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

I know it’s complete bullshit, but how do you force parents to take a child out of a state school. I mean legally.

I know it’s easier in private but what if a parent doesn’t take the hint?

I'd ask the dc do they want to go. If yes (unlikely, ds1 doesn't get up unless forced, much less at weekends, and ds2 plays for a local football team and would be very annoyed to miss training or a match), we'd go. If no, we wouldn't.

I would offer polite feedback to the school that Saturday sports day was a bad idea.

Even a few parents behaving like this can really damage the ethos and atmosphere of a school. Which is why they have to be taken out.

I thought my DC school were combative but I can see they are minor league. Though I'm going to double-check there's no professional assassins on the Board of Governors just to be sure.

Sunny, deputy heads do not control parents. Parents have reasons not excuses. Now toddle of back to your imaginary school

They could give me 5 years notice would I fuck go to a year 1 sports on a Saturday. I wouldn't care who wanted me to go. The school, DC, the entire House of Commons and royal family.

Nope. Not happening.

The musical performance happened once a year. It’s going to be her career. Heck, in primary school she even missed events on a normal school day because she was performing and I know parents who have successfully challenged this in court.

Sunny you really are sounding ridiculous now. What you are alleging your school does is illegal. I guess what you are saying is you make the poor child’s life so miserable they want to move. Wow, just wow.

I’m married to a teacher. In a school where there are compulsory Saturday mornings but it’s an independent specialist school. In a state school this is just not possible.

Aw, diddums, your DC has a swimming lesson or 'musical performance'. So what?

I would be stunned to find out you actually had the job you've claimed on this thread.

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

Ridiculous

Nothing to do with the fact that state schools are chronically underfunded perhaps @mrsm43s

Rafals they generally growl "who's that tripping over my bridge school"

Taylor22 you never have to attend, even on a weekday. You do have a lovely supportive attitude though.

Don't independent schools typically have shorter terms/longer holidays? I would never expect teachers to be at a weekend event.

Having had children in both state, independent and specialist sectors I can safely say that enrichment opportunities are limited unless the school is able to specialise in your particular interest. Independent schools often have access to specialist sports coaching but not in every sport and talented children still attend clubs elsewhere.

Myself and the rest of the senior management team at my place would rejoice putting some of the people on this thread in their place.

Some parents think they can treat the school like shit and still expect it to bow to their every demand. They'd have another thing coming at my place. Some wouldn't last 2 weeks before we initiated transfer procedures.

I’d love to see you try sunny. Dh’s head & the rest of his SMT know all the legal terms to use and exactly what is and isn’t possible.

This thread has made The Sun. They just tweeted it out.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/6688078/mum-reeling-compulsory-sports-day-saturday-should-she-skip-it/amp/?twitterr_impression=true

I wonder how one judicially reviews a troll? Would the papers be served on the relevant bridge?

Definitely over egging it now.

School will be unable to register the students that day due to the way all electronic registration systems are created. I can't register students on days when there is no official school. Just don't go.

I haven't read the whole thread, but absolutely it can be compulsary, and of course it will be an official school day, if its in the calendar and counts towards the total number of school days in the year.

Yes, you can set up the electronic registers to register any official school day, and yes, they will be registered.

I can't really see what the fuss is, this is completely normal practice and has been for decades, around here.

One Saturday a year is compulsary, there will be sports day, and probably a fete, sometimes a concert, it has never been any different throughout my children's time in school

It’s actually quite amusing that someone thinks they are so important that a piddling little primary school sports day is more important than a child taking part in a more worthwhile activity of their choice/ spending time with family/ developing a talent.

If sunny were real I’d be feeling quite sad that his or her life must be so devoid of anything that actually matters.

It's a school, it is not your place. You d not have the power to initiate transfers so don't fool yourself. You have managed to avoid every comment I've shared about how schools run and support children and parents, why is that? No one n this thread is coming across as an unsupportive parent, no one is coming across as a risk to their ids. Every one is coming across as caring parents supporting their own children's needs, schools should be supporting that. IF you tried to initiate transfers for any of the kids mentioned on this thread the LEA would reject them and and nspectors into your school smarties have to monitor your competence of running a school. They would be questioning why you are not doing everything in your power to work and support the children an parents. Many of us on this thread have had children in schools for 20 plus years, many if us have worked and many still do work n schools. Please don't think for a second you are fooling anyone.

Ask your son! It's his sports day. If he would rather go swimming fair enough but sport's day is a big deal to kids

There are steps before you get to judicial review. I think the papers are served under the relevant bridge rather than on it.

@my2bundles

As I said, the school is an academy so the LA doesn't come into it.

Oh sunny bless. You are so wrong. Every single school in the area where I live is an academy. I have a child who had to move schools due to SEN. The LA so does come into it.

It’s not even that simple to get rid of a child in the independent sector these days with various equality etc laws.

Maybe send the pre action protocol to my arse.