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Original poster

School closed all day on election day? Is this normal?

56 replies

wheelsonthebus · 01/04/2010 15:16

My dc's school is closed all day on May 6 (provisional date obviously) for general election as it's used as a polling station. Is this normal? It's a nightmare for working parents. Why can't people vote in council facilities or churches even?

OP posts:

lucykate · 02/04/2010 14:11

we live in a large village with 4 primary schools, one is always closed on polling day, it's always the same school too. really daft considering the size of the council offices (must be space there to do it) plus there's the scout hut, guide hut and village hall which could be used as an alternative.

Bucharest · 02/04/2010 14:14

Think yourselves lucky you're not here! We've just had elections and the schools were closed the day before voting (for poster pinning up) 2 days of voting and the day after for "disinfecting". Result: dd should have gone back to school on Wednesday, after a 4 day break, coincidentally the day they finished for Easter, so they didn't bother reopening.

clam · 02/04/2010 14:23

mrz I refer you to my post of 18:01 last night. All other schools will get a day "to match" but they may choose when to take it. They are not confined to election day.

MmeBlueberry · 02/04/2010 14:46

We had a day off for Polling Day when I was in primary school. We loved it - and there were loads of elections in the 70s. Most mums didn't work though, so it really was a special treat.

My kids have been in schools that were used as polling stations while school went on - I was very uneasy about this.

To have a valid election, you have to make it easy for people to vote. This really trumps parental inconvenience.

BuzzingNoise · 02/04/2010 14:51

Yes it's perfectly normal. You'll have to take the day off work.

mrz · 02/04/2010 15:29

clam I have never known us to get a day in lieu of polling day only the regulation training days and the set school holidays.

clam · 02/04/2010 15:35

Well all the schools round here get 5X training days plus an "occasional day" the date of which is chosen by the individual school. Some choose to tack it onto a holiday, others use it on a day near to Christmas, which gives rise to the accusation by some parents that it is just a day for the teachers to skive off Christmas shopping.

BuzzingNoise · 02/04/2010 15:43

Lots of employers give employees a day off for Xmas shopping - my DH gets on mid-December.

MoreCrackThanHarlem · 02/04/2010 15:49

Dd's school is closed for polling as they cannot guarantee pupils safety with voters wandering in and out.

The school where I work is also closed, although staff are expected to attend for training, so I still have to arrange childcare.

I think it's fair enough, as others have said the school is instructed on whether they will be required as a polling station so not their choice.

I know it's a nightmare for working parents, but they are given plenty of notice and school is, after all, not a childcare facility.

isthatporridgeinyourzone · 02/04/2010 15:57

Afraid it is normal. The law obliges schools to make their premises available on polling day. TBH we avoid using schools if at all possible but sometimes they are the most convenient and accessible places for people to vote. Off the top of my head out of the 400 plus polling places for the district I think we have about 10 schools used. We also use scout huts, village halls, barns and a pub (my personal favourite).

soapboxqueen · 04/04/2010 20:37

mrz there is a standard 190 day envelope for all schools in England. Whether a school is used as a polling station or not, children must have their 190 days. Many schools will us the polling day as a training day so that they are not out of sync with surrounding schools who are not used as polling stations. This can be sone because teachers must complete an extra 5 training days over the year. Others will just close and make up the time during the school year by being at school for one day when other non-polling station schools are not.

Either way all children complete the same number of days whether their school is used as a polling station or not.

mrz · 05/04/2010 13:43

soapboxqueen I was replying to clam's suggestion that all other school's not being used as polling stations get an extra day which isn't the case.
I have never worked in a school that is used as a polling station so can't comment on whether staff from schools used as polling stations spend the day training although I do know someone who uses the day to work counting the votes as they aren't teaching...

OtterInaSkoda · 07/04/2010 14:39

MmeBlueberry - I agree that enabling easy access to vote trumps parental inconvenience!

If the number of days dcs are at school remains the same, I don't really see a problem. Yes it's a pain when schools are shut if you work but the same is the case with inset days imo.

Having said that it must be irritating for schools being told they must host a polling station if there are alternatives very (and I mean very) close by.

Original poster

wheelsonthebus · 09/04/2010 18:17

"enabling easy access to vote trumps parental inconvenience!"

I will try that line on my boss at work. I know exactly how he will react.

OP posts:

cakeywakey · 09/04/2010 18:32

We use caravans at supermarkets and pub carparks in my district isthatporridge .

I know that our elections manager tries to avoid using schools, but sometimes they are the only premises available that are:

DDA compliant - they need to be accessible
in the right area for that part of the ward
large enough to cope with the potential that 100% of voters will turn out. Some polling stations are in busier areas and are double stations - with up to six staff working in them and potentially thousands of voters turning up. The local Scout hut doesn't always cut it
available on the day - some community centres etc. refuse to cancel the regular events they hold like toddler groups, slimming world and exercise classes because they're their bread and butter

Elections people don't like putting people out where they can help it. Honest

CirrhosisByTheSea · 09/04/2010 19:08

It's always been schools as polling stations round 'ere

Yes, it's an inconvenience but it's once every 4 or 5 years so I don't think I could bring myself to moan about it

FiveGoMadInDorset · 09/04/2010 19:09

In our last house the polling station was the pub, now we have moved a grand mile down the road and into a different parish it is the village hall, very sad about that.

bluejeans · 09/04/2010 19:13

DD's school closed here too. Also the after school club is usually open for school hols but the hall they use is a polling station too!

The only good thing is last time my mum looked after DD and took her with her to vote which happened to be at my old primary school - DD was quite chuffed to see inside it after driving past 'mum's old school' many times!

Apart from that - is a pain for working parents. Specially as it's the same week as a bank holiday and an inservice day here - they will only be at school on Wednesday and Friday that week!

piscesmoon · 09/04/2010 19:25

Very normal and always has been. Years ago I was at a school where the Head decided to open at the same time-it was a nightmare and he never did it again.

cakeywakey · 09/04/2010 19:41

Chirrosis in our district some voters turn out nearly every year as they vote for Parish Councillors, District Councillors (can be three years on the trot in areas with three councillors for one ward) then County Councillors as well as General and European elections. There's always something going on!

MaisietheMorningsideCat · 09/04/2010 19:44

DD's school is closed, DS's isn't - despite the fact that the village hall which is a 5 minute walk from DD's school is also a polling station

Cirrhosis - it's not just for general elections, it happens at all the other elections as well.

Starbear · 09/04/2010 19:45

I love the fact my Ds's school is off I'm going to gather a crowd and go to Legoland as someone else suggested or have a fun day out. A child's life is so swift the next thing you'll know is that you'll be crying in their bedroom when they move out. It's also lovely to have a day in the week when they are not ill or you are ill or places are over crowded. Very few peoples lasts words are I wish I worked more earned more yes, but not work more Ha Ha! The only part I feel sorry is for those who do not have understanding boss & colleagues.

MaisietheMorningsideCat · 09/04/2010 19:47

How do you manage to cover the rest of the school holidays with your annual leave?

Starbear · 09/04/2010 19:48

Oh! I didn't read that LegoLand is rammed! okay Chessington with my necter vouchers. I'm going to offer to take a few working parents kids with me. Then they might return the favour (or not I don't care.)

Starbear · 09/04/2010 19:49

Maise I had the sense to arrange my own marriage and married a teacher! ops! Forgot to mention that

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