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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:
SunnyShades · 03/07/2018 18:00

The thing is that parents are very aware of the expectations we have as a school, as this is part of the reason we're so successful- and this attracts many parents to us.

As a result, we don't have many who choose to challenge our rules, but we won't hesitate to act when we do.

Bibesia · 03/07/2018 18:00

Compulsory schooling is whenever the school wants it to be,

Do share with us where we can find this piece of legislation, Sunny.

We have a clear policy at my school towards unsupportive parents like this- get in line or ship out.

How precisely do you enforce this, given that by law you cannot exclude a child for what their parents do or fail to do?

my2bundles · 03/07/2018 18:01

Well said Captain

NotAgainYoda · 03/07/2018 18:01

Polkerris

Yes, another large sample size of 'what I think'

Massive generalisations flung hither and thither

Another day on AIBU

BishopBrennansArse · 03/07/2018 18:02

@Soubriquet good luck with the council. The point of academies is they can merrily ignore the local authority. I'm currently part of a neu campaign to make academies accountable to local authorities, particularly in the case of Sen.

NotAgainYoda · 03/07/2018 18:02

Bloody hell. Really scared now.

agentdaisy · 03/07/2018 18:05

GameOfMinges I agree. The fabulous teachers and head at our school do an amazing job and go above and beyond for the students. They deserve a rest at weekends as much as, if not more than, the children do.

Soubriquet · 03/07/2018 18:05

One reason I refuse to allow my children to academies

Luckily we only have two in the area. One a primary school, one a secondary school.

I'm avoiding them at all cost

Bibesia · 03/07/2018 18:06

BishopBrennan, academies may ignore the local authority but they are subject to judicial review and can't ignore the courts. If anything that SunnyShades says is true, her school is riding for a fall: they will have no defence whatsoever if or when their illegal exclusion policy is challenged.

SunnyShades · 03/07/2018 18:07

@Bibesia

It's really quite a simple procedure- all parents sign a contract when they sign their DC up to the school- which contains their duties towards us and our rights to take action if they're not followed.

We initially give one warning to a parent that their attitude or behaviour isn't meeting these expectations. The second stage is when we tell them that we'll no longer be providing education for their DC.

They usually withdraw without the need for removal or exclusion at this stage.

my2bundles · 03/07/2018 18:07

Sunny shades. Your description of forcing out children and parents who in your eyes don't support the school is not what being a successfull school is about. A successfull school and caring staff will seek out the children who are not supported by parents, they will support the parents to support he children and will work endlessly with these children to help them. They most certainly will not try to force them out the school. The fact that a child or parent hadn't attended a Saturday sportsday will not even register in a head teachers mind, they are far to busy running a school and safeguarding the pupils.

FlyingElbows · 03/07/2018 18:07

I'm very thankful to be in Scotland where we prioritise literacy and maths over the three legged race! Wink

NotAgainYoda · 03/07/2018 18:09

Bibesia

Yes, especially if a mafia-style hit or a spell in a re-education camp... is involved and DonSunny seems to be intimating

Tartyflette · 03/07/2018 18:10

The school has gone about this in a really ham-fisted way, it seems. W ay back in September did it say 'please note Sports Day is on July 7th 2018' and nothing further, or did it say (as it should have said)
'Please note Sports day is on SATURDAY July 7th 2018. This is because blah blah blah. We realise this might be difficult for some parents and pupils but we hope it will be a really successful day for the school becuase of xxx and XXX and we hope as many of you as possible will come along and join in. '
Reasons and explanations rather than arsiness and compulsion. Easy, innit?

Bigkingdom · 03/07/2018 18:10

I wouldn’t be giving up my Saturday to stand and watch sports day at school. I spend enough time up and down to school all week. My children wouldn’t be going, end of.

CaptainBrickbeard · 03/07/2018 18:10

Absolutely my2bundles. There is a notorious academy chain I know of which ships ‘challenging’ kids off to a local sink school but they are widely known to be deplorable and most certainly not successful! What an absolutely immoral scumbag you would have to be to brag about such a practice!

GameOfMinges · 03/07/2018 18:11

You're lucky you have a choice soubriquet. Fortunately the academy that mine attend is very sensible. Just as well for them though, as I'm excellent at kicking up a fuss judicial review.

GingerIvy · 03/07/2018 18:12

We initially give one warning to a parent that their attitude or behaviour isn't meeting these expectations. The second stage is when we tell them that we'll no longer be providing education for their DC.

Interesting. So you punish the child by withdrawing their access to education because you don't like the behaviour of the parent. Wow. Such a shame you don't put the child first.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 03/07/2018 18:13

Sports day on a Saturday sounds very odd. Usually, it's on a school day. Ours is next Tuesday.

GingerIvy · 03/07/2018 18:14

Frankly, I'm glad we're out of that nonsense and are home educating.

School officials on power trips are dreadful.

MistyMeena · 03/07/2018 18:14

Our local (state) grammar had their sports day on a Saturday recently - it was combined with the school fair later in the day and it was compulsory attendance. However the kids got the following Monday off in lieu!

Mummyoflittledragon · 03/07/2018 18:20

I personally think the school has it backwards. Run the school fair at all costs getting the parents, community and teachers involved. Making sports day compulsory is going to alienate a fair chunk of parents imo.

Aragog · 03/07/2018 18:21

I can't see how sunshades is working in a state controlled school in England. Those conditions would not pass in any state school Ive worked in or known of including those who are no academies as well.
It wouldn't even work in the independent schools I know of too, including either of the two dd has been at, nor the two we know other people at. I know some have Saturday school, but it is usually in lei of time elsewhere and it is set into the curriculum from the start - not just one random day in the year.

I teach. Have done for years. I am also very supportive of many extra curricular events for staff and pupils, but I also have common sense - I know that not all parents can attend everything, be it in the school day, after school, at a weekend etc. It is ridiculous to think they can!

Work commitments
NR parents
Other paid for extra curricular activities
Visiting family elsewhere
etc.

Would school be willing to pay for the missed lessons?

It is highly unlikely that the school would fine - not sure they'd have a leg to stand on in this case!

It is highly unlikely a school would try to 'manage you out' for this either Hmm if not definitely impossible to do so (in state sector at least!)

BoomBoomsCousin · 03/07/2018 18:25

The school can't insist you attend, but I'm with Chocolate Wombat - if they've given you a year's notice then turning up if it is reasonably possible is one of the ways you help make the school a better school.

I don't see this as the school being on a power trip. Schools get plenty of complaints about holding events in school hours when most parents will have to take time off work to attend, this looks like an attempt to serve parents better (I can't imagine the teachers are giving up a Saturday for their own benefit). Of course, it won't suit everyone but nothing can. Organizing events is always an exercise in compromise. Feedback to the school would be good so they can take it into consideration, also discussion with parent governors so they can get a feel for the mood of the parent body and bring that to the leadership of the school. But unless you have a principled stand against sports day, seeing it as something other than the school trying to find a balance that works best seems a big stretch to me.

YearOfYouRemember · 03/07/2018 18:25

My sons have to go to school on Saturday this week for an event that is compulsory and so they shall go. For a sports day I'd go as it's once a year. It's irrelevant he has missed two already. Your choice to go on holiday. He should go. You could take him swimming quite easily to make up for a missed lesson.