To think the school could do more to accommodate working parents

[Eastie77Returns]

By working I mean parents who do so out of the home (don’t want this to turn into a SAH/ working parents debate, I know all parents do work of some nature)

DD is going on a residential trip next week. Parents are asked to drop children off at the venue at 12.30 and collect them at the end of the residential “sometime between 12 and 3pm, we will let you know what time exactly on the day”

It’s pure bad luck that I have all day work meetings/training on both days. The residential venue is a short walk from the school and a number of teachers will be going from the school to the venue mid morning. I spoke with some parents who are also a bit stuck due to work commitments and we collectively e-mailed and asked if our children could be dropped of at school in the morning and then walk with the teachers to the venue. We were told no (no reason given). We asked if we could get some clarity around pick up time on the final day as 12 - 3 is quite a window of time and were told no as it depends on the weather and if the children do an outdoor activity on that day or not. We are to keep our phones on and look out for a text from the school. The school also often schedules meetings at 3.45 for example and there are other instances where they have organised events mid morning/afternoon.

I am very lucky to work for a flexible employer and I will somehow have to adjust my work schedule but some parents I spoke to work in retail, medical settings etc and do not have that option. AIBU to think the school could do more to take into account there are parents who cannot just start work in the middle of the day or up and leave at short notice to pick up their child?

@whippy1981 have you recognised my DC’s school from this thread? I don’t know how else you would know what was said at the briefing (which was at 15.30 so many parents couldn’t attend but anyway…) but I do not recall any mention whatsoever of car pooling.

Parents have to give consent then informed consent. Two different levels of consent. One after being briefed on all the information. Consent has to be given following the information which is given to parents. They can choose to read it or not but surely should know what they are signing.

Nope not recognised your school. It could be any school in the UK.

So you want the teachers to work unpaid at a time that suits you? So are you saying they were specific and said you cannot car pool you must drive your own car (tough if you do not have one) and you must only take your own child?

If not then it was basically make sure you get your child to A by X time. Car pooling is a norm in schools. It is how sporting and music events happen!

My son recently had a residential and it was all within normal school hours. Dropped off normal school run time. There was the option to pick him up at school at 1.30pm when they arrived back the next day, but if not then they were ok to be left until normal school pick up time and carry on with after school clubs. Lovely way to do things!

@whippy1981 read the OP's posts again. It is a 10 minute walk from the school. No carpool is required. This is not about forms. The teachers would still be working at their normal school hours.

I’m an ex-HT. It is completely unreasonable (unless the trip is in school holidays). If they are school days the staff should keep them at school before/after those times. I’m sure they would be able to drum up enough volunteers to walk with the children. If the problem is heavy luggage, that could always be transported separately in a car or two.

How would they react if one of their teachers had a child whose school asked that?

Have you spoken to the headteacher? If you don’t get any joy there, you could contact governors.

No, zero expectation for teachers to work unpaid at a time that suits me.

Residential takes place on a normal school day so we asked if our children could arrive at school at the normal time and then walk to the residential at whatever time suits teachers (who are themselves walking to there from the school). Answer was no.

We did not ask the teachers to accompany the children. Answer was still no.

On the last day we asked if children can leave on their own. No because ‘safeguarding’. Even though the children walk home every day alone from the school that is a few mins walk from the venue.

We asked if the school can please tell us in advance what time it ends. No because ‘weather’ and ‘we don’t know know which “activity they’ll be doing’

And yes, the school made it sound as each child must be checked in individually by a parent. Because the child’s rucksacks will be searched for phones, banned items and any found will be returned to the parent (but as mentioned, I will clarify this and take a group of children if I can and another parent will reciprocate the pick up).

And you genuinely think it’s the parents who are being unreasonable?

You've missed, or ignored, the fact that the residential does take place on a school day though. Ergo they'd be at school till 3.

The cost of a coach pushes the cost of the trip up considerably for everyone. If you can’t accomodate you’ll need to make plans - maybe clubbing together with other parents? As for the meetings at 3.45, what do you want the teachers to do, wait til 6pm to meet you? How fair is that on them?

Once again:

There is no coach.
The residential is 10 mins walk from the school.
I don’t expect teachers to wait until 6pm to meet me. Why do people read ‘helping working parents’ as said parents wanting teaching to work endless unpaid hours.

If the children walk then they need supervising on the walk. Also those at the venue getting dropped off need supervising. Also there would need to be transport from staff with the bags.

This would mean more staff.

I never mentioned teachers working less hours! The OP said she was annoyed that the briefing was inside the staff working hours which didn't accommodate parents. My mention of working hours was in relation to her being peeved at this and clearly wanting staff to work in the evening unpaid to accommodate parents.

The teachers are still responsible for their welfare so they would need accompanying.

The teachers can check without you present. They are able to do that.

I do not understand how you have gotten to this point so close to the event without asking simple questions. If you do not understand the risk assessment and rules the school have to follow then that is not the school's issue.

Ask if you do not understand why something is so. Do not go away scratching your head and whinging why when you could've opened your mouth and asked.

By all means demand extra staffing for someone to walk with the kids but the costs will be more.

This thread is one of the reasons I quit teaching. The astounding entitlement from parents is galling.

Don't send him on the effing residential then. The teachers are working for free.

How is it entitlement to expect a clear pick up time in advance of the day itself?!

Teachers who are saying the OP is ungrateful and should take annual leave- do you know how much annual leave people get compared to the school holidays? And then to cover all of this as well?!

Wow at 6th form mine drove to school. Wonder how that fits in with being collected

And why would they need supervision on a 10 mins walk to the venue? We had swimming lessons a mile or so away from school at that age. It was expected that we would take ourselves there ( first lesson on Weds) and make our own way back to school after the lesson. No supervision

It’s entitled to ask the school what time the residential finishes?

To ask if kids can exercise their legal right to attend school when it opens on a normal school day?

I’ve heard it all now!

Oh my goodness…of course we have asked. The e-mail we sent before school broke up ASKED why the kids could not go to the venue on their own. That is when the school replied again that parents/carers need to be present when the rucksacks are searched for forbidden items.

The SCHOOL said this. Parents/carers must be present because they need to take the banned items back home. There was an incident last year when a child had an extremely expensive forbidden item. The teachers kept it on site. It was stolen and the police were called. So ALL parents have to ‘check their child in’ and wait whilst bags are searched.

No, the children DO NOT need to be accompanied to the venue. It is a few minutes walk from the school gates. Literally, across a road and up a quiet street. Most of the children, including my DC, walk a greater distance home alone from school every single day.

No, the children DO NOT need to be accompanied to the venue. It is a few minutes walk from the school gates. Literally, across a road and up a quiet street. Most of the children, including my DC, walk a greater distance home alone from school every single day.

Actually they do. It’s safeguarding. 25 years a teacher including running trips.

If they are not in school during school hours the school need to know where they are and what they are doing. If anything g happened the school would be responsible.

The issue is, they should be in school during school hours and be let out at home time. Not left to find their own way home after a school trip finished early. It’s actually not allowed so I’m really confused how the school are getting away with it.

What are they doing about parents who just can’t do this? Like, for example, teachers. The majority of people don’t work in roles with this kind of flexibility. Especially parents of secondary school children who, on a normal day, walk themselves home! Why do so many schools assume children have one parent at home just waiting to be around for shit like this, despite a lot of teachers being working parents.

I'm sure you can collectively authorise X parent to collect any contraband from 20 kids if need be. I would do it, though would also send you an whatsapp disclaiming liability for your kid's random crap unless explicitly confirmed by me to you as received.

When you say working parents, you mean parents who work your particular hours

They just aren't being helpful in organising it. I'm sure one parent, grandparent, uncle or aunt can be rustled up across the 30 in the class to take the responsibility.

Wouldn’t meet safeguarding requirements though.

As l said, kids are the responsibility of the school during school hours. The children should be going back to school school until hometime.

It’s not entitled for parents to expect children to be able to be in school during school hours , while not away. Or if it isn’t possible, for the children to walk to the venue , just like they would to school.