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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To feel a school could communicate its closure in this day and age ...

57 replies

catsmother · 02/02/2009 11:00

I spent over an hour traipsing to and from school, up a couple of very steep hills, got frozen and soaked, only to find it was shut.

Okay ..... maybe not that surprising ...... BUT ..... the school's own newsletter last week advised that in the event of bad weather its closure would be advertised on its website (it wasn't), or on local radio (it wasn't, and I was listening carefully to the lists given out every 10 mins since 7), or on the BBC Cambridgeshire website (it wasn't, and still isn't, though lots of other schools in the town are). This letter also said to call the school - which I did repeatedly, & got no reply.

Surely the person who stuck the ever-so-helpful laminated (so a bit of effort made) notice on the gates stating "closed due to bad weather) could have made one phonecall to local radio, OR, even more sensibly, left a message on the school's bloody answerphone ?

The school get funny if you're late, never mind take a day off when you shouldn't which is why I made the effort, and I'd done everything I could to check according to their bloody advice.

If there's still snow on the ground tomorrow I won't bother, and if they are open, but dare complain, I shall turn into a screaming banshee at them about today.

OP posts:

alphabetsoup · 02/02/2009 11:02

I'd be really cross; as you say, it wouldn't have been hard to record an answerphone message.

mummyflood · 02/02/2009 11:04

YANBU. Local radio is the usual method round here, very frequent updates this morning. There must have been someone in school to do the laminating. I would be very miffed too.

Stay warm!

brimfull · 02/02/2009 11:06

I found it infuriating this am.
Didn't actually go to the school but dc's schools were not on the radio as closed or on their websites,or the local lea website.
I nearly threw the laptop across the room in frustration.

MummyDoIt · 02/02/2009 11:08

Many school, ours included, have a telephone tree. Teacher phones parent 1, parent 1 phones parent 2, etc until all parents have been called. Last one calls teacher to confirm the message has got through. If anyone is missed, teacher keeps trying them.

MiserableMama · 02/02/2009 11:08

I was pretty fed up too...school wasn't closed but the school bus which runs through our village to take DD didn't turn up, so I was out there with DD and baby DS for 20 minutes before we gave up and traipsed home again, cold, wet and fed up.

Gorionine · 02/02/2009 11:09

Last year school closed for a day . The Dcs and I walk a mile to school and set off just before half past. we got there school was closed, when I asked if it was possilble to make a parents chain (school call 2 parents per class who in turn call two parents and so on...) to let people know school was closed I was told to listen to radio X at 8:45 by which time we are well on our way to school so no way out for us...

RubyRioja · 02/02/2009 11:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WorzselMummage · 02/02/2009 11:13

Same here. No-one at chool was answering the phone to confirm they were open, nothing on the tv/radio/webites to suggest they were closed and we couldnt get the car off the drive anyway so we stayed in.

It cannot be that hard to update a website... everyone has the internet now don't they ?

PeachyBAHonsPRSCertOnRequest · 02/02/2009 11:14

Our school website just has 'under reconstruction' across it- and details of sports day cancellation (June 2007 fgs).

Original poster

catsmother · 02/02/2009 11:15

I'm glad you all agree - thought I might be being a bit precious.

Think I will definitely say something - as I'm sure loads of other parents will too. A message on the answerphone and the website, a telephone tree or group texting would be the way to go.

OP posts:

DunderMifflin · 02/02/2009 11:16

That's absolutely ridiculous - I'd be fuming too!

I've just got a text from a parent to say come and collect the kids now as school's closing - !

Why have they decided this now when we got them to school (on time!) and now my DS is sleeping I have to go back and get my DD - they should have just closed it this morning!!

faeriemoo · 02/02/2009 11:16

I would be pissed off about that too.

TrinityRhino · 02/02/2009 11:16

we have a group text system
works well

if you phoned the school repeatedly and got no answer, was that not a clue?

agree that they should have made you all aware via website though

Original poster

catsmother · 02/02/2009 11:18

Getting no reply wasn't necessarily a clue as the secretary isn't usually in till just before 9 ..... but as they'd said to ring them in bad weather, I naiively thought that an answerphone message would have been set up remotely by the person, presumably the head, who decided to stay closed ?

OP posts:

PurplePillow · 02/02/2009 11:19

TR i knew our school was closing before we got the groupcall because I found the website for information. I will msn a link to you for future reference lol

RubyRioja · 02/02/2009 11:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TrinityRhino · 02/02/2009 11:25

I must have been clairevoyant (sp?) anyway cause I didn't take her before I even knew it had snowed roffle

debs40 · 02/02/2009 11:30

I'd be as annoyed as you were.

My son's school was not one of those closed this morning, and it opened despite the weather forecast.

However, I've just received an email saying it is closing at 12 due to 'continuing bad weather'.

That's going to be an interesting one - what if you don't get the email etc etc. Why not just take an early decision and close the school in view of the well-predicted freakishly bad weather.

PurplePillow · 02/02/2009 11:32

That's only because you were drunk last night (well it was your birthday)

RustyBear · 02/02/2009 11:33

We are open, but the head couldn't get a message on the answerphone because of all the parents ringing up to see if we were open!

Our local radio station still hasn't got a full list up, even though I know they have been informed of them all.

Not all school websites can be updated from off the premises, so if the person who knows how to do it can't get in, it won't get done. Quite a few are maintained by outside agencies, who probably had a long list of sites to update.

And the notice could have been put up by the caretaker and no-one else was in.

n5rje · 02/02/2009 11:41

debs40 - we have had the same, call to say that school will close at 12 and already decided that it will be closed tomorrow. I'm pretty cross about this, I'm not at work today but should be tomorrow - does anyone know what happens if all the snow melts overnight and tomorrow is fine. does the school stay closed ? Grumpiness is setting in at the thought of trying to make arrangements to get to work and finding everything is clear in the morning

MrsGrahamBell · 02/02/2009 11:48

Couldn't you have phoned the school before you set out? My friend did and then texted everyone in her address book.

MrsGrahamBell · 02/02/2009 11:50

forgot to say - at my elder son's school they have a system called 'clarion call' where they text and email messages like this , so we received that info today @ 6.30am... is useful @ otehr times - if say a particular club is cancelled

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 02/02/2009 11:52

catsmother - I am in Cambs listening to Q103/heart this morning they had a list of over 40 schools that were closed. Lots of people phoning in to inform them schools were closed but they said there was a password system in use and they couldn't broadcast the info without it.
It is a really poor do that your school didn't get the info out.

debs40 · 02/02/2009 11:53

MrsGrahamBell - that is not always possible. I know I couldn't get through to my son's school. The line was constantly engaged. Fortunately, my son's school is just around the corner so it isn't too much of a problem to check. Does mean you have to get excited kids dressed and in their uniform, potentially for nothing!

n5rje - we've not been told about tomorrow as yet although the forecast is just as bleak so will probably have to write that off. Can you check with school when you pick up? I have opposite problem. Today is a work day and tomorrow isn't!

What fun!

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