Lack of communication from schools

[AngelDelightIsIndeedDelightful]

Hi all,

DD1 is in Reception and I'm getting so fed up of the lack of organisation at her school. They leave things right to the last minute - e.g. sending a letter home in her bookbag on a Friday saying 'we need an angel costume on Monday please'. I understand from friends that this is par for the course with most schools, but why is it? It's not hard to let people know what's coming up fgs.

I really would like to vent about the lastest incident though. They are closing for an extra three days of holiday over Christmas, but have only just let us know. They've got a new building opening up the road and because of this they need three days to move the furniture etc apparently (This would be the new school that's been under construction for months - not something they've thrown up in the last day or so!)

They sent a letter last week setting out the arrangements for classes which are moving (Reception aren't yet - they are going to run the two buildings in tandem for quite some time yet). I must have skimmed over the start date - it was just written "school starts on 9th January", not "we have postponed the school start date until 9th January". I only realised when the breakfast club booking form came, which had sessions starting on 9th January and I asked (via my sister who collects dd one day a week for me) why they were closed for the first three days of term, to be told that they weren't, they're now shut for those three days.

I work ft. I understand that schools are not childcare, but the reality is that I don't have childcare organised during school term times, because it would be a waste of money if I did. So when those term dates change, it's not unreasonable to want more than three weeks' notice isn't it?

I really want to write and complain about this, but I don't want to be labelled as 'that parent' already. Should I just suck it up and accept that's the way schools are? WWYD?

No idea why they give little notice. I have to say that both my childrens schools give sensible notice to us.

The extra three days is probably related to a delay in the expected completion of building work (actually three days extra is pretty good IME of contractors)

The lack of communication at our school is appalling,I won't bore you with my lengthy list of woes.From Year 3 the teachers don't even come out with the kids after school and it's nigh on impossible to speak to them before.Couple that with a complete lack of communication and it can make things quite stressful.

Our school is supposedly "outstanding",god knows how as I thought you had to be "outstanding" in everything.To be frank I think a certain amount of arrogance plays a part.I know it annoys many parents but it seems to be something not many complain about(or maybe they do and school just doesn't give a shit).

I wonder if a letter didn't make it home?

I'd have though something as major as a 3 day shift in term dates would have warranted a letter in itself, and it might have contained the explanation and more appropriate tone you had hoped for.

Because yes, of course parents make onwards arrangements based around the hours they expect their DCs to be in school, and the longer the notice the better.

Our school can't even spell it's email address correctly on headed paper (which they then photocopy all correspondance onto) (without correcting with tippex)
I too am appalled at disgraceful communication from school
Also a reception first time mum

So far the past fortnight we've had expensive Xmas cards made by kids turn up Friday(with incorrect labelling on the back),still no photos and no letter or anything telling parents that there was a music concert last week.One of my kids came home in tears as he played his guitar but neither of us were there(we would have been there with bells on as he needs confidence boosting and it was perfectly doable) having no clue it was on.Poor ds now thinks we're not interested and basically aren't bothered.

I for one have given up complaining,I know others were going to re the concert but I doubt it will make a jot of difference.

MrsHeffley - if no-one lets the school know that information about the concert was not received how are they to know? If information was sent out but didn't reach you then they can look at how the system might be improved. If they don't know they can't even begin to think about how they communicate with parents. Can you offer to support the school - perhaps with other parents - to devise some template docs or a Newsletter format or even to write up a daily whiteboard for parents to see?

Hi I understand your frustration and sympathise you could alternatively offer a suggestion by asking the school to use email less time consuming and environmentally friendly etc

might be worth asking school to look into the Parent mail system where they can send letters, newsletters etc direct to parents email addresses. Both my kids schools use this, for DD its not as big an issue but for her teenage brother it's a godsend.

My DD has just started Reception. We get quite regular notes home in her bookbag but also get (daily) texts from school reminding us about upcoming events. It has been really useful.

Does your school not do texts?

I would be really annoyed if they acted like your school. If you have to get childcare for extra days off you need as much notice as possible. I would complain in your shoes.

The school I work in sends out letters but also follow up texts, as the letters often don't make it home.

JWIM So did any parents turn up for the concert?

If they didn't, wouldn't that have told the school office that something was going wrong with their communication?

Ds in yr 1. The communication is pretty poor. Similar to others, 3 days notice to get a costume, badly written newsletters and a list of others. It's a mix of arrogance, not being in tune with the community and sooo much assumption. They seem to forget not all of us have had older children through the school! Drives me nuts. And so easy to address too.

We have Parentmail,why the concert details weren't on the weekly e-mail I have no idea.

To be honest most of my complaints aren't with office things(although this particular month hasn't been great) it's the lack of contact with/info from teachers.

I hate the assumption that we're all SAHP perfectly able to whip up a costume in the blink of an eye(had that too).

I also hate the arrogance and assumption that parents are needed to support the school with reading/homework/fundraising etc and it's a "partnership" as the "partnership" doesn't seem to work the other way.

There are far too many proclamations and statements which sound good but don't actually don't exist in reality

Yes, complain. Write to the Head, copy in the Chair of Governors. No point at all just wingeing about it here - if you want it to change, be proactive. Effective communication with parents should be (and usually is) taken very seriously.

Can I just say in defence of the office, it is very unlikely that class letters come from there. Most teachers send their own letters out, office staff don't have time to type letters for 6 or 7 year group activities in the run up to Christmas. This is why the information is last minute, teachers do the same thing every year and forget other people don't know what is expected. I am fighting at the moment to get the staff in my school to always give me a copy of any letters they send out, nothing worse than a parent phoning asking for clarification and you know nothing about the activities in question!

Thanks for all your comments. They don't do text or email, but that's a really good suggestion and would look like I'm trying to be proactive and not just whinging!

MrsHeffley that's just awful, your poor ds

Auntpetunia, I'm in exactly the same boat. Our teachers type their own letters and sometimes forget to pass the office a copy. It's very embarrassing when parents come in and ask us about the letters and we have no idea what they are talking about.
Angedelight - the texting system we use is really good as the children often forget/lose/throw away letters before they get home :)

Text alert is a really useful system, as not everyone has a smartphone and people are generally more likely to have a phone with them (and not everyone is at a computer screen all the time).

The full text of letters could also be put onto a password protected parent area of the school website; the text giving just the headline/reminder.

Dd's school are usually pretty good on the communication front. We've always had plenty of notice for nativity costumes and notifying you of dates when school will be closed. They send out plenty of notes and newsletters and also have a text messaging service. I'd not be pleased to get a note on Friday asking you to bring a costume in on Monday.

OP sounds like a missed letter to me. Can't believe they would just mention it in passing.

My DCs 3 schools are pretty good. The texting is great - definitely encourage your school to use it. The secondary schoool used to post a lot - still does sometimes - but they often text instead and say it is on the website and paper copies are available.

We had a parent forum where communcation to parents was one of the agenda items. One parent disagreed with anything other than letters in bags on the basis that children had to learn some responsibility. SO there are are different opinions out there!

MrsHeffley SAHP's don't have time to whip up costumes either!

I agree, Parentmail is great. We get copies of all letters emailed as well as hard copies. Copies are also on the school website, and we get a weekly newsletter.

It is worth speaking to the school. I must admit, though, I have always been involved as possible and tend to chat, rather than raise things formally. I know that's tricky when you work full-time. X

Worth mentioning to school.

There are solutions out there like parent mail which DD's school now uses and I prefer.

Last year when DD was in reception they put a tiny slip of paper about an inch high in the book bag on a Thursday night advising a non uniform day Friday. I saw it but some in DD's reception class didn't - not nice seeing 4 year old's crying.

I went in the day after and said to school I thought it was late to notify and easily missed - they haven't done it since.

I had to send a message in her bag just to find out whether we were even allowed to see the nativity. Other than the 'send us a costume' note, they'd said nothing at all. I got back a post it note on her reading record book that just had two dates on it

The week after that they finally sent a letter out and wanted a reply the next day The first performance was just five days after the letter! I was able to get to the second one, two days later.

I wouldn't mind, but they do do a weekly newsletter! Great at telling us stuff we don't need to know, not so hot on the stuff we do need....

dixiechick that's very sad