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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The school short notice of closure - concrete.

60 replies

Onemoreday99 · 05/09/2023 18:28

Now I understand the predicament, and I know why some schools have had to shut. All my friends who have children effected were informed last week.
our children are due to return to school tomorrow and we received an email at 5 pm to say that they are sure that they are not effected but want a survey done of the whole school before children return.
they say they are certain the survey will be clear but for now the school is to be shut. They have had 2 inset days and this has been in the news for at least a week if not more. 5pm on the night before return does not leave any time for parents to find any form of childcare, they also expect the children so complete the work set online or deemed absent. Neither of my children will be able to do this as they will have to unfortunately be made to come with me tomorrow to a meeting. AIBU to say no and refuse it to go towards their attendance ?

OP posts:
WeWereInParis · 05/09/2023 19:19

Seashor · 05/09/2023 19:06

You say you understand the predicament and you clearly don’t. What exactly did you want the teachers to do about it? I’m not a bloody engineer. Some office bod is desperately trying to sort out the mess with the relevant professionals, bet there are LOADS sitting around pissing you off by not sorting it out yesterday!

She just wants it not to be marked as an unauthorised absence if the children can't log in from home, given the short notice.

YANBU OP. 5pm the day before gives people no time to speak to work to try and make any arrangements.

noworklifebalance · 05/09/2023 19:23

@Onemoreday99 - I think several PPs have misunderstood you.
YANBU & good luck!

OnAMidnightTrainToGeorgia · 05/09/2023 19:35

Onemoreday99 · 05/09/2023 19:11

I have absolutely no issues with the school being shut - but to expect parents to be able to make sure they’re available to home school then on Google classroom the first day with that little notice is my issue.

How much notice do you need?

JenniferBooth · 05/09/2023 19:47

However, schools are education settings, not actually childcare

You had better send the DWP this memo cos i dont think they have got it yet

Thementalloadisreal · 05/09/2023 19:48

The school has made the (fair!) assumption that in an emergency (such as this) you should be able to supervise your own children.
I don’t really think that’s unreasonable of the school tbh. They aren’t responsible for the parents’ schedule.

If you can’t do it at home then I guess grab a laptop/phone/ipad and log on wherever you are - at least it’ll give them something to do while you’re working. Or find a friend / family member who can help.

The school is providing remote education (at very short notice, someone will be working all night on this no doubt!) so their responsibility is met. The actual child is your responsibility.

Thementalloadisreal · 05/09/2023 19:48

JenniferBooth · 05/09/2023 19:47

However, schools are education settings, not actually childcare

You had better send the DWP this memo cos i dont think they have got it yet

They seem to think neither, but that they are “businesses” and can be run as such🙄🙄

Don’t get me wrong I’m raging at the mishandling of this.

Itsrainingatlast · 05/09/2023 20:01

The school will record this as X, which means the school is closed. Online learning can’t count towards attendance, as students aren’t attending, but the school is doing it’s best to maintain some semblance of normality.

However, two days before telling lots of schools they had to close, Nick Gibb had been wanging on about everyone having to have 100% attendance. Schools are caught in the chaos of the mess the Tories have made of…just about everything.

Original poster
Onemoreday99 · 05/09/2023 20:01

I don’t think school is childcare either however you don’t tend to book childcare and pay for it daily once your children are at school on the odd chance they may not attend a day. After 5pm for the next day is Impossible. You can’t just drop a child of at a childcare setting without them being registered etc
families have different lives and so for some it might not be a big deal but for others it might be that they are unable to homeschool at the drop of the hat.

I will absolutely organise my children coming with me tomorrow - something I am lucky I can do. But an early years non verbal student is not going to be able to independently do home schooling who requires a solid 1-1 for educational purposes.

my issue is not with the school closing my issue is letting the government handling of this situation effect the attendance ratings.

OP posts:
MidnightOnceMore · 05/09/2023 20:07

The school don't have free choice over how attendance is recorded.

This whole shambles is ultimately the government's fault and the government issues the guidance on what is an authorised/unauthorised absence.

That said, I wouldn't care if it was recorded as unauthorised, what difference does it make? You won't be fined.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 05/09/2023 20:11

Start of term nerves affecting some of you? I read the OP as a very understandable vent because getting the news at 5pm that her children's school is closed tomorrow is pretty much bound to be a nuisance if parents are working. Suppose OP was a surgeon or a district nurse or a prison officer or any of the other thousands of jobs where her children couldn't go along with her?

The government has made the worst possible mess of handling this very difficult situation. Nobody thinks it's the teachers' fault.

GuinnessBird · 05/09/2023 20:12

OnAMidnightTrainToGeorgia · 05/09/2023 19:35

How much notice do you need?

Show quote history

At a guess more than 16 hours?

Are people really this stupid?

OP YANBU.

pepino · 05/09/2023 20:17

The OPs issue is that her children can't partake of the online learning due to the short notice of having to find an alternative arrangement. She said (quite rightly so!) that her children shouldn't be marked as unauthorised absence, as it's an unavoidable problem. Why do people not read the post properly?!?

PinkiOcelot · 05/09/2023 20:28

GuinnessBird · 05/09/2023 20:12

At a guess more than 16 hours?

Are people really this stupid?

OP YANBU.

Show quote history

I think some people are being deliberately obtuse and if the shoe were on the other foot, it would be a different story.

OP YADNBU.

Bingus · 05/09/2023 20:35

I thought the only schools that were told they had to shut were the ones with CONFIRMED RAAC.

All other schools are supposed to be open, and the ones with suspected RAAC will be surveyed in the next few weeks.

So YANBU because the school shouldn't be closing until they're told they have to.

tigger1001 · 05/09/2023 20:36

"GuinnessBird
At a guess more than 16 hours?

Are people really this stupid?

OP YANBU.

I think some people are being deliberately obtuse and if the shoe were on the other foot, it would be a different story.

OP YADNBU."

I agree with this. I think most would have an issue at having to sort childcare out at very short notice never mind home schooling. Depending on the age of the child you can't just plop them down in front of a laptop (assuming there is in fact a spare one at home and it's not being used by a parent for home working) and expect them to get on with it for 6 hours while the parent works.

The op was very clear that they understood why the school was closed but was venting about having to organise home schooling at very short notice.

Original poster
Onemoreday99 · 05/09/2023 20:47

@Bingus YES ! They have not been informed to close.
they said in the email there is unlikely any issue with the school but they would like to survey it anyway.
I just feel like with the news going in they would have known this and I’d in there heads they wanted for there own mind do a survey of the school they could of alarmed us of this possibility.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 05/09/2023 20:47

I also think the registers will be marked as school closure X otherwise their attendance figures will be awful.

However, write the school an absence note as you would for a day they couldn’t attend school so they know it’s not just your kids bunking off and it’ll probably be fine even if not marked as school closure.

noblegiraffe · 05/09/2023 20:48

Lots of schools who previously thought they were fine are getting antsy and ordering extra surveys.

Dixiechickonhols · 05/09/2023 21:02

Are the school just expecting child logged on if so do that on a phone/iPad. Obviously if he can’t do the teacher directed task as he has additional needs then he’s still been present and will get attendance mark.
Yes in ideal world he’d have adult with him to help but it’s what it is.
Same way you’d say he attempted to read book or do worksheet but couldn’t do independently.

Bingus · 05/09/2023 21:04

noblegiraffe · 05/09/2023 20:48

Lots of schools who previously thought they were fine are getting antsy and ordering extra surveys.

Yes my DC school is being surveyed next week. But are staying open until they're told otherwise. I'm not sure how they're allowed to just shut without good reason?

MigGirl · 05/09/2023 21:20

Don't hold your breath on it being OK. We where told our school was fine, the surveyors came today and have condemned half of the building. We won't be able to open fully as to much of the building is effected.

I was surprised that they had said it was ok to start with as it's a 1970's build. We have newer parts that are OK, but it's not looking good. I can easily see the number of schools having to close or part close going up quite a lot as they get these surveys done.

Goldbar · 05/09/2023 21:26

I'd just log them in and get the attendance mark and then close the laptop screen and send them off to play/ leave for your meeting. You can half-heartedly claim to have internet issues, if you feel you need to.

TheFallenMadonna · 05/09/2023 21:32

Attendance marks are largely to do with safeguarding. A school cannot mark a child as present who is not present. There is a code for "attendance not required" due to exceptional closures, but if the school is doing online learning, then they may not be able to use that. The school will not be wanting to code absent any more than you do as it is a really high profile metric, but accurate coding is also essential.

Ratatatabab · 05/09/2023 21:33

This is brilliant.

AIBU that the attendance will go against my DC when the school gave me less than 24 hours notice of closure for the foreseeable future? With no prior warning?

Mumsnet - Do you want the school to fall on your children and all their friends? Do you want them to DIE?!

YANBU. Good luck!

Thementalloadisreal · 06/09/2023 16:54

noblegiraffe · 05/09/2023 20:48

Lots of schools who previously thought they were fine are getting antsy and ordering extra surveys.

Also from what I have heard lots of schools have already had a very basic inspection and told they’re fine but are now being contacted and asked to have another, more thorough, survey

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