School Vs parents - who is being unreasonable ?

[Mumof3bringwine]

DC is in year 6 and there has been non stop drama in the lead up to them leaving mainly surrounding the parents which is affecting the kids.

new drama is the end of year production. Back story
this has been an annual thing for many years although it’s called the end of year production it I suppose has always been assumed as the year6 leavers production / play. It is a big production with a lot that goes in to it and lots is little parts and singing. To fill the stage they require 2 classes so it has aways been year 5 and 6 combined but for example last year the lead part was a year 6 and then the other main parts sort of shared between year 6 and most of year 5 ( our year at the time ) had the supporting roles or background singers and a couple had bigger roles.
there is auditions and every child has the chance to audition and every child has a part and is included.
it has kicked off because they announced the casting and the main parts apart from one were given to the current year 5 students and the supporting roles to our year 6 class.
this led to around 4 very upset year 6 parents who believed as it’s their end of leavers production ( not called that ) and their last chance that it should have been the main parts shared amongst the year 6 class and the supporting roles to year 5.
they sent a to school on behalf of the whole year 6 - which was not the case at all, about the injustice of it and after reading the letter it was very heavy handed about the head teacher and was also sent to the governors.
the school responded with a letter to all parents saying they work hard to put the production on using their own time and effort. Without the support of the parents it would not work and they are considering whether the production will now go ahead.

which side do you think is being reasonable ?

I think both sides are being a bit childish to be honest.

I agree with both but also disagree. I do think that the main parts should go to year 6, and understand a bit of frustration but governors is ridiculous. Likewise, threatening to pull the whole production over stroppy parents is equally ridiculous.

You are being unreasonable purely for the thread title. School and parents are not against each other.

Perhaps there simply weren't enough year 6s who were good enough or who wanted a lead role.

The main parts should have gone to Y6 as per tradition. The school should explain why they didn't. I couldn't get that worked up about it really, but if their kids are gutted they're probably just being protective.

This happened in my school when I was at primary. Every previous year the leaving year students had the main parts but the year I left it was mostly the year below. The Year 6 children were support or backing singers.

It's over 30 years ago now and I still feel a weird sense of injustice about it. They no doubt chose who they thought was best for the role, but I don't think that's what actually matters in a primary play.
So anyhow, not sure how your voting works, but I'm with the parents who wrote the letter - though I'm not sure I would personally kick up a fuss about it.

It absolutely should be that y6 get the main parts, but the parents are being more unreasonable by complaining to governor's rather than asking why it's different this year.

the main parts should have gone to year 6.
the parents have gone batshit.
it takes a huge amount of time to do so i can fully understand just not doing it.

The school have stated it isn’t different and it’s always just been based on the auditions and this year that’s the way it’s worked out because of the auditions.

I actually agree with the parents, it's very unfair to make them the only year who doesn't get the main parts in the play. Sounds like a bit of a rite of passage

I think main parts should mostly go to year 6 if it’s their last year and, informally at least, their leavers play. Especially since the auditions don’t stop everyone getting a part of some sort so they clearly aren’t that determinative if they allow everyone to be involved no matter how catastrophic their audition.

But to write an email purporting to be from the whole of year 6 and being rude about the head teacher and sending to the governors is absolutely insane and inappropriate and childish and unreasonable.

I wouldn’t blame the school for not spending money, time and effort putting the play on now!

I normally back schools over parents but I think here year 6 children should get priority for main parts. However the complaining parent was too heavy handed.

The school won’t change the parts. But they might cancel the whole thing. The Governors will not get involved - they’re not allowed to get involved in day to day running of the school and choosing pupils for a production would come under this.
Such a shame parents get so angry and resentful about these sorts of things rather than supporting their child whatever part they get.
Not every Y6 child would have had a ‘star role’ there would have been parents still upset and outraged that their child didn’t have a lead role. I’m glad I’m not a teacher anymore!

Is there any actual evidence that in prior years the parts have been given on the basis of talent rather than to the year 6s? If not which seems likely if everyone is of the assumption it is first and foremost a year 6 leavers production then I can totally see why the parents are frustrated. The year 6s should have been given the larger parts if they wanted them.

School and parents work together so yabu re the title. However I fail to understand why year 5 is involved in the year 6 end of year performance. Surely it should be tear 6 only. What do all the year 6 parents say. Think this is something they should bring up and no year 5 should be involved even i supportive roles. It's year 6 saying goodbye to primary school

If it’s based on auditions and both year groups can audition for all parts then I’d expect that the main parts go to the strongest candidates and I don’t know why anyone would expect otherwise. If Y6 parents wanted to complain - and I think they’d have good reason to because Y6 audition for the main parts whilst Y5 take the supporting roles and their time will come next year would make much more sense and be fairer - the time to do it was before Y5 auditioned. So I’m on team school. The parents can’t stay silent knowing the audition process is what it is then complain afterwards because they don’t like the results. And they would do well to remember that there are Y5 children so only 9/10YO that have auditioned successfully and are preparing to perform in front of everyone. Asking to strip them of their roles, which is presumably what they would hope to achieve through their complaint, is pretty awful!!

Does the school only have a single form entry? We had the “leavers assembly” but there were enough leads / backing roles between the 60 children in year 6?

Agree main parts to year 6 children and remaining to year 5.
School could have maybe communicated that earlier so that expectations were managed more appropriately?
Not the children’s fault leading to this situation. Rather than pulling the show could the children perform it at least for the rest of the school.

Generally speaking the school should have managed it better. Over the years they must have had plenty of experience with parents who aren’t quite happy.

Totally agree.

Honestly in thr grand scheme of things who actually has time to be that upset, create a mob, complain to the school and write to the governors.

Completely ridiculous behaviour by the parents who in their holier than thou stance have almost made it impossible for the school to back down. Clearly not a lot of thinking things through going on. And in a month the school won’t see any of those people again. Idiots.

Well it depends if the ethos is everyone gets a go or the best person gets the role?

In secondary school it's the latter. We give the role to the best people. If you want a part but not the best you can be a part of the chorus or a smaller role.

My school (secondary) also expected students to have a good work ethos is they want a main part in the play. We have one very talented girl but she is SO rude and arrogant.

The school won't have done this without good reason. The ranting letter was shameful. It would have been better to ask why that was done.

I'm definitely with the school.

They may be faced with dcs in year 6 this year who do not audition well, or cannot sing or remember lines, or do not have the commitment to stick at it for weeks on end, or parents who have form for pulling unauthorised absence at zero notice.

The drama teacher needs to pull together a successful production and sometimes that is extremely difficult. Let them get on with it.

They should be auditioning year 6 for the parts and then year 5 for what's left.

I suppose has always been assumed as the year6 leavers production .

Assumed by the parents obviously not the staff.
Maybe there were not strong enough candidates in the senior class to take the roles especially if there was singing involved.

It's a primary school play. They're always a bit rubbish anyway - it's part of their charm.
The parts should have gone to Year 6.

Did the parents raise the issue with the teacher, and head before going to the governors. If they have, then I can't see a problem with the governors.

I suspect it's about more than just a play. Perhaps they feel the teachers are favouring other pupils or the Head has not engaged with them.

Are the auditions part specific? And if so, could current year sixes audition for main parts last year? If yes, the school is entirely reasonable.

The school should have given them to Y6, but they didn’t so it would be wrong of them to now take the positions off the y5 kids and give it to y6. It’s done now so everyone needs to grow up, school and parents included.

I think the parents are being unreasonable. It's not called a y6 performance, it's never only been done by year 6 students. The staff say it's always been done by audition. The school has done absolutely nothing wrong. The parents need to get a grip.