New Headteachers craziest rules

[glitterelf]

Last September we were appointed a new headteacher at my child's primary school. A few feathers have been ruffled and long standing school traditions abandoned. Today my child has come home and informed me of the latest crazy rule, all children are to wear their coats whilst eating their dinner as the head does not want children in the corridors after eating. AIBU in thinking this is batshit crazy and that children will undoubtedly be uncomfortable and too hot ? I'd love nothing more than to get the headteacher to sit and follow her own stupid rule.

What a strange perspective pegase. Yes I am aware of teached training mechanisms and they all have their roots in the old colleges like Homerton.

I expect everything taught by teachers to be correct actually: spellings, grammar, co-ordinates, fractions, history, social policy to be balanced and not just hard left. When that happens I think you may find the teaching fraternity may have a little more respect.

Ooh, shall I go and stand outside or write lines or shall we have a well informed debate about parental expectations de excellence.

Petty, inconvenient, impractical rules undermine school management. (Ex-teacher)

When DS started primary school, he came home caked in dinner every single day because he didn't have the close supervision of sitting with family or nursery staff. It was one of the many signs of dyspraxia, and he is still very prone to messy eating and dunking sleeves in his food. In yR it wasn't too much of an issue to buy extra jumpers for a daily change, but many coats are easily damaged by excessive washing making the stuffing lumpy or washing off the waterproof coatings. Decent, weatherproof coats are expensive garments and need looking after, and are not items that children have umpteen multiples of.

I'm a midday supervisor. We have plastic tubs at the end of each table for the children to put their coats. It seems to work well. Eating lunch wearing coats is a terrible idea.

@Pegase I chose this school long before the new head arrived yet since she's arrived and made umpteen changes which have also disgruntled staff am I expected to just put up and shut up if I feel something isn't right ? I have no desire to meet with the head after the last meeting I had with her concerning an injury my child received that wasn't adequately treated nor was I notified about she tried to brush that under the carpet as if it was non issue. She's not approachable I will however speak to the deputy because I do think it's unacceptable to expect 150 children to sit in the hall wearing coats whilst eating their dinner. Considering numerous other children have told their parents this is the case it's unlikely to be a misunderstanding.

This thread reads like the input of a lot of stroppy teenagers kicking against authority. Pathetic.

We've Fitbits lost/stolen then had parents demanding the school pays.

Oh I can beat that......... My sons, old special needs school was a mix of severely disabled kids, ranging from kids who were unable to speak, move independently or breathe unaided up to kids who were a lot more able and were quite independent.

A huge highlight every year was the Christmas school production. Every child would be involved. Some couldn't sing but could sign, some could only make noises, some would set off switch activated toys or use talky devices. And every year the most profoundly disabled child would be wheeled out at the end with his bed decorated as Santa's sleigh and wrapped selection boxes at the end for everyone who came.

It truly was an amazing event. (( I'm crying just typing this))

And then we got a new head. Who decided our small hall was a health and safety risk. So the amazing mass of inclusive, organised chaos stopped. And she decided we'd have a Carol concert in a nearby church each year. Great for the kids who could sign or sing. But it excluded the more disabled pupils. A lot couldn't even cope with the church, loads couldn't manage with waiting so long at the front with no classroom to retreat to and no room for beds. So the star of the show no longer got to take part.

The whole thing was just sad. And at the time we just rolled over and took it. Including the staff who were as sad as us parents.

When new heads swoop in with stupid rules I really think parents should join together and make a stand against them. I wish we had. 🤔

@onlyoneoftheregimentinstep Do you sit at the dining table wearing your coat to eat your dinner ?

OhTheRoses

It didn't understand your slant on this, then I read, "social policy to be balanced and not just hard left." I get you now.

I

It's only cheap one not a real one but he likes to count his steps

@FoamingAtTheUterus That is really sad

Whether it’s a cheap one or not is irrelevant, they can’t have a “well yours is cheap so you can wear it but yours isn’t so you can” rule!

Ds school do allow them to be worn (as long as not messed with) but I checked with school before letting him wear it and would have understood a ban on them.

Take it to the Governing body

For fucks sake. I imagine they have more important things to discuss.

This thread is so Mumsnet

@glitterelf It seems you are still angry at the school over the incident with your child. I'm therefore not sure whether you'll have any sympathy for the school should they explain their reasoning. If you are not happy with the head I think your faith in the school will be damaged when hearing anything different and new.

Will you be open to what the DH has to say?

[In my school kids come in from the playground for lunch wearing their coats. They do not have to keep them on - they can take them off to sit on them. Due to the layout of the school there are not enough midday staff to supervise the kids going to different corridors and cloakrooms (and kids do need supervision). ]

that is ridiculous. Are you sure they've got it right??

i mean, it wouldn't surprise me as some heads like to make their stamp

@ShawshanksRedemption Yes I'm peeved with the Head, long and short of it is my child was injured i was not informed it was an injury that was visible on her face, she was just sent straight out to me with no communication so I questioned it considering she'd had a hefty whack to the face and this wasn't communicated to me. The teachers stated they didn't know how it'd had happened and didn't question it 🤷🏼‍♀️ so I did. When I spoke to the head she wasn't interested and when I said that if I'd brought my child in with a visible injury and didn't communicate what had happened that I would be questioned about she told me that the school wouldn't do that !! I said well I'm sure your safeguarding policy would have a protocol to follow to which she said no 🙄 so she's not approachable in the slightest and clearly thinks I'm stupid.
As for the deputy I have no issue broaching this with her I will simply ask about the new rules and that I do not think it's appropriate to expect children to wear their coats whilst eating their dinner. I'm not going in all guns blazing but it's clearly bothered my child enough for her to tell me.

@redwinefine confirmed by numerous children. They had an assembly this morning telling them of the new rules,
Coats to be worn whilst eating
If they don't eat all their dinner no play
And they are no longer allowed to call the lunchtime supervisors by their first names but by using their surnames.
Several of the parents are concerned about food spillage and cleaning coats. I'm concerned about comfort.

You can't just demand a meeting with the head every time they do something you personally disagree with.

DD's school and my school both have an open door policy. When I had an issue that couldn't be solved by the class teacher I just asked if the Head was available and since she was I just went in and had a chat.

Some rules are stupid,inconvenient or just made for the sake of it. Not just according to parents,but staff too.

Try and eat you dinner tomorrow with your whole family wearing coats ..see how easy or comfortable that is , then imagine doing so with 100 odd kids.

It's a stupid rule: they are going to end up with food all down their front, and there'll be accidents with spilt drinks from bulky puffa jacket sleeves.

@glitterelf From what you've said about head injury OP, it would be worth talking it through with the DH too, as it's still very much at the back of your mind (understandably!).

Otherwise I can see you getting more and more negative as things change over the years your DC is at the school, and that's not healthy for you or your child.

There's no way a teacher can force any child to put their coat back on it they take it off to sit on @glitterelf so tell dc to do that.
Also, instead of wearing it on the way to the hall, just tie it around your waist. Simple.

As a midday supervisor I wouldn't want the children to call me by my first name. I'm surprised they were doing that tbh.

Not calling adults by their first name is not something you should be annoyed at. It is basic respect. The children in my class call all adults by their surname, regardless of whether they are teachers, office staff, SMT, janitors, cleaners, crossing officers etc.

As for the coats in the dinner hall, wearing them may not be overly comfortable but it is a practical solution to have them in the dinner hall. If they aren't there then the children are alone, unsupervised in teaching areas. If something breaks and someone knows your child was there but with no other witnesses will you be happy if they are questioned? If something goes missing? If something of your child's is broken or goes missing when other children are there without supervision would you be happy?
What if there was a fire? How do we know that all of the teaching areas are empty?
Children should not be in those areas during breaks and lunches.