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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU? School says sports day on Saturday is compulsory

457 replies

weekendsareforfamily · 03/07/2018 14:55

My son is in year one, so second sports day now. Last year it was scheduled on a Saturday but the weather was bad so was cancelled and rearranged for a Tuesday afternoon. This year it is planned for this coming Saturday. My boy has a swimming lesson from 09:30, the children have to be in school for 09:00.
On the FB group chat someone has asked whether they have to go as they are working and cannot get the child to school. The receptionist has replied saying yes as its a compulsory day and we have all known about this since September last year.
Now I was planning on popping into the reception to say my boy wouldn't make it because he's swimming but now I am worried I will be told tough and that I knew about this so should be bringing him in. I am worried I will be fined if he doesn't attend but it's a Saturday?! Do I tell the truth and risk a fine? Do I lie and make up another reason? Do I lose out on the money I have already paid for his swimming lessons (we have already lost out on two from going away at last half term)? Arrrgh
WWYD? Thanks

OP posts:
Everdeen · 03/07/2018 20:24

@SunnyShades

I'd be imposing detentions on DC to make up the time missed

You can't give detentions to 7 year olds.

Kool4katz · 03/07/2018 20:24

Sports day on a Saturday for primary school children. Bonkers.
Don’t go and don’t give it a head space.

In the grand scheme, it won’t make the slightest jot of difference to your child’s life and if anyone seriously thinks it’s will, they’re even more delusional than the potty receptionist.

GameOfMinges · 03/07/2018 20:24

There will be, she will be down one day somewhere else, like before Christmas, or after Easter, or similar

You are making an assumption.

UnimaginativeUsername · 03/07/2018 20:25

In Sunny’s world the 7 year olds probably serve their detentions down a mine or something.

Lycanthropology · 03/07/2018 20:25

Sunny I am embarrassed for you. Please stop now before you become completely ridiculous. An NC is probably advisable, too.

OP, just say "No, sorry, can't"

sirfredfredgeorge · 03/07/2018 20:25

I think it’s going to take a bit more than careful wording to ensure that what is essentially an illegal exclusion stands up to a judicial review.

And presumably it wouldn't be the parents who cared at this point, but the LA's lawyers as they are now stuck trying to find a different school, and potentially paying for transport despite their being a school with only 10 kids per class left in as they've all been managed out...

UnimaginativeUsername · 03/07/2018 20:26

Please stop now before you become completely ridiculous.

Before... I think it is late for that.

AlexanderHamilton · 03/07/2018 20:27

This thread is hilarious.

Lycanthropology · 03/07/2018 20:32

For someone who claims to be a deputy head your understanding of how schools support pupils is astounding

Actually My2 Sunny claims to be a senior deputy head. Because Primary schools have those.

Bibesia · 03/07/2018 20:33

If Sandy's school existed it would be closed down by Ofsted very quickly indeed as soon as it had a look at its retention statistics - unless the Department for Education got there first and closed it down for breach of the terms of its funding agreement.

AstonMartini · 03/07/2018 20:33

Cath, did you really go to an independent school? I'd have thought you might have been able to spell 'independent' if you had done...

Parker231 · 03/07/2018 20:34

Wow - what a load of rubbish sunny spouts. Mine were at a selective Indy but after school and weekend events weren’t compulsory. Some we went to, some we didn’t. It didn’t harm DC’s relationship with the school or teaching staff.

my2bundles · 03/07/2018 20:35

Sorry Lycan my mistake 😝😜

Bibesia · 03/07/2018 20:35

Aston, plenty of people leave independent schools with less than perfect spelling.

SunnyShades · 03/07/2018 20:39

Luckily there are still many parents who are supportive of schools and who aren't as combative as possible. Which is why we had 600 applications for 50 places this year.

Bibesia · 03/07/2018 20:41

Despite having a Deputy Head who can't write grammatical English, Sunny?

FlyingElbows · 03/07/2018 20:42

Ofcourse you did, dear.

Bibesia · 03/07/2018 20:43

The thing is, as a school you can have as many supportive parents as you want - it only takes one to report you to Ofsted/the DfE or take you to court or the tribunal for blatantly disobeying the law and all that support will count for nothing.

BertrandRussell · 03/07/2018 20:43

SunnyShades is lying.
Sue me, I dare you.

my2bundles · 03/07/2018 20:43

Of course you did 😜 I think you need to research what supporting a school means, also research how schools support pupils. Then you can improve Imaginary Primary, also did you miss the point a previous poster made about you not being able to give detention to 7 year olds, you need to consider that aswell your you teddies and dolls are not unfairly treated .

FrayedHem · 03/07/2018 20:44

50 places for a secondary Academy. Interesting. Is it the Balamory catchment area secondary?

Charmatt · 03/07/2018 20:46

SunnyShades is laughable - she lives in a fantasy world where schools make up rules and no one gets a say.

If it helps to create some reality, in our Trust we have a school where parental support extends to us linking with the local food bank able to authorise referrals, drop in clinics to support parents filling in government forms, and us buying and supplying sanitary supplies to girls in period poverty. We understand that parents give their time when they can and support the schools when they can. Their own time is exactly that - as is our staff members own time.

In regard to the theme of this thread, any school with any sense would realise that Saturday is generally a jam packed day for parents and that most activities are prepaid in blocks. Parents may share custody over the weekend or they may have work commitments instead. No school should be even trying to pretend an activity on a Saturday is compulsory.

Willow2017 · 03/07/2018 20:52

Ffs its sports day not the Olympics! 3 hours in the sun bored witless on a Saturday? No.chance i work every sunday sats are the onky days i get time with the kids.

If you've known about it since September last year, why did you book a swimming lesson that day? Plus, you're happy to miss swimming lessons for holidays, but not for a one-off compulsory school function? Seems like odd priorities to me.
You do realise swimming lessons are every week not just once a year? How rude of op to take the lessons available on a sat in case the school needed her to attend on a Saturday! And she shoukd never go away on hols as it will intetfere with spoeys day. Of course she doesnt want her child to get behind in swimming class.

What a dilemma because running the sack race is also probably going to give him.years of pleasure and possibly save his life too...oh wait.

And it might be around the same time every year but when mine were in primary we never knew until 2 weeks before the actual date!

No way would i be doing it and my ds has swimming on sat mornings too its the only lessons we can get to. And i have to pay whether he goes or not. Whats wrong with an afternoon in last week of school?

Polarbearflavour · 03/07/2018 20:57

Wow, school have really changed since I was there!

I went to an independent school with Saturday morning school. My year was the first year to rebel against it and it was dropped a few months later!

heatwave2018 · 03/07/2018 21:02

And cue the daily mail!