Badly behaved parents: what action can and should a school take?

[Anna8888]

Went to Parents Association meeting last night. Nearly all the items on the agenda and that arose related to discipline. It is becoming apparent that a small (but unfortunately rather visible and audible) group of families at school are damaging the school's reputation in the neighbourhood. One of main issues is parents parking their 4x4's outside school, blocking a private road with a lot of rich and powerful residents. Another issue is disruption in the (public) park that the children play in after school - children playing football where they aren't allowed etc. The residents association wants to lobby the town hall to get bans on the school. How can the school get this small group of (extremely selfish) parents to toe the line?

I think that it would great if we (ie the Parents Association) could talk to inner London schools who had done this - nothing like benchmarking other people's experiences.

onager - yes, because they complain directly into the ear of the Mayor of Paris at dinner parties. Much more dangerous than any Tom, Dick or Harry...

www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/schooltravel/grantsforwalkingbuses/howtosetupawalkingbus

This link may be useful.

That's fab, crumpet . Thank you.

That's very strict Anna. What if a child is going to someone's house for tea? Both my children have exceeded the four number this term. Well we are at 4 straight away for DD with me, DH, the childminder (for mornings when I work), and the day nursery owner (also mother of child in nursery) for afternoons when I work.

If your child is going to another child's house for lunch or tea, then the parent must write a letter to the teacher to inform her of that.

And what happens if you have an emergency with another child, and ring another mother, or even your husband, and ask them to pick up the school child?

Or your 4x4 gets clamped?

You must ring the school in an emergency and say precisely who will be picking your child up instead.

I have seen teachers refuse to release children to nannies they don't know and didn't have the yellow card - the nanny had to ring up the parent on her mobile, explain the problem to the parent in front of the teacher, and then pass the parent to the teacher. And the parent got an earful

Anna, here several towns have a walking bus organised in conjunction with the mairie, under a project called marchons vers l'école: there are "bus stops" and parents volunteer to accompany the kids, who are picked up and dropped off at their nearest stop.

If you want I can try and find out how it works from a legal point of view, as the same rules apply here about authorised adults taking kids to school and collecting them, but that doesn't stop the project from working.

Oh thanks AA, I will google "marchons vers l'école". Absolutely no-one has mentioned it in our (rather painful) meetings to find solutions to the mad parking mothers. So I presume nobody has heard of it either.

Our headteacher put a stop to parents parking on the zigzag lines outside our school by standing outside school every morning and afternoon and taking the license number of anyone who stopped there (she announced her plans beforehand by letter to whole school, with the threat that police would be given the numbers). It worked a treat.

I appreciate you probably don't have the zigzag lines in Paris (they are outside schools and mean don't stop here between certain times) but maybe you can work with the basic plan?

I absolutely agree that the headteacher and the owner of the school ought to be visibly around and policing what is happening. I have put forward that suggestion already... we will see

Anna, I've found this about Ile de France. I didn't realise "marchons vers l'école" was only a week-long project. Certainly seems perennial around here.

Of course the 4x4 drivers will maybe consider it infra dig to participate, but if you get the school involved in the project and educate the kids, maybe they can help put pressure on the adults.

I think that one of the reasons that the school has not stamped down harder and sooner is that it hasn't had any alternative arrangements to offer parents for dropping children. The beauty of the walking bus is that it offers an alternative which would mean being tough on illegal parking a more realistic proposal.

I think tis a shame the children aren't allowed to play football in the park .Why not?

That's just the law and it isn't going to change any time soon.

Why is the reputation of the school an issue?

I understand that any organisation wants to have good relationships in the community, but essentilly, these are people behaving badly who need to be dealt with by the police (parking) or council wardens (park) or whatever structure of officiladom is in place.

It's good if the school can be seen to be asking for better community co-operation frm badly behaved parents, but not actually thier responsibility.

Our school has frequently badgered the parking Control people to come and get zig-zag parkers done on the cctv cameras they now carry.

If the school has a reputation for its pupils (and by extension parents) behaving responsibly in the park and in the streets around the school, then it is much easier to get additional favours for park usage as needs be (for example).

The residents association has a lot of power and could do the school a lot of harm. If the school were not allowed to use the park at all, it would just have to close its current premises and finding new premises quickly is impossible.

I am assuming this is a fee paying school?
If so why can't the school write strongly worded letters to those who abuse the parking and park. If they don't take any notice surely the school can then ask the child/parents to leave?

I agree, Deckmuppet.

But this is a French school where customs are a little different.

I totally understand it's a French school but can't see what customs would dictate that parents can upset neighbours by irresponsible parking, and damage the local park but that it's okay? If nothing can be done, do what is right yourself and the school will have to accept the consequences as it appears nothing can be done.

Our school would have you out in a jiffy. We're an English fee paying school btw.

The relationship between parents and the school is different (far less close) that it would be in an English school. It would take a lot of going into to explain. It is harder to get Parisian parents to toe the line.

We have a policy of zero tolerance - if you park your name is MUD and everyone will say "Oi move it".

So we have NO parking or dropping.

I walk mine to school, but that's because I am a proletarian

Well I supoose there's nothing you can do about it which is a shame. If parents won't toe the line then the school may lose some facilities. Shame for the children really.