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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

BlueAnchor · 16/04/2018 22:00

In my LA agreed dates are in place for some of the training days. This allows schools to work together. In addition we have some days that can be moved. Locally as heads, we tend to agree these days too to make the dates more manageable for families.

All of our local LA maintained schools have the same dates for training. Only the one academy, which is part of a trust based in another county has different. This includes all school holidays too.

purplebunny2012 · 16/04/2018 22:08

I don't need to check if our school is closed for polling as it's always done in the village hall.
I didn't double check my DS was back at school today as I have INSET days clearly marked and school was definitely back today.
Our LEA has never published INSET days, just term dates. Our school gives us the training dates. We have one either end of May half term, so I guess that's why they were not training today.

purplebunny2012 · 16/04/2018 22:22

School did catch me out once. They put in the newsletter for weeks the day of school photos. A few days before, text reminders of that date went out.
The day before, I got a text at about 8.15 saying they'd cocked up and photos were that day!
Poor kid, nothing I could do as I start work at 8am and he'd been in breakfast club since 7.30am. I don't send him scruffy, but I'd like to have had him more pristine than his usual appearance.

purplebunny2012 · 16/04/2018 22:32

One more from me. Don't always rely on your LEA, either. I got a message from school stating LEA had published wrong dates for October half term this year! Anyone who had booked a holiday for the week published MAY get the absence authorised.
Thankfully I didn't book until after, and the week we're off is actually a lot cheaper (going in to November).

manicmij · 17/04/2018 00:36

I would contact the Head of Education in your local authority and ask for the reason why the inset day has been called with basically no notice and complain no matter the reason. If there has been some kind of catastrophe at the building then that is what you should have been told what, not an inset day.
I can't think of any reason why an inset day would suddenly be called. Wouldn't take child to school as not teachers who are responsible for mess. Childminder perhaps?

corythatwas · 17/04/2018 03:36

I still remember the evening when the supply teacher rang me up to say dd wouldn't be able to come on the trip to the zoo the following day because they'd forgotten to book the minibus with room for a wheelchair. I'm sure there would have been a queue of MNers to tell me it couldn't possibly have happened. It still did. The meanest thing about it to my mind was that they got a temporary staff member who had nothing to do with the trip to make this unpleasant phone call. Told me all I needed to know.

Though to her eternal credit, the supply teacher got so upset when she heard dd crying in the background that she insisted on opening up communications and in the end got us onto the trip on condition that I took the day off (at 12 hours notice) to come with them and help fold the wheelchair. It was an easily collapsible chair, really not beyond the wit of man, but clearly too much for the school.

InspMorse · 17/04/2018 07:44

Schools set their own INSET days and they are agreed when the school calendar is produced prior to the beginning of the school year.

Was this a reminder? Or have they changed the dates?

If the school is run by a load of investors ran 'academy' the LEA have nothing to do with it & the school can basically do what they want.

hks · 17/04/2018 09:23

were all the schools off in your area?
.might have been something urgent that had to be discussed with staff at short notice we are always tols weks / months in advance

Sparklyshoes16 · 17/04/2018 10:12

I'm really confused by some of these posts!!! The OP has said that a new head was being introduced...in an EMERGENCY situation!!

"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"

so why are people banging on about local authority term dates and complaining...obviously something major has happened it's very unusual for a school to close to all its pupils they really don't make the decision lightly to close especially under such short notice!

Friend 1. On the Sunday a few months ago he was texted to say school has inset day....real reason school had run out of money and it's Academy sponsor had pulled out...school closed next day to pupils but not staff! Was reopened on the Wed once it was in the media and emergency action plan put into place!

Friend 2. School (Primary) has inset day...real reason serious infestation of rats especially in the canteen area and my friends classroom!!

Friend 3. Not an inset day but staff had to come in on the Sunday 5 pupils had passed away on the Sat eve in a car accident...they decided to open the school at 10am to pupils to give them some time to absorb the shock and also to give staff who hadn't heard/couldn't get hold of a chance to hear the horrendous news! Some parents hadn't heard about the accident and automatically assumed it was inset etc from what my friend told me the receptionists got the brunt of it from irate parents asking what are they supposed to do with their child for two hours

Sparklyshoes16 · 17/04/2018 10:21

My point is give the school a break of course it's annoying that op was only given 24 hours notice but it's clearly a serious emergency situation...writing letters to complain etc imo is really unnecessary!! At least you got a text...I'm assuming you managed to get sorted ok too? Check with your GC each day if you have to for letters etc

I know my friends school has a link on their website for any letters that go out! I'd this something you could suggest?

I know not all schools have a text system as it costs an absolute fortune to run and with the way school budgets are at the moment it's something a lot have had to cut!

MorganKitten · 17/04/2018 11:35

We cannot always rely on our children being given letters to take home.

'Did you get any letters today?'
'Yes'
'Can I have it'

PattiStanger · 17/04/2018 11:51

Tbf sparkly most of the posts were before the OP posted about the new Head emergency.

Imo schools would be better in an emergency to say it's an emergency rather than pretending it's an INSET that's suddenly appeared out of nowhere. As a parent I'd understand the need for some disruption in the case of an emergency, I wouldn't be very amused by a short notice closure for staff training.

Sparklyshoes16 · 17/04/2018 12:45

@PattiStanger no they're not a lot of these posts are after the OP updated the reason why.

TorviBrightspear · 17/04/2018 13:23

MorganKitten If children weren't given letters in the first place (bitter experience) then asking the child to hand it over is futile, and they may not have realised there was a letter anyway.

PuppyMonkey · 17/04/2018 13:31

Morgan - if only your scenario was accurate.

In RL, I forget to ask, kids forget to mention any letter and I might finally find the vital piece of paper scrunched up in the front pocket of her bag two weeks later.

coconuttella · 17/04/2018 13:38

In RL, I forget to ask

I think it’s reasonable for a parent to be expected not to forget to check their child’s bag (primary at least) daily.... and I say that as a far from perfect parent who has forgotten to check on occasion and nearly missed stuff as a result... but that was my fault not the school’s.

AlexanderHamilton · 17/04/2018 14:09

ME: did you get any letters today?

Ds: blank stare - “what’s for tea.?” 2 weeks later I find he’d left it behind in his tray. we now know he’s autistic but not diagnosed till year 8)

BoomBoomsCousin · 18/04/2018 03:06

There is, I have found, plenty that can happen to a letter between teaching staff putting it in a school bag and children getting home. One of mine regularly lost almost everything from her bag and rarely had school letters. It wasn't malicious and plenty of consequences have been invoked for carelessness, but it hasn't improved the situation much even now in year 4. Fortunately, our school don't rely on that as its sole means of communication.

BlueAnchor · 18/04/2018 19:12

I would contact the Head of Education in your local authority and ask for the reason why the inset day has been called with basically no notice and complain no matter the reason

And if the school is an academy the Head Of Education at the Local Authority will be able to tell you "nothing to do with me".

Bekabeech · 18/04/2018 19:32

If it is an emergency new head - then the LA will know the school has big problems - and the reason for the Inset.

FrizzyMcFrizzface · 18/04/2018 19:53

It’s very annoying I’m sure, but it’s a school, NOT free childcare so parents can go to work. Stuff happens and unfortunately people have to take time off at short notice to look after dependents.

BlueAnchor · 18/04/2018 20:24

If it is an emergency new head - then the LA will know the school has big problems - and the reason for the Inset.

But not if it is an academy, only a maintained school. It is really surprising how many people have little interest or understanding about the changes to our education system. If it carries on there won't even be an LA for you to rely on or complain to. The LA is not accountable for academies...really want to shout that out!!

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