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Original poster

School work remainly at school at the end of year.

167 replies

jkbabymassage · 25/05/2022 21:33

I just found out that at the end of the academic year my daughter who is in Yr 1 won't be allowed to bring her exercise books and school work home for us to keep and cherish. And that she won't even get them at the end of her time at primary school..that they will be archived? Apparently it's some stupid safeguarding thing? But what about parental rights and my daughter's rights? Surely the work belongs to her and we should take ownership of it? My mum to this day cherishes work that I brought home from school. It's made me both sad and angry that the best that I'll get is a quick peek in them on the odd parent's evening and then it will just all collect dust in some archive box somewhere. Anyone else had this at their child's school?

OP posts:
PriamFarrl · 26/05/2022 07:08

My rights.
I’m entitled.
I pay my taxes.

I think that’s a line on the bingo card.

girlmom21 · 26/05/2022 07:09

I pay my taxes so that schools can buy exercise books. The work in the books is my child's. When the school no long needs them..the books/work is hers!

Oh OP GrinGrinGrin

Is JK Rowling allowed to confiscate my Harry Potter books if she wants because I've read them so don't need them and the work is hers anyway?

PrivateHall · 26/05/2022 07:13

underneathleaf · 25/05/2022 21:43

There's no way a school could store all those books. I can barely store the maths and English books my small class have already filled this year. I'd press to find out more. As a teacher I sort of feel the other way sometimes - I hate to think of all that hard work going into books (both the kids' and mine) just for them to be binned at home!

That is quite an odd way of looking at it. Surely the DC aren't doing the work for the sake of filling a book - they are doing it to learn? That learning isn't undone by the book going in the bin surely?

CorpseReviver · 26/05/2022 07:14

But what about the content of the books? I know my daughter is proud of her work particularly her writing book. Do you think she feels that the book belongs to school? No. It's HER work. HER book!

I'm confused. Does your 6-year-old child pay taxes? I thought that's what conferred possession of the cherished books.

MissMissICantDoThis · 26/05/2022 07:17

Sorry MissMiss are you actually saying 'more accommodating' parents would be treated differently?! Are you actually a teacher? I really wish schools would stop treating parents who care about their child's education, and occasionally hold school to account, as 'pushy' and 'those parents'. You sound incredibly unprofessional

There are parents that hold the school to account and rightly so and then there are parents who go on an all out offensive because their child didn't get enough lines in the school play. It is about managing parental expectations unfortunately. Over the years, I have been fortunate to have fantastic relationships with parents but I can count a small number who have made it impossible. They are probably the reason people are not able to have access to books. If you have a good relationship with the teacher, there is nothing wrong with asking if there is something they could do - but starting with "I pay taxes for those books" is not going to be the way to go.

LaMarschallin · 26/05/2022 07:18

You won't be allowed to keep and cherish her school work?

Ah well. At least you did see her have her first taste of icecream.
OMG, you did... didn't you?! Shock

letsnotdothat · 26/05/2022 07:22

My DC have been to two different schools in different areas and I was surprised when we moved here and they didn’t come home with a heavy bag full of books in July. They also don’t show you their work at parents evening here which is odd to me, the books used to be lined up to browse through while you waited at their old school.

I have their old books from reception-year 2 ish in the loft which DH thinks is completely bonkers because he thinks we’ll never look through them again.

Boymumsoymum · 26/05/2022 07:23

MissMiss the OP didn't start out saying 'ive paid my taxes for them'. She simply said she wanted some of her young child's work to treasure and cherish as she grows up. And people immediately jumped on her claiming this was unreasonable and entitled. How many parents out there still treasure that cute bit of writing their child did in school where they described mummy as their superhero or wrote something funny about Daddy?! Huge numbers. Yet people acted like OP is 'entitled' and 'that parent', you included. Do you think teaching is still the right job for you if you've reached the point where your first assumption is that a parent is going to be difficult? Maybe be mindful of that. Maybe the parents you are finding hard work, actually weren't initially, but your back was up, right from the outset, and that has dictated your relationship with them?!

easyday · 26/05/2022 07:27

How weird. I was just looking in my sons folder for his motorcycle registration and came across a 'this is my family' book he had done in Y2. Such sweet little drawings.
I also kept and framed some of their art work - my dd is hoping to go to art school so have lovely paintings through the years.
While I quickly thumbed threw and tossed their exercise books (my dd has kept many of hers though), it's a wonderful thing to have some of their work. Maybe you can ask to go in and select a few things?

Boymumsoymum · 26/05/2022 07:28

www.tes.com/news/who-owns-childs-work-not-teacher-or-school oh and the OP is right. The work is her child's, school would have to have a pretty good reason to not send ANY of it home. Yes everyone understands they keep samples for Ofsted or other reporting but there should never be a situation where every last bit of a child's work is withheld from them.

MissMissICantDoThis · 26/05/2022 07:33

As a parent to 5 children and a teacher, I can confirm that I was speaking from both sides of the coin.
Do you have experience as a teacher @Boymumsoymum
OP did go on to make that statement and I picked up on it as it is often used as a way to try and belittle teachers.
My point is that SLT would have made it a school-wide policy (probably to stop parent complaints) and OP should consider the relationship with the teacher as I have Saif (and others) if approached, I would try and support a parent but that support wanes quickly if the former approach is used.
Relationships work both ways.

KatherineofGaunt · 26/05/2022 07:37

jkbabymassage · 25/05/2022 23:11

But what about the content of the books? I know my daughter is proud of her work particularly her writing book. Do you think she feels that the book belongs to school? No. It's HER work. HER book!

Show quote history

It's wonderful she's proud of her school work.

But she doesn't own the books just because you pay taxes and she has no rights that are being infringed by the school keeping them.

Not all schools keep books. If you want your daughter's, go in and have a discussion about it. Just don't demand them because you "pay taxes". Those same taxes pay for many things but that doesn't mean you get to demand private treatment at the hospital or one of the school's computers or any other number of things. Quite frankly, I believe that people who use the line that they pay taxes to demand that public servants should do or give them anything they ask are people who look down on public sector workers and should never be pandered to.

MissMissICantDoThis · 26/05/2022 07:45

*· Today 07:28

www.tes.com/news/who-owns-childs-work-not-teacher-or-school oh and the OP is right. The work is her child's, school would have to have a pretty good reason to not send ANY of it home. Yes everyone understands they keep samples for Ofsted or other reporting but there should never be a situation where every last bit of a child's work is withheld from them.*

Oh yes OP, please print this off and take it into your school, that will help your case 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I mean seriously?

Sherrystrull · 26/05/2022 08:11

Boymumsoymum · 26/05/2022 07:23

MissMiss the OP didn't start out saying 'ive paid my taxes for them'. She simply said she wanted some of her young child's work to treasure and cherish as she grows up. And people immediately jumped on her claiming this was unreasonable and entitled. How many parents out there still treasure that cute bit of writing their child did in school where they described mummy as their superhero or wrote something funny about Daddy?! Huge numbers. Yet people acted like OP is 'entitled' and 'that parent', you included. Do you think teaching is still the right job for you if you've reached the point where your first assumption is that a parent is going to be difficult? Maybe be mindful of that. Maybe the parents you are finding hard work, actually weren't initially, but your back was up, right from the outset, and that has dictated your relationship with them?!

It's a rather large stretch to suggest @MissMissICantDoThis shouldn't be a teacher. She speaks a lot of sense and you've jumped to conclusions and made a personal attack.

Original poster
jkbabymassage · 26/05/2022 08:21

MissMissICantDoThis · 26/05/2022 06:24

Teacher here.

I think safeguarding is a non-issue as books should not have images or names in them unless permission has been given.

Schools still have an obligation to protect teachers from harm and abuse and this is a typical catalyst for parental complaints.

To be fair, anyone that states that they pay their taxes for that exercise book and is therefore entitled to it is a classic example of one of "those parents".

Are you one of those parents? It might be why you got the safeguarding speech.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the more accommodating parents were privately handed some of their children's books on request.

Not at all one of 'those' parents. I trust the teachers to teach. I would just like to have some school work keepsakes. And yes I mentioned that I pay taxes but only in argument against a suggestion that the school is keeping the books because they paid for them. Which is ridiculous. It's a few exercises books?

OP posts:
Boymumsoymum · 26/05/2022 08:34

Did I suggest she print it off and take it into school? No. I just said she's right. I just really don't understand why people are attacking the OP for what is fundamentally a really simple, reasonable request? Most schools do just send books home at the end of year, it's really not a big stretch to assume, they might, is it? I didn't make a 'personal attack' on MissMiss, any more than MissMiss made a personal attack on the OP by asking if she is one of 'those' parents??

SnowyPetals · 26/05/2022 08:49

I have never heard of a school keeping the books, most can't wait to send them home! The safeguarding does seem to be specific to your school, so maybe there is a particular situation there?

UndertheCedartree · 26/05/2022 08:53

My DD is in Y5 and has never bought exercise books home. Thank goodness, I don't want more clutter! I really can't understand cherishing old workbooks, personally. She brings home lovely things like homemade mothers/fathers Day cards - those things are much more special.

dannydyerismydad · 26/05/2022 09:21

Is it possible they are keeping them for moderation and evidence rather than safeguarding?

DS's school holds back a sample of work from a group of randomly selected children so that in the event of an ofsted inspection they have evidence of progress and attainment. DS is one of the children whose work is used for this. We do get the books back eventually, just a bit later than the other families.

I'd rather not get them at all I'm all honesty. It's nice to flick through them, but then I feel compelled to keep them, despite not really needing them!

Seeline · 26/05/2022 09:29

At my DCs primary each term the kids and teachers selected a few pieces of best/favourite work to go into the children's folder. At the end of Y6 they had a leaver's evening where there were awards etc and each child was awarded a folder containing all these pieces of work. It was lovely, and saved us having to keep endless exercise books! My DS actually left at the end of Y 5, but he was still presented with his folder.

Original poster
jkbabymassage · 26/05/2022 09:32

Boymumsoymum · 26/05/2022 08:34

Did I suggest she print it off and take it into school? No. I just said she's right. I just really don't understand why people are attacking the OP for what is fundamentally a really simple, reasonable request? Most schools do just send books home at the end of year, it's really not a big stretch to assume, they might, is it? I didn't make a 'personal attack' on MissMiss, any more than MissMiss made a personal attack on the OP by asking if she is one of 'those' parents??

Thank you!

OP posts:
Original poster
jkbabymassage · 26/05/2022 09:34

I can't believe I've been labelled one of 'those' parents and 'entitled' for simply wanting a couple of keepsakes. Not a big ask! Wish I hadn't mentioned tax either! I just found it crazy that someone on this thread said that the school owned the work because they paid for the exercise books! That's pretty petty if you ask me! I'd give the school a couple of £ for them if that were the case!!

OP posts:
RaspberryChouxBuns · 26/05/2022 09:36

You're naive to think that it's going in an archive box and not in the skip around the back of the school at the end of August.

Original poster
jkbabymassage · 26/05/2022 09:36

Seeline · 26/05/2022 09:29

At my DCs primary each term the kids and teachers selected a few pieces of best/favourite work to go into the children's folder. At the end of Y6 they had a leaver's evening where there were awards etc and each child was awarded a folder containing all these pieces of work. It was lovely, and saved us having to keep endless exercise books! My DS actually left at the end of Y 5, but he was still presented with his folder.

What a lovely idea! I just want a few highlights to keep. Not the lot!

OP posts:
Original poster
jkbabymassage · 26/05/2022 09:40

RaspberryChouxBuns · 26/05/2022 09:36

You're naive to think that it's going in an archive box and not in the skip around the back of the school at the end of August.

Just repeating what the teacher told me. I know they probably mean archive it into the bin. 6 years of my kid's work trashed without her say so. Sad! And the teachers ask the children to have pride in their work? Hypocritics!

OP posts: