let you have a new certificate as her name isn't written quite right - and tell them what you need.

Osolea · 18/05/2017 21:46

Ask nicely for a new certificate, it will be fine.

DandelionAndBedrock · 18/05/2017 21:49

I had a parent return a certificate to me the other week because their child's name was spelled incorrectly (not me - the office type them up). I felt a bit silly I hadn't spotted it when I gave it out, but happy to correct it. If you don't say then they won't know they got it wrong - if they get offended, then it isn't long until the holiday and you can muddle along with them for a few months.

nuttyknitter · 18/05/2017 21:49

Easy to make a mistake - I expect the teacher was juggling several tasks at once - but do ask for a replacement certificate.

StillDrivingMeBonkers · 18/05/2017 21:49

I am quite bothered by the fact that a teacher she has had since Xmas (Mat leave cover) doesn't seem to know what her name is. The office will have typed it up, not the teacher. They do know her name. School offices are not serene little environments, disruptions are constant. So in between typing up an assembly worth of certificates, dealing with phones, deliveries and nose bleeds, amongst the many other things they do, someone got the right name in the wrong order. Careful how you phrase your request, do not be that parent. School admin have very long memories.

Sprinklestar · 18/05/2017 21:52

It's pretty basic Still! If they can't get a child's name right, I'd be worried too!

WeAllHaveWings · 18/05/2017 21:58

Tell dd well done, make joke about name wrong round, stick certificate on fridge for a couple of weeks then bin.

cheeseknight · 18/05/2017 22:01

It's possible that it was done by the admin team not the teacher. It's possible it was copied from the class register where names can be in reverse order e.g. Smith-Jones, Jane or similar. Admin staff may not necessarily know your daughter (particularly if she is only in Y1 so relatively new to school) and so wouldn't pick up the mistake.

Just go to the office and politely ask for a new certificate.

jeffy29 · 18/05/2017 22:06

my dd2 has this issue, she has a french name and it is very similar to a very popular name among little girls beginning with 'a'. One teacher does it all the time. It drove her mad. She bit back one day and expressed that she didnt pluralise the surname of her teacher (who's surname is a singular noun). I don't think sh got in trouble for it, after all she was just remarking on someones lack of respect. I would ask for a replacement certificate and make a soft comment about how "people do it all the time, just wanted a future keepsake to have the right name on"

CaulkheadUpNorf · 18/05/2017 22:06

My God daughter had an extra letter added to her surname on her books, peg, everything all year. She was year 2 and just didn't notice...

We told the teacher at the end of the year and she was mortified. TBH it's common enough mistake to make in a busy school. Just ask for a new certificate if it matters a lot...

EweAreHere · 18/05/2017 22:24

Say something.

I remember the first day my oldest started Reception. The name tags on his coat peg and drawer in the classroom were spelled wrong. Normal name; no unusual spelling. I took them off the wall and the drawer and handed them to the teacher and asked her to redo them. Teacher was embarrassed. Couldn't even copy the register correctly.

Original poster
PyongyangKipperbang · 18/05/2017 22:42

The office will have typed it up, not the teacher.

The certificates are done by the class teacher.

I will have a word tomorrow morning then. Thanks :)

OP posts:
KeepServingTheDrinks · 19/05/2017 00:01

I work in primary schools. I'm not a teacher, but I talk to teachers all the time. NONE of them know the surnames of the children in their class. And they all take registers twice a day. Registered first names/given first names/nicknames/pet names given by parents - they know ALL of these. But they never, never know a surname.

I don't think they really use them in the classroom in primary schools. Yes, it is written on the register, but in a different column (the second one) and teacher's just go down the first column. I think if you have two children in the class with the same name they might be known as (say) Emily A and Emily W (with the A and W being their surnames) but that's about as much as surnames impact on the classroom

Original poster
PyongyangKipperbang · 19/05/2017 00:09

I get the Keep, thats why I wasnt sure whether to say something. I have volunteered in our school so I do understand. But is it really U to expect a certificate of achievement to have the right name on it?

OP posts:
KeepServingTheDrinks · 19/05/2017 00:16

Meh... I run a course in schools where kids get a certificate at then end which leads to kids getting certificates every term. I always get the parents to check, and I'm always gutted when I make a mistake.

I promise, I go off the register and I check and double check every cert.

I get at least one wrong every single fucking time. It's not rocket science, but I can't seem to get it right!

Original poster
PyongyangKipperbang · 19/05/2017 00:39

But thats different in that you are not with these kids day in day out are you?

I dont want to be "that" parent, especially as my relationship with the school has lasted 3 head teachers and 1 school administrator who I am first name terms with!

I will just gently mentioned that DD was a bit confused and could we have a new certificate please for her. I will keep the original as I feel that its things like this that memories are made of :)

OP posts:
Trifleorbust · 19/05/2017 04:10

I think this is 'that' parent. A simple mistake, minor and easily fixable.

Scarydinosaurs · 19/05/2017 04:51

You're putting way too much emphasis on this. It is an easy mistake to make. I have a double barrelled surname that was the wrong way round/different name altogether all through primary and secondary. It's just one of those things- particularly likely to happen if you have an 'extra' name.

Don't make mountains out of mole hills.

LedaP · 19/05/2017 05:04

I dont know why you have to add in that dd is confused. You can clear up any confusion with dd 'sometimes people make mistakes' and then ask for a new one.

Rudi44 · 19/05/2017 05:12

I don't think you even need to say DD was confused. Just say there was a small typo on her name and as DD is rightly very proud of her certificate and wants to keep it you would be really grateful if they could just swap it for a corrected one.
My daughters name is a short version of a longer name (it's the short version on her birth certificate too). Let's say for example her name was Meg but a few teachers insist on calling her Megan, DD was once told off for not answering to the incorrect name!

emmyrose2000 · 19/05/2017 05:14

Yes, send it back for a correction. It's extremely irritating to see your own name written incorrectly, especially on "official" things.

My DC was presented with a trophy at a sports event. I had to send it back three times until they spelled DC's surname right. They kept misspelling the same one letter each time (think Burt/Bert; not our real name). It was ridiculous.

Mummyoflittledragon · 19/05/2017 05:23

We are double barrelled. Never been written the wrong way round. But one of our surnames is often misspelt because it's less common than the other. Just one vowel difference, its dhs name, not mine as we've joined both surnames. He doesn't get in the least frustrated, I do. I asked for a certificate to be changed for dd once. It was fine.

NotYoda · 19/05/2017 05:30

I agree that sometimes permanent teachers don't know surnames off the top of their heads, so would need to check the register. if the register's wrong, or they (or admin staff) mis-read it from there, then this could happen.

Ask the admin staff if it's correct on the register and then get a new certificate. No need to feel this is a terrible slight.

BTW, we've been doing SATs this week, and some of the children (Y2) don't know their own surname

Trifleorbust · 19/05/2017 05:32

BTW, we've been doing SATs this week, and some of the children (Y2) don't know their own surname

Shock
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