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

Well, Gin - if nobody - or very few - families turned up, then maybe the management would realise it isn't a popular idea, and then the staff wouldn't be made to give up their family time to go to work on a Saturday the next year. I should imagine the teachers would be eternally grateful to the parents for supporting them in this way.

It's a Saturday. They can't enforce it anymore than they can enforce attendance at the school fayre! Morons

If they have an extra weekday off at some point in the year so they can hold the sports day on a Saturday that seems like the sort of thing that would be very unpopular and also disproportionately hard on the working poor - creating an extra day to cover with childcare.

FFS you can tell the parents of the private schools.
I'm one myself, in a way, but the school doesn't have a sports day, teams or much P E at all .

So, if your child is good at sport and the standard at the school is very high, they have to make a team etc of course it is taken seriously because the kids enjoy it and are good at it.

If you hate it, are crap at it, your mates are too apart from the odd one whose brilliant and wins everything.
Does seeing your kid wobble an egg on a spoon really make memories?

but as this is a one-off you will just suck it up and support the school.

Is that an order?

I thought you were just sarcastic!. [rolleyes]

But, as I can see from later posts, that YOU are being serious!. All ofr the wrong reaons. I would like to see YOU try & give detentions "for not turning up and supporting the school".!

I wouldn't bother if I was the Head. I'd have a school-only Sports Day, an hour or two on a Friday morning, no parents invited.

If a child who refuses to do "sports day", what happens then?

You and your DC would be out the door within weeks at my place.

Errr...Don't expulsions take bloody ages to process?.

I'm actually a senior deputy headteacher in a large primary school, so I do know exactly what I'm talking about.

[open sarcasm mode] WELL DONE YOU!. [/close sarcasm mode] and here's a just to soften the blow [rolleyes]

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

I think sun-ny has won it & a gold star.

Most kids love sports day

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!, they didn't then (when I wer' a lad) & they still don't!.

N.B William Webb Ellis was a cheat, never forget that...

Even before him, people were playing "rugby".

Why should you prevent him from being involved in what is a fun activity, part of normal school life. He will like the races and seeing older children compete and understanding that you join in with the organisation you are part of is an import lesson.

An awful lot of assumptions there. If it is the traditional type of sports day with lots of organised races, it's not fun for anyone not involved in the races - for them it's hours sitting around in blazing hot sun occasionally watching the odd burst of activity. It's not necessarily even fun for those involved in the races, particularly those who habitually come last or close to last. If it's the type of sports day where they all progress around the field doing activities, it's OK, but frankly a bit meh and not something that merits forcing everyone in on a Saturday.

A one day a year event isn't part of normal school life.. They join in with the organisation every weekday during termtime so being there for an extra day will make zero difference to their understanding of that concept. And if it's beneficial to them, they will get exactly the same benefits doing it on a weekday.

I don’t get it, our nursery aged daughter loved her sports day

@Mrseft You don't get that not all families and kids like the same thing? Really?

Also, wait till you've been doing them for 15 years. It wears mighty thin. especially when you have non-sporty kids

I hated sports day as a child, my friends too, my teachers clearly hated it, my parents didn't enjoy it, my children don't enjoy it, their friends don't enjoy it, I don't enjoy going, my husband finds excuses not to come, the teachers don't seem to enjoy it, the other parents don't seem to enjoy it, my teacher friends all absolutely hate it...from what I've seen it's only ever the person with a megaphone that looks to have a genuine smile on the day.

Just do away with it already misses point

My unsporty 12 yo dd was dreading sports day. To my astonishment she came home and said "It was the best (school) day ever!!! Well... apart from the brief bits where I actually had to do any sport!" It was largely sitting about in the sunshine chatting to her friends.

Sport in schools is problematic, imo. There are a surprising number of PE teachers who still only seem to care about the sporty kids and ones in teams and can barely conceal their scorn at unsporty ones. (I ssy this as a teacher myself - I've worked with many PE teachers like this.) They should be encouraging exercise for health for all, not implying that if you can't compete then you might as well not bother. PE lessons and sports days put some people off exercise for life.

I think things are too serious now. Where are we with sports day these days? Does the winner get recognition as first place or is it still the silly non-recognition that "everybody wins for taking part" attitude? Or has it turned to be over-competitive now? It seems to go in different cycles. When I was young it was fun, competitive but not overly so. I looked forward to the ice-cream treat and drink more but it did us no harm. But that was in school time one afternoon.

If mother's races have become yummy mummy slingback totterings to compete to boast about the latest heels/nikes/glamourwear, where's the fun in that?

If I were the OP I would take him to swimming then turn up, albeit late, and apologise for being late, something urgent cropped up, and let him join in with his friends if he wants. Traffic's bad on a Saturday so you may be late anyway. Are parents encouraged to hang around and talk? If it's not casual and is too competitive and your child isn't, then it doesn't sound fun. I think the idea of sports day is obviously exercise but also to teach children that there are winners and losers in life and that the more effort you try and put in, the better the results. Like exams really. My sister is a TA but often has had to replace teachers teaching classes and much more for no extra pay and do outside hours additional classes too. She often hasn't got home until after 7pm and then had family and aging parents to see are ok.

To make it fun and exciting takes a special type of TA/Teacher. I'm amazed at the lengths my sister has gone too sometimes. Even on residentials. Pupils and families should want to attend and look forward to it, not dread it. Good luck, I hope you enjoy the day whatever you decide to do. Just don't forget the suncream, water and hats!

couldn't agree more. It should be about being social as well.

Kingkiller, couldn't agree more. It should be about being social as well.

I get that it's a difficult balance though. You can't just get rid of the competitive element altogether. Some kids love it and may want to do it professionally etc.

@BitOutOfPractice I’m not even particularly sporty. Seemed more to be about the whole school having a chance to be together and be a community doing something. Everyone caught up and enjoyed watching the kids run some races. Sometimes you don’t actively enjoy things for the subject they are about (ie. sports) but still get other things from them. That’s the point in a community event isn’t it?

@kingkiller my daughters school have a pretty good balance, all the kids compete for their houses and each place wins points in a race, whichever house wins the most points wins the house cup. Competitive but not personal which I think is great.

Unless he really really didn't want to go (if he would feel self conscious in front of his friends?) I would just take him. It doesn't sound like a big deal to miss one swimming lesson (if it was a family wedding or something I would obviously not go). It's usually a nice day even if they're not sporty. I always try and support the school and having a good relationship with them has been helpful when I've needed their extra support.

Why should you prevent him from being involved in what is a fun activity, part of normal school life

Since when have sport days been fun?

For goodness sake - change the swimming lesson and let your kid be part of the school activity

You can't change swimming lessons, they take place at set times!!!!

To the poster Reno dissent nderstand because her nursery age child loved sports day. My son also loved his nursery sports day when it was 15 minutes of climbing over an obstacle course. Fast forward 6 years and it's now 3 hours of relentless races in the hear which he is no good at, it's demoralising. He is n a club fir his chosen sport which he lives but sports days are long, boring and demoralising. Long gone are the days of nursery fun everyone's a winner have a sticker and ice lolly sports days.

An awful lot of assumptions there. If it is the traditional type of sports day with lots of organised races, it's not fun for anyone not involved in the races

Surely that's an assumption on your part. MY DS isn't at all sporty but loves the rest of the day hanging out with his friends.

Haven't RTFT, so sorry if this has been covered.

But. 2 things.

1. What does your dc want to do?
2. Are they giving you a day off in he week to pay for coming on saturday? If not, and if dc isn't hankering to go, it's an automatic no from me!

Are you kidding me? It's a Saturday, I wouldn't even give it a second thought, there's no way id send my child to school on the weekend! complain to the school its a joke, they have 5 days every week to arrange a sports day.

@Mrseft like I say, come back in 15 years and tell me how wonderful sports day is when it's 4 hours sitting on a hard chair in the blazing sun, by yourself because nobody else in the family wants to gone or can get time off, just to watch your dc crying because they've come last in the only 40 second event they've been picked for. Then rinse and repeat for subsequent children. And Then tell me what a wonderful community event it is.

@bitoutofpractice if I’m still here in 15 years I’ll be happy just to be here. Have a great summer with your family 🙂