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Parenting

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Original poster

Anyone else NOT TOLD about school photos?

82 replies

Reetpetite17 · 18/10/2016 10:48

DS came home from school with an order form and proof card sleeve in his bag. We weren't told that the kids would be having school photos taken, no letters were sent home. When he was at nursery they notified you. Parents permission was not sought, or even an opportunity to decline.

DP has now said they are holding the kids photos at ransom when you didn't even ask for it or know some stranger was getting paid by the school to take pictures of your kids without your knowledge. And you're then guilt tripped into buying it! They're not cheap either. I worked with a photography company so could have easily done it myself.

I don't know if I should buy it, so DS doesn't feel left out if the photos are handed out in class, or to just keep the proof photo and not buy any based on the fact we were not told about it? Surely I can't be the only one who thinks that's wrong. They have these kids pictures on their computers etc. with copyright, so they OWN it, and charging you to have a cute picture of your kid. I've not had any letters to sign about consent regarding hat is and isn't allowed to happen with DS when we got them all the time from his nursery. WWYD?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Lilly948204 · 19/10/2016 18:05

I think you're making a fuss over nothing. At my school the primary reason for photos being done is so kids can be easily recognised and identified. In a school of nearly 2000 students that is very important for safeguarding.

As a side to this parents are given the opportunity to purchase them if they want but are under no obligation to do so. If you could do it better/cheaper yourself then do that.

Taking time out of the school day is a ridiculous comment. Kids missed a maximum of 15 mins from one lesson to get a photo done and if that helps keep your child safe why on earth are you moaning?

MaryField · 19/10/2016 18:05

Lol at photo thrown in your face! Slight exaggeration there....

AgentProvocateur · 19/10/2016 18:06

It's going to be a long 13 years if you and your DH are going to get your knickers in a twist about every insignificant event at school. It's only a photo - buy it or don't buy it. No big deal. I suggest you save your energy for fighting more important battles.

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SuburbanRhonda · 19/10/2016 18:07

Who threw a photo in your face, OP?

Original poster

Reetpetite17 · 19/10/2016 18:09

Apparently it's meant to be the best school in the area. I will ask his teacher about it when she's around and if I have missed something I haven't been told about then I guess it'll be a bit better and they don't just invite random strangers to take pictures of your kid. Anyone else and they'll be more than frowned upon.

Wish I hadn't bothered. I only wanted to know if it was normal to go ahead and do it without you knowing or not. I know they never did when I was at school, parents were told at least a week in advance about it. They'll be going away on a trip next without telling parents!

OP posts:

SuburbanRhonda · 19/10/2016 18:12

Have you checked your child's classroom tray, OP? Before you go in like you have on here and make a fool of yourself.

Original poster

Reetpetite17 · 19/10/2016 18:12

Any letters are put straight into their book bags.

And no one has told me they needed a picture of my son for school records.

OP posts:

teacher54321 · 19/10/2016 18:13

Why are you convinced that there is a sinister motive?

JosephineMaynard · 19/10/2016 18:15

They'll need specific permission forms signed for going away on trips. I really don't think you need to worry about that.

But it is normal IME for school / nursery to tell parents that school photos will be happening. Just as it's not normal IME for permission to be specifically sought for school photos every time they happen.

dylsmimi · 19/10/2016 18:15

To be fair op in your parents day it was most likely to be a letter not an email, text or website. Unless your child has left the letter somewhere (not unheard of) the school will be communicating things to parents another way so the assumption is that you did know

Cakescakescakes · 19/10/2016 18:16

This is one of the biggest over reactions I've ever seen.

Original poster

Reetpetite17 · 19/10/2016 18:18

Because you don't know everyone and I have had it close to home, teacher.

OP posts:

Original poster

Reetpetite17 · 19/10/2016 18:19

You haven't seen much then have you, cakes.

OP posts:

birdybirdywoofwoof · 19/10/2016 18:21

I never buy them. They still take the damn photos though!

dementedpixie · 19/10/2016 18:23

Ours is in a letter about term dates and we don't get a reminder closer to the date so unless you have it on the calendar it can get forgotten about. It really is not a big deal

DoctorDonnaNoble · 19/10/2016 18:24

It's not a random stranger! It will be a reputable company. They will be DBS checked and with a member of staff at all times anyway. Why do you keep talking as if the photo has been taken for a sinister reason?

HeCantBeSerious · 19/10/2016 18:26

and the school doesn't pay the photographer, they make money by selling them, it doesn't cost the school anything.

The school usually gets a kickback. (That's why they do it!)

They aren't kept on record at our school.

teacher54321 · 19/10/2016 18:28

I have never ever heard of a child be withdrawn from having internal school photos taken. It's common to have pupils who are not allowed to be on the website etc or in local press, but school photos are used for the database and offered to parents to purchase only. They are not distributed externally in anyway. The photographer does not have access to the children on their own and they are with him for approximately 30 seconds per child, supervised by a member of staff. As risks go, it's minute. And there will be CP protocols in place.

Reception has a play based curriculum and they won't have missed anything important.
It's exactly the same as when at work you have to go and get your photo taken to be on the HR system or to go on your new lanyard. A total non event.

If I were you I'd raise it gently with your child's teacher and ask in future how this sort of event is communicated as you would have liked to have known in advance.

HeCantBeSerious · 19/10/2016 18:32

I've spent hours taking photos of the tinies at school in their nativity costumes so that the PTA can make a bit of money over the years. That's upwards of 700 thrilled parents and not one miserable sod.

Original poster

Reetpetite17 · 19/10/2016 18:43

Serious I'm a miserable sod for wanting to actually know someone was taking a picture of my kid, am I? I wouldn't have stopped them but would have been nice to know. Sorry. Can't do anything right on Mumsnet, jeez. Should I LTB too?

OP posts:

SuburbanRhonda · 19/10/2016 18:46

How do you know the letters are put straight into book bags, OP? Not all children have book bags.

And even if they do, what's the harm in going and looking in his tray? It will take you 30 seconds.

If you feel that your child isn't being given class letters for some reason, talk to the teacher.

HeCantBeSerious · 19/10/2016 18:55

Can't you just mention to someone calmly that you hadn't realised they were being taken?

(Your child probably appears in all sorts of people's photos you don't know about, OP.)

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 19/10/2016 19:06

Reet - I think school photos are a bog-standard part of pretty much every primary school's year - to be honest, I'd be more surprised to hear that a school wasn't having them done.

And I can tell you that there is no risk whatsoever to the children - the whole class is waiting to have their pictures done, usually somewhere pretty public, like the school hall, under the supervision of their teachers. The photographers are not alone with the children.

An awful lot of these photos are developed and printed by a firm in Cornwall, and my FIL used to work for them, so I can tell you that only four of the staff there are men, the rest are women - so I doubt there's a great risk of the pictures falling into the wrong hands.

However, I do think that your school should have communicated better with you - if only somthat you could make sure your child was looking their best that day.

Re. consent - did you sign forms when your child started at the school or when you registered them? These forms may have included a general consent form for things like photos in school, some trips etc.

Floggingmolly · 19/10/2016 19:07

I hate to break it to you, but you may well get a scrapbook of your child's year in Reception handed to you next summer. It'll be filled with snapshots of your child's day, recording any interesting/unusual things he's done / trips they've taken.
Sometimes the class photo is in there.
They're a fab momento.
Please don't spoil it by screeching about how they should have been granted permission first...

bruffin · 19/10/2016 19:13

Hecantbeserious
They have been kept on record in all my dcs school and also my schools back in 60s and 70s.

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