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AIBU?

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Original poster

Head taking advantage

75 replies

CakeWarrior · 05/07/2019 08:31

Not sure if we are all bu but the parents of the breakfast club are feeling mutinous at the moment! We have begged, pleaded for the school to open breakfast club at 7:45, the same as the other schools in the area which are open longer and cheaper than our schools. Despite the amount of people its fallen of deaf ears, resulting in us having to pay childminders, run like the wind and in a few of us having to work an extra half day a month to make up for being unable to get to work for 8am and having to do 8:30. However... the headteacher brings his son every morning to school with him at 7:45... and we see him sitting in the breakfast club while we are all having to stand outside on the playground!! Our issue is this - either open it to ALL for 7:45 or none at all and he should - like the rest of us mortals - have to find suitable childcare arrangements until 8. Our children all say "oh X is there every day". I don't see why the head is able to have special treatment and we feel is abusing his position. He is no different to the rest of us working parents. However this man isnt the most approachable person - the deputy is lovely but we dont know how to approach this?

OP posts:
Stressedout10 · 05/07/2019 08:34

Speak to the governors if you can't talk to the head

IceRebel · 05/07/2019 08:37

So you have a breakfast club but it opens at 8am?

Realistically would it really make such a difference if it opened 15 minutes earlier? I can't see many parents having less than a 15 minute commute, meaning they would be able to start work at 8am.

MyOpinionIsValid · 05/07/2019 08:38

The problem will be staffing - maybe they cant get anyone to do those extra 15 minutes. I remember ours used to open 8 until 8.45 and under pressure increased it times fro 7.30 to 8.45. I didnt need that extra 30 mins but I had to pay for it, and it really pissed me off TBH. The club was run externaly and not by the school, s other ewould all the admin problems of staffing, renting the hall, extra utilities, and so forth, it's not just a matter of letting them in early .

However, the school is not there to facilitate your childcare issues, it is principally there to facilitate the educational needs of the pupils.

Why are you all standing in the playground for 15 mins knowing you wont be let in?

MyOpinionIsValid · 05/07/2019 08:39

why does this site not have a spell check function ? argh*

CaptainMyCaptain · 05/07/2019 08:40

The Head will still be on the premises and responsible for his child which is not the same as people leaving their child and going to work.

Geminijes · 05/07/2019 08:41

He could argue that he's just taking his son into his place of work for 15 minutes to wait until the breakfast club opens.

Maybe there is no staff available to open the breakfast club earlier. Do you see staff would the son?

BykerBykerOoh · 05/07/2019 08:45

It’s up to the head. Maybe he likes being there 15 minutes early so opening it at 7.45 means he would have to get there for 7.30am. Sorry I think yabu.

Likethebattle · 05/07/2019 08:45

He’s taking a privilege that he can as he works on site. If you worked there too you could probably do the same.

Neolara · 05/07/2019 08:45

I imagine it's about staffing and current staff not wanting or not being able to start earlier. Would need change of contracts presumably. Also, as others have pointed out, presumably everyone would be charged for an extra 15 mins and this would annoy the parents who are happy with an 8pm start. Head bringing kid early is a bit of a red herring and if you bring it up, you will come across as whiney. Head will probably have massive rant about how parents have no f-ing idea how much they do over and above normal working day etc. Head may not say much to you but will be unbelievablely pissed off. Not worth it in grand scheme of things.

Ellisandra · 05/07/2019 08:49

The head’s child is irrelevant.
Opening the club earlier costs money.
What does “begged and pleaded” mean?
Does it mean you have contacted the right person with letters from parents who would be prepared to commit to an earlier time, and pay more for it?

How are all the other parents going to feel about a cost increase for the 15 minutes they don’t use?

Who is actually providing this club?

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 05/07/2019 08:49

The Head is jut taking his child into work though. He’s still responsible for him in those 15minute, not the school or the breakfast club staff.

Is it a school run breakfast club or is it run by an outside provider? It might be that it isn’t the Head’s decision anyway.

Ellisandra · 05/07/2019 08:51

I do suggest you go back and re-read how much of your OP is snide comments about the head, and how much is about the actual issue Hmm

regmover · 05/07/2019 08:56

Firstly the Head isn't abusing his position and spreading allegations like that won't help your case.
I suggest that you write formally to the Headteacher, cc to the Chair of Governors, setting out your request for the club to open earlier and why. This is an operational issue so at least initially it is for the Head to respond. The schools that I work in have breakfast clubs starting at 8.00 am, and that is 15 minutes earlier that some others locally. There need to be the staff to do it, and it has to at least break even on full costs, ideally bring in a bit of income. So it's not as straightforward as it needs to open earlier because it will be useful for some parents. If the Head thinks it might be viable then the school can carry out whatever survey they think they need to find out if it would be used and people would pay.
Anyway, that's what you need to do. Rousing support in the playground isn't a particularly effective strategy.

herculepoirot2 · 05/07/2019 09:03

He is responsible for his own child during that time. No?

Original poster
CakeWarrior · 05/07/2019 09:08

Thankyou for the replies. A petition signed by many parents was done over a year ago, after a letter was written requesting this after a pta letter was written to the head. However no feedback was given. The head is not present and the little boy sits with the breakfast club staff, the head is not present/seen at the club to be taking care of his son. I haven't said i have anything personal about the head, just that he feels unapproachable? He may have to be at work by 8, as do the rest of us. Its a small village where most work within a 15 minute drive and i can assure you that those 15 minute can make a world of difference, especially to the traffic. I just wanted some views as it has created a bad feeling amongst a lot of the parents and wanted some other views - so thankyou. Btw this is not a teacher bashing thread. I cannot fault the school in terms of teaching but this is a separate issue.

OP posts:
herculepoirot2 · 05/07/2019 09:10

The head is not present and the little boy sits with the breakfast club staff, the head is not present/seen at the club to be taking care of his son.

But he does not have to explain this to you. Really, you’re crossing a line here and if I was the HT I would be telling you firmly to keep your nose out of my private business. How dare you.

GreenTulips · 05/07/2019 09:15

and we see him sitting in the breakfast club while we are all having to stand outside on the playground!

Then do something between you

Jane can do Monday morning till 8
Then Tuesdays your turn
Etc

You don’t need them to organise childcare if there are enough of you in the playground

regmover · 05/07/2019 09:15

Well, I've told you how to approach this so that you get a response. People say "talk to the governors" - presumably meaning waylay a poor parent governor in the playground... Don't do that. Write as I suggested and make sure you get a response, chasing up politely by email to HT and Chair of Governors if need be.
Don't try to win by scoring points against the Head. It won't work and you are being really unfair.
Don't you think that if there has been all this agitation from parents in the past then there is probably good reason why they didn't change the opening time?

LadyRannaldini · 05/07/2019 09:16

When OH and our two were working in the same school they came in with us and stayed with us until it was time to join the others, most of the staff with children did the same!
If you can bully the dreadful Head into opening it at 7.45 to suit you then someone else will want it opening at 7.30to suit them, and so on. Have you considered boarding school?

frasersmummy · 05/07/2019 09:21

The head doesn't need to be in the same room as his child to be responsible for him.
He is still on the premises.

Harpingon · 05/07/2019 09:24

You haven't answered wether the club is run and staffed by the school or an outside provider, if it is the latter it will be nothing to do with the head. All the breakfast clubs at our schools are independent. Attacking the head personally seems unfair and bringing his child into it is not good.

Jessbow · 05/07/2019 09:27

If there are a small crowd of you, simply take it in turns to take responsibility for the kids for 15 mins. Have set days and stick to them.

Solved your own problem then

Sirzy · 05/07/2019 09:28

The head is still on site though.

To open the club earlier would mean the staff would all need to be there 15 minutes earlier. They would all need to be paid for that and actually opening earlier could well create childcare issues for them.

Obviously school have decided that opening the club earlier isn’t feasible so you either accept this or you look for alternatives

Amberwarning · 05/07/2019 09:29

You said you addressed this previously through the PTA. This isn't the correct avenue.

A letter to the HT ( without any mention of his own child, just not relevant to the schools de ion making process) asking school to consider this again. Complaint through GB if you don't feel this is handled correctly. ( complaints policy on the school website). There will be lots of financial and staffing issues around this which need to be considered.
You may not get what you want but you might get reasons that you understand around non viability.

You also always have the choice to move schools to one that can provide better childcare options.

CaptainMyCaptain · 05/07/2019 09:31

I expect the Head is in school well before 8. I was an ordinary classroom teacher and started at 7.30 most days. When my daughter was primary school age and at the same school I brought her in with me that doesn't mean I let other parents drop their children off early.

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