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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think headteachers can't win?

118 replies

DrSeuss · 28/02/2018 10:43

I'm a teacher. We are closed today for a snow day. Cue massive whinging from some parents about childcare and lack of notice as 7.15 am was apparently too late. To access the website, the Deputy Head needs to be on site so will have had to drive fifteen miles to put the notice up. God alone knows what time he left home.

My daughter's school is open. Cue massive whinging from some parents about Health and Safety/Let Kids be Kids. OK, some of the parents live a few miles away and may not be able to drive in so their kids will miss a day. However, the two Prime Whingers on the school's FB page live around three hundred yards from the gates! The school asked us all by email last night to send clothes suitable for playing outside today in a scheduled session this afternoon.

For the record, we have 10 cm of snow max, we are in the suburbs in a fairly affluent area where most people have cars. If we had more snow or lived in the country that would be different.

Heads can't really win. Close, open. It never suits. Wonder why so many teachers quit?

OP posts:

isittheholidaysyet · 28/02/2018 11:28

Our HT, cant win.
Opened the school, loads of parents on social media saying we can't actually get out of our villages, a few more attempted and turned back. (Rural area)

A few locals walked in.

11am, He shut the school.

neveradullmoment99 · 28/02/2018 11:28

We get a text message to our phones via groupcall.

Viviennemary · 28/02/2018 11:29

How on earth can parents work on such short notice of school closures. They can't. It means they have to take a day off work if they have nobody on hand to look after children. What would happen if hospitals, police stations, fire stations and so on closed down if a snowflake falls. It's bad judgement IMHO.

PerspicaciaTick · 28/02/2018 11:31

There is a significantly vocal minority of parents at my DC's primary school who seem to be waging some sort of low level war against the school - nothing is ever good enough, all the school's decisions are wrong, all requests from school for parental involvement are a cheek, any situations where the school don't involve the parents are disrespectful. It must be exhausting for the parents to be constantly taking so much offense all the time, and the teachers are remarkably patient with the nonsense.

LegallyBrunet · 28/02/2018 11:36

When making the announcement to shut my brother's SEN school this morning the headteacher explained her reasoning; a lot of children use wheelchairs and the grounds aren't safe for them and most children travel by minibus due to a large catchment area and the minibus firms had already been in touch to say they would struggle with pickups and drop offs. That way, every parent could understand why the decision had been made.

ReanimatedSGB · 28/02/2018 11:38

It is a bit bloody difficult for parents who work, given how many jobs are poorly paid, and how many employers take the attitude of, well, if you dont come in you lose a day's pay/we'll have to let you go and find someone more reliable. So not surprising they get upset. Though this isn't a school HT's fault - it's more down to the economic set up of millions of shitty, underpaid, insecure jobs and the persistent idea that employees are interchangeable and disposable, and should just suck up being treated this way.

KateAdiesEarrings · 28/02/2018 11:38

It's not peculiar to teaching that people will question your decisions. I can't think of any other role where you would expect everyone to be happy with your decisions.
Maybe when the weather improves your HT can ask for support/advice from the LA because there's absolutely no need for someone to be on-site to send an email or update a website.

soapboxqueen · 28/02/2018 11:38

Schools are not like other businesses and services so don't compare.
.
Schools really can't win. If they inform parents of being closed the night before or earlier, they'll be accused of jumping the gun. The reason for closure may be staffing (which may not be understood until the morning when staff can't actually get in), the site itself (which will need to be assessed in person), information from bus companies etc etc.
.
It's never an easy decision and schools are fully aware of the impact, especially on working parents as many staff are themselves working parents. We need to recognise that if a school is shut, is for good reason.

Married3Children · 28/02/2018 11:41

Parents are right to be annoyed at a system which only gives about an hours notice of closure based on the fact that the head has to get to the school.

I agree in the grounds that a quite a few children will already be at a CM or the before school by that time....
And if they are not, it’s leaving absolutely no time at all for the parents to get organise and find alternative childcare if they can.

And YY in which world do you need to be at the school to access the school website??

happiestcamper · 28/02/2018 11:42

I work in a school, I literally live round the corner from the school as do a lot of the children. The other staff however do not. We have staff coming from all over and it is not safe for them to drive. Schools also have to stick to strict pupil teacher ratios. If these are not met the school cannot open. On the other hand what if the parents couldn’t get to school to collect the children at home time. I for one do not fancy a sleepover in the classroom with worried children. I have my own children to get home for. People need to look at the bigger picture. Yes it’s a pain and a bit inconvenient but we are safe surely that’s what matters

The80sweregreat · 28/02/2018 11:43

people will moan whatever happens and this weather isn't normal at all
for the UK even though its still winter and so on.
our school closed yesterday afternoon but could have stayed open really imo, but shut today as things are a lot worse and the roads are bad.
they can't win - people lived closer to work years and years ago - not so much these days. they have to do whats best at the time.
i want to go out but won't venture on the roads today - frustrating for those having to find child care but what are schools meant to do??

Married3Children · 28/02/2018 11:43

Re staffing, tbh I have an issue with that.

If you are living so far away, in the countryside in the middle of nowhere, surely, this is something you have to take into caving for yourself when you accept the job?
It does mean that a few days in the year (if that, it’s not snowing every year in the U.K.!), you will have to leave very early to go to work. But is it part of what should be expected?

tinytemper66 · 28/02/2018 11:44

A colleague had an accident due to ice under the snow this morning on the way to school. She is ok thankfully but it could have been a lot worse.We are open as it isn`t bad here but may be awful tomorrow and Friday. Hopefully common sense will prevail.

tinkywinky2018 · 28/02/2018 11:46

Heads can't really win. Close, open. It never suits. Wonder why so many teachers quit?

That's not why they quit.

Onlyoldontheoutside · 28/02/2018 11:47

If your headmaster can drive 15 miles to access the website then the roads are drivable so parents may be a bit miffed,how does he access the web if he can't get in?

Notevilstepmother · 28/02/2018 11:48

for staff not living near the school nonsense. You can get up as early as you want, if the roads are blocked then they are blocked.

Bowerbird5 · 28/02/2018 11:48

I usually leave early struggle in about half an hour to an hour late to find school been closed. Day off today so didn't need to worry. All the schools in our region closed by the look of the list. We have list called out on local radio and also local paper website which is great but I have usually left before a desicions is made!
In the past, I have gone to our village school to offer services as we used to do that...go to your nearest school. I think the young ones thought I was bonkers but the secretary remembered it happening.

The80sweregreat · 28/02/2018 11:48

I think teachers quit for lots of reasons , not just this type of thing which is out of their control anyway for many of them. This is a unique situation and a real headache to deal with i would imagine.

Eggzandbacon · 28/02/2018 11:49

My school (secondary) is closed and we texted at 7am by group call by someone off site. Roads around here are bad and there are road closures.

However daughters school is open but didn't confirm until 8.15am! Which is ridiculously late. Literally 90% of the schools are closed so we thought they would follow.
I'm sure part of the reason is they dont use a text alert system at all so closures are impossible to warn about effectively.

Lweji · 28/02/2018 11:49

It's just not teachers or schools.

For any given topic, you never get all people to agree.

Just carry on as you think is best.

Letseatgrandma · 28/02/2018 11:51

My DC school is open today. It is the only one of about 50 local schools that is open. Even the ones that ‘never’ close, are closed.

The head prides himself on being some sort of hero of the hour-probably sleeping in the hall last night-to remain open for the ‘good of the community’.

The roads and playground are lethal and the kids (under 11) are heartbroken that they can’t play in the first snow they’ve ever had that’s enough to build a snowman with, let some play with their friends from every other school in the vicinity who is off!

If it’s done to help working parents, I’m not sure it’s really worked, as the head has just announced that afternoon club has just been cancelled due to snow!

CuboidalSlipshoddy · 28/02/2018 11:52

Someone has to physically enter the building to send the emails and texts and to get it up on the website.

That's insane.

There are mechanisms for remote access assured for the highest levels of protective marking and there are free mechanisms for remote access which you can configure in a way which, were you to submit it for accreditation, would pass muster for all but the highest levels. It's crazy you don't have remote access to be able to do this from home.

Bluelonerose · 28/02/2018 11:53

In snow situations I don't see why they can't have a common sense rule e.g. only come in if it's safe to do so.
Surely enough staff would live locally to make it work?
Maybe send out warnings via text the night before "due to weather expected overnight we will have registration open till 10am if it is safe for you to being your dc tomorrow "

Absolutely bewildered why the head can't do it remotely?
Surely it would be easier to put in on school fb group ?

soapboxqueen · 28/02/2018 11:56

There is the possibility that the HT has to access a closed network so would need to be in school in order to send a message. I agree though there should be something else in place.
.
With regards to staff getting in, my last school is a 16 minute drive away. However it would take 2 hours to walk it, that's after I've done something with my children. No direct route so might take even longer by public transport assuming it runs.

pigshavecurlytails · 28/02/2018 11:56

To access the website, the Deputy Head needs to be on site

completely agree with your frustration, but the statement above is daft. why isn't there home access to the website?

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