To Be Hacked Off With School

[gscrym]

Beginning of last week, DS came out of school with out his jacket. He told me it wasn't on his peg. I spoke to his teacher who had a look, asked the janitor but no sign of the jacket. It still hasn't turned up.

The reason I'm wondering if I'm being unreasonable is this is the 2nd jacket to go missing since the begining of June. Both times, DS has put his jacket on his peg and both times, the jackets have been taken and not returned. I sent notes out the last time and heard nothing. I asked if he would be allowed to put his jacket on his chair in class and got told no. DS has stuck to the rules and another jacket is gone.

So far we're out about £50 on jackets and fleeces. His teacher gave me a sunny 'I'm sure it'll turn up' but after a week, I think it highly unlikely.

YANBU. I assume the school are aware this is the second jacket to go missing?

Your poor ds he must have been dreading telling you another one had gone missing.

My dd lost her watch in reception and it never turned up.

Has it got his name in? could he/you do a check of toher coats on pegs? Also would recommend you write his name in on the inside of the coat with marker pen rather than a name tape that could be removed on any future coats.

I'm not sure that it is the school's fault TBH. I would be hacked off for sure, but more in a general GRRRRR kind of way.

I don't really see what school could do about it. Buy cheaper coats and then you won't be so bothered if they go missing! YANBU to be annoyed at losing a coat but YABU to blame the school.

This is funny because I was just speaking to a freind in RL whose son has come home from second day at school minus his jacket!

the PTA are there to fundraise and have no dealings with the school in terms of rules etc.

Make sure he has his name in the jacket but tbh while I would be annoyed I don't really see how the school is at fault.

Both coats had his name in them. Labels were ironed in and his initials written on the washing label.

Daisy, the coats were the ones sold by the school. The fleece was £13 and the winter jacket was £21. The school recommended all the children have these. As I said, I had asked the school if he could put his coat on the back of his chair and was told he wasn't allowed to. He's done exactly what he was told by the school. Also he was nearly in tears about having to tell me his coat was missing. I've replaced the school coats with a £7 fleece and a £10 rain jacket. I know it's not the schools responsibility but how many have to go missing?

Bozza, both times we searched the pegs, the lost property bin and the toilets. Nothing turned up.

I might have another chat with his teacher tomorrow. I know the school can't force you to buy uniform but they do put the pressure on about it. I just won't be buying the school embroidered stuff again.

Apparently last term he lost his entire uniform during after school judo. When she dropped him off the following day another classmate had been wearing it, even though the trousers were a good 3 inches to short and looked like clam diggers, they were also 3 inches too big in the waist.
His mum had'nt noticed and let him go in someone elses uniform. .

Exactly why I refuse to get my kids the school jackets.

I buy something as individual as possible so they stand out. Easy for them to find, easy to spot if someone else attempts to take.

Although IME it is usually a genuine error compounded by parents not checking they have the right one, rather than maliciously taking the wrong one.

ds1 has come home in someone else's trousers. I was slightly irritated as they were way too tight and he must have been very uncomfortable.
I do wish schools would have baskets or something for uniform during PE lessons rather than throwing it all on hte table where it gets mixed up.

Well, yes. But I tend to be at ds coming home in a t shirt small enough to be a crop top (how can he not have noticed FGS ) rather than at the school.

First of all NEVER believe a child when they say 'I put it on my peg'. They don't have a clue WHAT they did with it.

This is what I do - (assuming this is a primary school). Go in after school and ask if it's ok to look round. You need to know everywhere where your child has been - canteen, ICT suite, music room, etc. Look at all the pegs in every classroom. All communal areas - library, hall,toilets, EVERYWHERE. The lost property box goes without saying. Outside - bins, trees, roofs (if possible).

Obviously it's more effective to do the above on the day it goes missing but it's got to be SOMEWHERE.

It could turn up a few weeks later if a parent hasn't realised it's not their child's - it sometimes happens. Items of uniform unless v.expensive very rarely get stolen because they're too boring

Agree with laundry marking name across the inside in BIG letters

We checked all the pegs. The younger kids pegs are all in the communal area (P1 - 3). He was only in his class and the canteen so checked both of them. Once we had established the coat was in neither of these places, we asked the janitor and rummaged the lost property. It wasn't there. The little ones only have access to one play ground and it wasn't lying in it.

How about laundry marker across the back.

Why don't you send a note home with all the kids in his class? It could read 'Idiot son lost his coat again, could thief return it?'

I may ask for search warrents to be issued to cover all houses, washing baskets etc.

KVC, that sounds like a fab idea. I'm in Scotland and as far as I know, our school only has a PTA, no parent council. Forgive me if I've misunderstood and this is the same thing.

This does drive me mad but it's not the schools fault really. Just one of those things - agree about getting standing out stuff rather than samey. My dd lost her brand new brownies jacket the first time she wore it (blardy expensive thing too) and it never turned up. Named and everything. these things happen