Do you feel intimidated/ignored by your child's school?

[FlightAttendant]

I don't know if this is just normal. There are a few of us parents of kids in reception, who have been getting quite annoyed at the seeming lack of acknowledgement of our comments/requests regarding our children.
For instance, one little girl has a bad urine infection, has seen a doctor and is on antibiotics...but not ill as such. The mum (my friend) has written in the 'contact book' to please ensure she drinks plenty, but despite sending her in with two full water bottles, she comes out having had about 3 mouthfuls.
This has been going on for about a week. I have asked the teacher in person if she would remind my son to drink, because he needs reminding, and she just said 'Ah bless' which wasn't very helpful.
There are many other things, anything we say or write seems to go unnoticed or disregarded.
It feels like they just can't cope with that number of kids.
Surely my friend should be able to send her child to school when she has a short term extra requirement, and that need be catered for? Or are we expecting too much?

The whole attitude seems to be 'Yes Mrs. x, but the children are ours now, please let us deal with them as we see fit'. I really don't like it.

Find out how is the teacher's rep on the board of govs. Put your concerns in writing, encourage other parents to do the same. take along your child's diary as evidence etc. that you have requested these things so they don't think you just have a bee up your bonnet rather than commenting on what you (all) may think is a serious communication issue.

ARG! parent's rep, not teacher's rep. As soon as i pressed post, i noticed.

Thanks Kiski I will try and do what you suggest, and ask the others to do so as well.
It has a good reputation but sometimes I wonder if the 'bottom up' approach gets lost along the way...I am seeing the class teacher next Monday for a parent's meeting (10 minutes, argh) and will mention it then.

Still considering flexi schooling as well. I can see a lot of the older children are happy there but it does come across a bit likea military establishment, very regimented, teachers shouting children out in corridors for academic failings etc...
We shall see how things progress. It was this school or the local 'wot you starin at' school. I thought I was going to get beaten up in the playground there, let alone Ds

they sound very 'old school'. I understand that you think they are the better of the 2 schools, which is why it is even more important that you try to bring some change. (can you tell from my writing style that i am a teacher?) these days parents expect more communication and i think this is all a good thing. pity they seem to think they have it all figured out.

i am quite and to hear that they humiliate bollock students for poor academic performance. I would raise this issue with parents' rep too. not a good way to make kids want to learn for the rest of their lives, i think.

Thankyou Kiski. No I didn't guess you were a teacher!
I know, I was really quite shocked about the shouting, it was one afternoon just before the bell as I walked through a corridor with Ds, on our way out. There was a teacher outside a classroom shouting really angrily at some maybe 8 or 9 year olds, three of them, who had obviously made a mistake somehow with their project...she was shouting 'it was your responsibility to research this' or something along those lines, she noticed me and Ds but didn't even pause for breath, just carried on.

Lots of people have told me they think it is academically pressured, and I intend to keep a very close eye on this as tbh I don't feel that there are many things worth shouting at (obviously well intentioned) kids like that for. And Ds isn't what I'd call academically inclined, so if they start being pushy I shall feel quite justified in taking him out.

I had similar issues with my dc's old school - whatever i asked the teacher was always too much trouble, and i was being a neurotic parent!

I just used to put every request like this in writing to the teacher with a copy for the headmaster. If it still was not actioned I rang up to make an appointment to speak to the Head - miraculously it got sorted (altho I rarely got to see the head)

However, this was thier old school - the one they are in now is amazing in how much care they give the children and attention they take of parents, so it can be done!!!

It actually means less hassle for them at the end of the day as they have fewer parents on thir backs if they get it right frst time - I only see the teacher to say 'hello' as she is already dealing with everyhting very efficiently.

Hopefully you can get this message across to your school with a quiet revolution. Do you know any of the parents higher up the school - see if it gets any better?

Also you may well find that offereing to come in to school every 2 hours or so to make sure your ds drinks enough has the required effect - teachers would hate the disruption!

Unfortunatley you must follow up on everything that happens, and in writing, so they know you are serious but do it in a calm, pleseant, assertive manner (much easier said then done when they are being incompetent, I know!)

Good luck - it can be so hard when you feel you are fighting an uphill battle and it sounds like you cannot take the solution we did and move (house and schools )

Thankyou Carbonel, that is really helpful and I'll try asking some of the parents with older kids, see what they say.
Your school sounds marvellous! Yes, I don't see why it can't be more effectively handled, they are all so little to be remembering to drink etc.
Thanks again

write to the Head and cc the letter to the Board of Governors with all your concerns. Better to write (than talk to) that way they have to respond and you have everything in black and white.

"Ah bless" just isnt good enough!