To march up to school and give the receptionist a price of my mind

[Numberonecook]

Ok il try be breif but not drip feed. Background - Our local high school academy is huge. It has large gates round it that close at 8.30am. the primary school sits in the same grounds but there is no access to the academy through their gates. Dd1 goes to academy (year 7) and dd2 is at primary.

This morning at 8.35 I was taking DD2 to school. There was a young man stood at the entrance to the academy crying. I asked if he was ok? He explained his mum dropped him off late and the gates were closed. He’s only in year 7 and didn’t know they locked them. I explained the gates close at 8.30 and he would have to walk around to the main gate (the only way to this is to walk around the whole housing estate). He Burst into tears and said his mum would ‘kill him’. I asked him if he wanted to come with me and Dd2 inside the primary school so they could ring school and explain he was going to be late and not to tell him off. He refused. I didn’t have my phone. He didn’t have his. So I told him which way to go and he went.

When I got home I called the academy cursing myself for not catching the poor boys name. I felt awful for leaving him as I’d of wanted someone to help Dd1 if she was so upset but I couldn’t leave Dd2. I spoke to the receptionist and told her what happened. She laughed and said ‘yes the idiots just got here now’ I was gobsmacked and repeated he was very upset and I was worried. She just said thanks for calling and put the phone down!.

I was seriously annoyed. AIBU to take this further? DH said to leave it but I’d hate to think of staff treating Dd1 like this. I don’t know if the poor boy got told off? Should I go up and report the b**ch?

If you got to the end of this thanks lol

Email the HT

I would absolutely email the HT. if nothing else, the receptionist is representing the school and she is giving a dreadful impression. I’d be clear in my email that you find the attitude to a distressed and upset new year 7 appalling, and that it is putting you off wanting to send your own child to the school.

Nasty bitch !
Report her with a nice official complaint.
Poor kid:(

Report her. The school secretary at my daughter’s primary was like this - and this was to kids age 5-11yrs. She had kids she particularly disliked and the way she spoke to them was disgusting / she also ran the after school club and was an absolute bitch to my daughters friends (twin boys) I did report her (I think others had in the past too) but she kind of ruled the roost and nothing ever changed. I still get angry when I think about it. Jumped up power crazy cow who shouldn’t have worked with kids.

Shutting the gates at 8:30am, to me that is very odd.

I think there is a special training school for school receptionists. They are all thoroughly unpleasant.

If I was spoken to the way some people speak to our poor receptionist I think I would be thoroughly unpleasant at times too, I suspect if all school receptionists you have encountered are that bad its something to do with the way you speak to them.

School receptionists are just as awful as the ones you get at the doctors! She was a cow. You did the right thing helping him and calling to check.

The receptionists at my school are lovely! The crap they have to deal with from parents is really unbelievable at times. They are often rude, and some are aggressive when they are unhappy with something, and many just like to moan and complain, expect to not pay for dinners, clubs, concert tickets etc. so she has to constantly chase them up which is rather embarrassing for her. However, she does it all with a smile and is never rude to children or adults. She can have a few choice words to say about some parents behind their backs though- which is totally allowed!

March away, OP. I can't abide the rampant unprofessionalism in some schools.

Shutting the gates at 8:30am, to me that is very odd.
Some schools startat 830. Shutting the gates to keep the site secure from the start of the day is entirely normal.

If you arrive late to our school you can only get on site via main reception. All other access points are locked.

"She laughed and said ‘yes the idiots just got here now"

Fucking hell!

I hope you did email OP. That's a disgusting thing to say and if it was a joke then it's in poor taste and she needs bloody training in professionalism. What a brilliant example to set as the first port of call for a school.

OMG Please do report her. That is disgraceful 😡 I am speechless 😶

Shutting the gates at 8.30 with no easy access for late comers is thoughtless and insensitive in itself. Thinking they can call a child, never mind a distressed child, an idiot who was just trying to get into school is just nasty. I would be worried about what it is exactly that they are teaching these children and what example they are setting.

Tell Ofsted

I would report this receptionist, point out that she is the face of the school and 1st point of communication people make when approaching the school and ask whether the head thinks that the way she talked about a child who attends the school is appropriate?
Tell the head the receptionist upset you and you would like her spoken to and that you want an explanation.

If I was the Head at that school I'd want to know. Send an email.

Very unprofessional at the least. Even as a joke, it was the nasty route!
Speak to the Head or the Governors?
Maybe there should be a buzzer for that side gate or more information sent out about its closing and opening times?

I used to be a social services receptionist where we used to see ypung people and to think of anyone treating a young person like this is appalling. I wpuld of said to her there and then & stopped her mid sentence at the idiot part with an "I'm sorry?!" . Now all u cam do is make a complaint.

Wheat happened Op? Any response from the head?

Ps make sure the complaint doesn't go through her x and can not cam

Tell Ofsted

What do you think the role of Ofsted is?

How horrible for him. And what a strange system that they have to walk all the way around a housing estate as the next point of entry. A sign should be up informing late comers of this. I have to say that all the office staff I have ever had to deal with in secondary schools hav e been quite horrible and abrupt both with myself and students. He must have had a terrible morning and given her reaction to you on the phone I can’t imagine she was overly nice to him upon arrival. I never suggest complaining to schools but in this instance I think you are totally justified. If the head /pastoral care doesn’t show any interest then the governors might.

Some people should not be allowed to work in schools. They do it for the power becatse actually they are powerless. Some people are lovely and others disgustingly horrid. How they get away with it I don’t know. My child’s school locked the gate but the kids lined up to sign a book saying they were late then they went to class but the teacher was always pretty nice to the kids. They do want kids on time so I get it, but nastiness needs reporting and to the Head/Board - go to the top. You need to file that compliant so it’s kept on file. I honestly believe these adults need booting out of schools.

Sometimes the HTs are as rude as this receptionist you mention OP. Go to thd board/governors. Tell them how rude this person was and how upsetting it is for students this young/new. Tell them you will make a bigger song and dance about it if they don’t take you seriously. They will take note. We don’t have to accept rude adults being paid to work in schools. They can bugger off.

There are things colleagues may say in the secrecy of the staff room but to say something like this over the phone is ridiculous.