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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School msg inset day tomorrow less than 24 hours notice

172 replies

JustJ18 · 15/04/2018 14:32

I have just recvd msg that my Grandsons school is having inset day tomorrow. txt msg arrived at 1.30 pm Sunday afternoon. There is no notice given on schools website, I have searched all letters info prior to Easter Holidays, no notice given. How can this be acceptable. I am now desperately trying to find cover, both sets of grandparents working, friends and other family members are working and can't do at such short notice. Any suggestions? Should I take him anyway as Teachers will be there?

OP posts:
Peanutbuttercups21 · 15/04/2018 16:54

The people who question where the parents are, should take a long hard look at themselves.

One of DS's friends lives with grandparents, as dad has left and mum has mental health issues and has now been sectioned. Know another single mum who is in hospital with a stroke :(

You know, shit happens, use your brain people. OP owes us no explanation.

OP, it is very odd to have an unannounced INSET day, the school has messed up BIG time. All schools I know set Inset days at the start of the year (they are on the school calendar) and you can put them in the diary straight away. You'll have to take a sick/emergency day at work I guess.

I think it is shocking they give such short notice (and does this mean one of the other 5 INSET days is now cancelled?!)

longestlurkerever · 15/04/2018 16:54

I do love everyone's absolute faith in the organisation skills of the school. Obviously just me that gets 12 hours' notice of class assembly/world book day/early finish due to sports day and so forth. People cock stuff up in all jobs.

WowLookAtYou · 15/04/2018 16:59

Obviously just me that gets 12 hours' notice of class assembly/world book day/early finish due to sports day and so forth.

12 hours' notice? Really? You think that the school would decide to organise this at 9pm the day before? I think it's your organisation skills at fault here, to be honest.

PattiStanger · 15/04/2018 17:00

Not being told about a class assembly isn't really comparable to the whole school being closed at less than 24 hours notice though is it.

I find it very hard to believe that there could be a cock up to the extent that an INSET day wasn't included on the school dates and no one noticed until the afternoon beforehand. That would need a huge number of people to be totally unaware, really not at all likely imo

RedSkyAtNight · 15/04/2018 17:00

longestlurker - well yes, all of those are examples of poor communication (and no, it's not just your school) but not knowing about these in advance (or indeed at all) isn't really the end of the world. Not telling parents that school is closed (leaving themselves open to loads of DC just being dropped off) is a huge issue.

FrangipaniBlue · 15/04/2018 17:00

My school too @longestlurkerever !!

The most recent one was a text at 5pm about what DS needed for his school trip the following day, a trip that neither I nor most of the other class mums knew anything about!!

Turns out the school "thought" they had sent the letters home on the day they were closed due to snow and were wondering why out of a class of 31 they'd only had FIVE permission slips back Confused

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 15/04/2018 17:04

That's appalling! No, you can't take him in, but what are you going to do?! Shock

WowLookAtYou · 15/04/2018 17:05

That's appalling!
No, it isn't, because it didn't happen!

longestlurkerever · 15/04/2018 17:08

I agree it's not the same level of inconvenience, but still plenty of examples of really poor communication from schools. No reason to be so insistent it couldn't have happened here.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 15/04/2018 17:09

For the PP saying it's unusual to receive a text from school on a Sunday, I'm quite surprised that I haven't had a text yet reminding me that school's back tomorrow. They'll probably send it at 8am tomorrow. Hmm

NorbertTheDragon · 15/04/2018 17:10

School won't take him, I tried once!

Though it was an inset day I'd forgotten about so turned up Blush I asked if they were sure they didn't want to keep dc and practice their training on him but they said no. Very inconsiderate! Wink

I did once not get informed about an inset day - went with dc to look round in July, for starting in September. They must have added an inset day on to the summer holidays after we'd been told the term dates but not contacted us so his turned up to his first day to find school still closed!

Luckily I don't work so didn't have to worry about childcare either time.

PattiStanger · 15/04/2018 17:16

longestlurker - it's totally believable that a school would forget to remind parents about an INSET day that had been on the school calendar previously, it's almost unbelievable that this is the first communication that anyone has had about it.

PattiStanger · 15/04/2018 17:17

And that it's not on the school website, sorry missed that bit

Tiredmum100 · 15/04/2018 17:58

I too had a reminder this afternoon that there was inset day tomorrow that I had no idea about! But no you can't take him to school anyway.

PattiStanger · 15/04/2018 18:24

Could it be the same school tirenmama, was yours on the website? It would be amazing if it was the same school and you could help each other out

Womble75 · 15/04/2018 20:39

I posted earlier that I got a text reminder about the same time OP did. There's nothing on the school website that's immediately obvious but they have just updated to a new site.
Likelihood of it being same school is remote but we did have reminders on the weekly newsletters and it was communicated earlier in the year I believe.

Starlight2345 · 15/04/2018 21:06

I can say despite it been on school calendar and newsletters we always have a couple of surprised parents . Usually the same ones

Cicera · 15/04/2018 21:16

The newsletters etc wouldn't say "THERE'S AN INSET THIS DAY!" because it's irrelevant to the kids and parents whether it's an INSET or not.

It will have been on the term dates as just the term starting on Tuesday.

But if they're having a surprise INSET that's just odd - I can't imagine what would prompt that as training etc is usually booked way ahead.

PattiStanger · 15/04/2018 21:34

Maybe your school letters don't specify that it's an INSET day but at all the schools my DC have been to it did/do say that.

I don't know why as obviously it doesn't really matter as long as you know the school is closed but it always shows them separately. Maybe it's area specific as I've had a look at some other local schools and all of them differentiate the dates on their online school calendars

longestlurkerever · 15/04/2018 21:50

Agree they're listed separately here too and it can catch you out as not all lists (eg the council one) shows them.

Somersetter · 15/04/2018 22:18

Inset days are listed separately to term dates in our newsletters and on the school website.

If you've only been given one day's notice there will be an outcry as it will affect all parents, not just you. Will be interesting to see what happens!

Somersetter · 15/04/2018 22:21

Do you have a class email group / WhatsApp group you could ask?

Original poster
JustJ18 · 16/04/2018 09:12

Thanks for advice, I will formally complain to Governors, it was due an emergency of new head taking up position, hopefully this will resolve their abysmal lack of communication in the past and sort out their website for future. We cannot always rely on our children being given letters to take home.

OP posts:
PuppyMonkey · 16/04/2018 09:33

Blimey. Hope you sorted childcare ok OP? I wonder how many kids turned up in blissful ignorance.

PattiStanger · 16/04/2018 12:12

That doesn't sound like a good enough reason - what do they mean an emergency new head? Do they mean that a head was appointed over the weekend, without any further information it sounds to me like they aren't telling you the whole story.

Is there a reason why a new head would decide over a weekend that they had to have training on the Monday?