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Original poster

Infant school to close for local council election. Am furious. Who do I complain to?

38 replies

miljee · 07/11/2007 17:16

Just got a book bag note telling me this. As well as the plethora of inset days we get at least 2 of these a year! If I decided to not send my child to school one day I can get into serious trouble, but if 'they' decide to commandeer the school for a piffling local election at the drop of a hat, no problem! Yes, I can take days off work at their convenience, can't I? (having just taken NEXT Friday as an inset for the same child). Anyway, though I'm SURE there's absolutely nothing that will change this school closure, I want to register my complaint at the high-handed and basically unfair way these things are decided. They expect ME to take my child's education seriously yet can cancel days of it entirely at their convenience, willy-nilly. Use a bloody church hall- there's no shortage of them. I may even get a petition up.

OP posts:
TellusMater · 07/11/2007 17:17

Two local council elections a year?

meemar · 07/11/2007 17:18

hi miljee - breathe.....

Do vent on MN, but I'm really not sure there's a lot you can do. Has the school always been used as a polling station or is it a new venue?

You can write and complain, but I don't think it will make a difference as these things are organised way in advance.

Doodledootoo · 07/11/2007 17:19

Message withdrawn

TheQueenOfQuotes · 07/11/2007 17:19

sounds like rather a lot of council elections!

dooley1 · 07/11/2007 17:20

they probably have rules they ave to stick to about how much notice they have to give and if they've failed to do that you might have grounds to complain
but aside from that there is nothing you can do
is this the first year you've had a child in school?

Blondehelen · 07/11/2007 17:21

This does mildly irritate me too, but unfortunately its the way it has been for years and I don't think it will change. My primary school closed for elections and that was over 20 years ago

totaleclipse · 07/11/2007 17:21

My ds school was used as a polling station last year, I was annoyed because they did'nt close the school, all those strangers freely walking onto a primary school

RustyBear · 07/11/2007 18:10

Do you live in an area beginning with a W which has recently become a borough miljee? Because the council decided just last week to carry on using schools, despite the fact that all the schools and the Head of Children's Services had strongly objected "to ensure all electors have reasonable facilities to cast their vote and to ensure it is practical given all circumstances" - by which they mean "if we have the polling station in a school we don't have to pay rent"

TheQueenOfQuotes · 07/11/2007 18:17

"by which they mean "if we have the polling station in a school we don't have to pay rent""

Surely that's not a bad thing - do you really want more of your (probably overly expensive) council tax being used to pay rent on buildings (which often charge extortionate amounts) for elections???

Original poster
miljee · 07/11/2007 18:31

I feel better now! Re 2 x a year, I was exaggerating- the school on average gets closed 1- 1.5 times a year, local or government elections- but now twice in this year (2007). I've had a child at the school for 4 years now. This was with a month's notice due to the death of the incumbent councillor. LIKE a lot of you tell me, I am aware there's probably not much I can do and I do remember my primary being shut in Wiltshire (tho', interestingly, not any more! The polling station is in the village hall next door now!). BUT and here's the thing, why do we not Rise Up and question this? I agree entirely that you mustn't have strangers trooping through the school but why not one externally accessible classroom with the route to and away from it 'barricaded' with ropes and a couple of -hell, volunteer parents' 'patrolling' it?

OP posts:
Blandmum · 07/11/2007 18:34

The plethora of INSET days were *always part of the children's school holidays, so please don't get cross about them. they took the days from the teacher holiday already.

The school will not be doing it 'at their convenience' I can assure you of that. Resheduling things is a real PITA for the teachers and other staff.

Blandmum · 07/11/2007 18:38

re not closing. There are very strict rules as to how far members aof the public are allowed to be from the ballot boxes etc so that there is no possibility of a claim that voters were being intimidated.

I realise that the parents wouldn't be being intimidating but there are very set rules. My dad once had is knuckles rapped for canvasing too close to the polling area, so I remember this ruling very well

Mercy · 07/11/2007 18:39

If you want to complain then approach your local councillor and the school's governors and come up with ideas for a different venue.

It can't be helped that incumbent councillor died, obviously.

And there is more to holding an election (even local ones) than you probably realise tbh.

RustyBear · 07/11/2007 18:42

Bearing in mind that local elections are normally in early May, a few days before the Sats, it's not ideal, so yes I would prefer they spent their our money on rent.

They could save it by not introducing every new 'initiative' someone invents for their MBA project, running it for two years & then abandoning it....

Mercy · 07/11/2007 18:59

It's not just rent though - it's PL insurance if it's held in a non-council covered building, plus they have to ensure that at least one police officer is present let alone ensuring enough council employees are available to cover the whole day and covering the cost of the caretaker (plus cleaners) who has to be available for the entire day.

EmsMum · 07/11/2007 19:06

Twas ever thus. But if there are church halls in the area, why notlobby for a change. If it was CofE I can't see why they'd have to pay rent... if they are the established church why not use them for government purposes?

RustyBear · 07/11/2007 19:06

But the police officer & council employees would be at the school too, so that's not an extra cost.

PillockOfTheCommunity · 07/11/2007 19:09

there is something you can do, I am a Parish councillor and all local councils have to undertake a review of Polling Stations, we are currently looking into changing ours as the local Pub we use lets public in to the bar while voting is taking place

It used to be at the school but got changed because it caused the problems you describe.

Speak to the council, make your feelings known, if people don't complain they don't know there is a problem

Mercy · 07/11/2007 19:10

Rusty, I don't understand what you mean.

(am easily confused!)

EmsMum · 07/11/2007 19:10

Thats a great name , pillock

PillockOfTheCommunity · 07/11/2007 19:13

I think Rusty means that if the Police Officer is a requirement then it would be wherever the polling station is, so not a cost only involved if it was moved away from the school.

and we don't have Police or caretakers at ours, or any PL insurance seperate to that of the Parish Council

PillockOfTheCommunity · 07/11/2007 19:14

why thank you EmsMum, Califrau came up with it when I said I was on the PC

Original poster
miljee · 07/11/2007 19:25

Thanks Pillock- may I call you that? I was interested to see what you said about reviewing the site of polling stations.

And surely village halls have to have PL insurance? How would a poll be any different to a jumble sale being held there? Also, and I'm SURE I must be wrong BUT I've never seen a PC at our polling stations!

Martian, I appreciate what you say about inset days etc, but my issue here is polling stations and the inappropriateness of sticking them in a school hall during term time causing the school to close.

OP posts:
Original poster
miljee · 07/11/2007 19:26

Oh, and it's not my intention that parents should picket the school gates on that day! I said 'a petition' which is different.

OP posts:
RustyBear · 07/11/2007 19:30

Yes, we've just had the review in our borough & they decided to keep on using the schools.

When one of the schools asked (several years ago) for the polling station to be moved to the secondary school, which is already used for other wards, they said no, because it would be too far for some voters to go.(it's about 300 yards away) But the polling station for the entire south half of the borough is at the town hall, about a mile away from us & even further for some.