Closing a school of 700+ for polling day

[Mosschopz]

Who decides this? My DC’s school will close to all pupils on the 12th. That’s a three form entry school, closed, as they have been every single polling day for the last umpteen years, so they can stick a few plywood booths in a room for the day. The head has complained to the council who have declined to change the location as the school is the most central to the ward. AIBU to think that’s incredibly poor decision making?

They don’t only need a room. They need a room big enough, completely accessible, with sufficient parking and security (the ability to gate it off if needed) and complying with all health and safety and Equalities legislation relevant to the purpose of having several thousand people traipsing through it.

They are also closed for council elections so it is not one day every 5 years. It would annoy me when there are other options like a church for example. In a nearby village they have a mobile unit because there are no public buildings.

How much physical space does polling need?

We have a small room for our local area.

Do they really need to close the whole school? Unless it's to prevent members of the public wandering around the school?

chomalungma

They have to be able to keep the polling activity completely separate from any other activity taking place in the school. Not sure exactly what that means but I imagine closing is by far the least risky way of doing that.

Also as this wasnt planned, what happens about minimum days in school?. The students wont be doing 190 days this year.

This is not a law, nor can it be. It is guidance only.

Schools close for all sorts of reasons. I don’t understand why this particular election is bringing out the whingers. So you’ve only has a couple of months’ notice, what difference does that make? So you’ve an employer who apparently won’t let you take time off because of it, surely you’ve got bigger problems than this election. Are your children never ill? We’re coming in to the season in Scotland where it becomes routine to check the council website every morning to see whether school is open or closed.

It’s the choice you make as a working parent. Get on with it.

The problem with using an INSET day as someone mentioned before is that parents always want to know as far in advance as possible (understandably) what the dates are so they can plan for them. If all schools held onto one just in case it would mean it would need to be allocated last minute at the end of the year and the school wouldn't be able to prepare for whatever training was needed.
I do understand the frustration for parents especially at primary age but it really isn't the fault of individual schools who are already under pressure to fit everything in.

the future of the country might be slightly more important then you having your children home for ONE day.

There are rules about how close to homes polling stations must be, to ensure that no-one is prevented from voting by being too far away. There's a small hamlet somewhere in England where the nearest public building is further away than that maximum distance, so the polling station is in the pub.

The number of people who vote there is tiny, and (allegedly) it's the only polling station that regularly gets 100% turnout. The residents all go and vote early, so the polling station can close in time for the pub to open at lunchtime (alcohol can't be served in polling stations).

I think it might be at Gunwalloe, in Cornwall, but I'm not sure.

The other problem with using an INSET day is that you then still have to to train your staff and do all the other things you have to get done on an INSET day.

Given that there are alternative suitable venues nearby, you're obviously NBU.

@Sallycinammonbangsthedruminthe, the village hall might not be big enough to serve two polling districts. When a polling station covers 2 districts, it's technically 2 polling stations: 2 sets of poll clerks, 2 presiding officers, 2 sets of booths and ballot boxes and so on.

I help to manage a community centre that’s used as a polling station. We are asked, not told, if we can host and could say no if we wished. I can see why schools choose to host in these days of ever decreasing budgets.

We've had additional polling stations created due to the town where I live growing so quickly in recent years and as a result our local polling station is at DS school.
I expect turnout will be high considering that our local MP is Jacob Rees Mogg.

A General Election is the most important day in five years to the whole country.

But this is the 3rd one in less than 5 years! That fixed-term parliaments act is working really well, isn't it?

But this is the 3rd one in less than 5 years! That fixed-term parliaments act is working really well, isn't it?

And yet it is still the most important thing we do as a whole country. This is a petty complaint in comparison to questions about healthcare, pensions, trade deals, Brexit, policing, Trident and yes, education.

went to a meeting last night that usually takes place in a town hall meetig room.
The election is TWO weeks away - how long does it take them to pui up a few trestle tables and rickety polling booths?!

Sheer ignorance. The effort, logistics and organisation needed to run an election is huge. For starters we had just days to get the data for 50000 electors to the printers for poll cards once the election was called. We needed the polling station data for that. We had literally 2 days to book and confirm nearly 200 venues. Election timetables are incredibly strict, you can't just decide to change venues on a whim. And then you have to staff the stations and the overnight count when no one wants to do a 15 hour day in cold, dark December right before Christmas. And you need to make sure every venue will be heated, lit and gritted for every one's safety. Get ballot papers ready, keep on top of postal votes, Recruit, train and payroll 150 count staff. Planned elections are an organisational feat, snap ones are a nightmare...any cooperation is appreciated.

I think YANBU if there are other potentially suitable venues close by. I would want to know specifically why the other buildings are not thought to be a viable alternative.

I'm sure it was less of an issue decades ago where mothers tended to be at home but very inconsiderate. nowadays.

Another school of 800 being shut for polling day in suburban London as the council insist on using it - despite the fact that it can’t safely be used zcbanever mind the fact that there are 2 church halls, a community centre, a library and a council run nursery all within

People are just myopic about the logistical questions involved. They’ve never put together anything on this scale and have no idea what it involves, so everything seems beautifully simple to them.

How much physical space does polling need?

There wasn't enough at at least one polling station last time (or possibly the time before). There was a huge queue, stretching down the street, at the end of the evening. Loads of people couldn't vote.

If they'd been able to actually get inside the polling station, they'd have been allowed to vote, even if it meant they actually cast their votes after 10pm.

(I find it very sad that I actually know this shit, but that's what happens when you spend 20 years of your working life in local government!)

Why not use churches, pubs, halls, libraries, sports venues, hotels, public toilets?
Mad to shut so many schools for elections when there are plenty other places that could be used

SheChoseDown

Public toilets?

Surestart centres are a great idea! There's an underused one next to our school. It opens a couple of hours a week for some 1yr checks. Small estate, no pub on the estate but SS centre would be perfect

Well, maybe the loos suggestion was a bit tongue in cheek

I am sure that, in boroughs where Sure Start centres still exist and are suitable for this purpose, they are going to be used.

@MostTacticalNameChange, I doubt if anyone who hasn't been directly involved has any idea!

I've been an election agent, so I see it from the other side as well. It's a huge task and it's all done in quite an old-fashioned way, so very time consuming and labour intensive.

I poll clerked once, too. Twelve plus hours of being bored shitless in a draughty school hall - never again.