AIBU? School says sports day on Saturday is compulsory

[weekendsareforfamily]

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

Playing for England would probably count as 'educated off site'.

This thread is hilarious.
I’m a senior top deputy head of life at my school.
It’s not even unusual.
I sit on a throne in assemblies.
Sunday worship of Me Is compulsory.

I have a relatively long and varied teaching career. I can categorically state that it is unusual. Only one school I've ever had experience with has attempted a Saturday sports day. There were about twenty children there. It didn't happen again.

Where's my Most Sanctimonious Post of The Day certificate? I must get it written up in italic writing and popped in a frame for @mrsm43s**

You jumped the gun with this one, chocolate wombat snatched the crown

It's sports day. That's much more important than a swimming lesson

A primary school sports day = running around with a beanbag on your head. That is hardly going to give you a skill for life like swimming!

To turn it back on schools. Teachers have known when term ends for months there are plenty mornings or afternoons leading uo to.that which woukd do just fine. No extra organising, no working weekends, no encroaching on personal time/hobbies/family commitments etc.

You are still making an assumption though claire. While you're correct to point out that this is a possibility, that isn't the same thing as it definitely being this way. It's just not. Especially as OP has told you they aren't down a day anywhere. You do not know.

600 applications for 50 places

In areas where everyone gets six choices, that isn't any indication of popularity.

I wasn't sure about Sunny until the comment that attending any random school event on a Saturday is more important than the selection process for a national sports team.

Trying for the MN Most Batshit Authoritarian (alleged) Teacher Award?

School is important. School is not the only thing in a child's life that is important. Perfectly normal to prioritise school during the week and other commitments at weekends.

Yeah she kind of blew her beans with that one.

I’m not sure that a primary with a PAN of 50 counts as a ‘large primary’. That’s not even two full classes.

And if parents can put down 4-6 preferences then 600 applications isn’t really that much. Most of them (possibly including most of the people who got landed with imaginary primary) might have simply put it down as a last resort, not because they actually wanted their child to go there. Maybe the other imaginary primaries are actual prison camps.

I think a LA would be asking very pointed questions if a primary was trying to get rid of pupils on a regular basis. Most primary schools do not use any actually legal transfer procedures very often because they actually try to meet the needs of the pupils rather than seeking to get rid of them over incredibly petty infractions.

I think your attempted MN expert persona needs work Sunny. No one is going to be putting a call out for your senior deputy HT advice any time soon.

Why is Sports Day more important than a swimming lesson?

Can’t really see that it makes a difference either way.

If it is a fair fun family sports day with a bbq and fun events then I'm up for that.
If its watching kids in the blistering heat doing egg and spoon races , then no.

The school, can't say it is compulsory. They can make more of an effort to make you want to go.

England are playing in a world cup quarter final at 3pm on Saturday. If OP is in England, and actually quite likely even if she's elsewhere in the UK, unless the thing finishes well before that I foresee many more absences.

I just wouldn't go. And that's without my DC having a swimming lesson that clashes.

Honestly, it's school, not prison.

Wow this thread is amazing! @sunnyshades I'm sure all your teacher colleagues will be so grateful to you for giving teachers such a bad name. Utterly awful, and teachers like you are part of why there is such widespread distrust of the education system.
With regard to Sports Day on a Saturday, just no. No way would I attend. I never sign agreements with schools, not because I don't support them at all but because I don't agree with a document being necessary. Unless there is a particular issue it should be assumed that by accepting a space for your child in a school you are therefore a supportive and interested parent. A signed document will do nothing to actually make you supportive and interested if you are not.
But sports day is the most dreadful day of all school days. Hideously long and boring. Often there's 2, for the different key stages. You move around a field watching your children do utterly daft things (dress up in a race, use a tennis bat and ball for egg and spoon, tie their legs together) and it's either bloody freezing or too hot. And your child is either sporty and competitive or a bit crap and knows it. Some schools now have activities so they can get 65 stickers whilst they wait, to soften the blow of no 1st,2nd or 3rd. Some schools now are non-competitive and you get stickers for just being nice.
Ultimately for parents it's 3 hours of boredom and trying to remember to get a photo at the right time. Then listening to other parents or see them post on Facebook my darling came 1st twice and second in the x and you think yes out of 4.
And to the pp who said sports day is much more important than a swimming lesson. That's nuts. Swimming will be expensive and could save your life. Sports day not so much.

I would have thought that schools that insist on lots of mandatory Saturdays and such like are likely to find retaining staff trickier than schools that recognise that both teachers and families do not want to spend Saturday at school.

If she’s in Scotland there may be less interest in the England game, but more uproar at the school having a compulsory sports day in July @GameOfMinges. And that’ll be just from the teachers, never mind the parents.

Senior Deputy Head. Of a two form intake primary. Sorry that doesn't qualify as "large" and I'm not sure how you get away with 25 in a class, but that may go some way to explaining why you're oversubscribed.

Anyway, all the people posting about schools with unsupportive parents not succeeding. This is true. But it's a function of socio economic factors, not whether or not people go to sports day. Parents with chaotic lives don't have time or inclination to "support" school, and may actually be suspicious of school; but the schools have problems due to lack of support at home for reading, kids not being disciplined etc, not getting to bed at a reasonable time or not being well fed (one local primary in my city has horror stories about kids turning up with a packed lunch that consists of two ritz crackers sandwiched together with marg).

Busy middle class parents not wanting their kids to miss a swimming lesson on a saturday is not the same thing.

Personally I'd go - the school has probably organised it on a saturday so that working parents can go. But I'm a governor, and on the PTA etc, and I don't think that people who don't have time or inclination for school events are "not supporting" the school.

I'd check the "compulsory" issue tho as they could have arranged the school year so it's a school day. In which case you could go later, and complain to the HT if you think this organisation of the school calendar is unreasonable - I would.

Scottish schools are off already.

Yes @gekiort, that’s why the teachers (and parents) would revolt at a sports day on any day in July.

Heh. I have friends in Wales who'll be busily watching to support Sweden so I expect Scotland will be the same! Lucky no school sports days there to get in the way.

My kids’ school has Saturday sports day that they are “expected to attend”. The PTA organises stalls, there’s Pimms and a BBQ done by the caterers who do the school meals. It’s jolly good fun if the rain stays away. I reckon attendance is upward of 95% but I don’t believe it’s compulsory.

My children are in the Independent sector, and have compulsory sports fixtures most weekends (and quite a few evening events too) - indeed they're most disappointed if they don't make the teams and so don't have a fixture! Compulsory concerts and music events on weekend and evenings too, along with a host of other co-curriculars. They are proud to attend. I can see why state schools fail to offer the same enrichment and sporting opportunities as Indys, if this is the attitude of the parents.

OMG, this wins Post Of The Year.

Because our state school only rarely has anything on a weekend (I live overseas where Saturday school events do occur occasionally), we can spend our free time as a family outdoors and running about, going to museums, visiting other cities, attending interesting events and festivals and workshops in our city and a whole bunch of other things. Which I suspect is more enriching that hanging around a windswept sports field watching yet another boring sports match.

I think your child's school sounds like a nightmare--isn't it good that we all have different preferences?

I love the idea that Sunny thought that Sports day is a fun event!
I went to as many as I could when my DD was at primary school and although the teachers do their best it is often hot in July,the nature of sports field is that there is no shade searching the entire school population fry is not fun.
I wonder how many of the posters who think this is a good thing have children who are rubbish on sports day and just sit on the sidelines bored.

Screw that, our Saturday is for relaxing and resting. Not getting up early for bloody sports day
Im so glad dd school runs it during the school day