Dodgy creative writing exercise - views?

[Fmarf]

Would like views in this.
A year ago (yes, this is an ongoing saga) the head gathered the whole school together and told them that the school playing fields were breing sold off for housing. According to my two, she put on a show of being upset. She asked the children to write a letter to ask that this not happen. Children came home from school that day and told their parents. Parents were concerned to varying degrees and there was some discussion in facebook. Some parents suggests this was not happening and it was just a writing exercise.
The next day we get a letter from school saying they had run a writing exercise and there was no intention to disturb (or something similar) and that this was a common technique In schools and that they may do it again. No apology.
So I complained on the basis that lying to children is wrong, it gives the wrong message (that lying is ok if you think you have a valid reason) and that it was also damaging to the relationship between teacher and child. I pointed out that this was poor role modelling.
The chair of governors said they would address it.
Instead of following their complaints policy (taking this to a panel of governors that had no knowledge of the issue where I would get the chance to put my points and the head to answer them) my comainy was given as part of the head's review of the year at a full governors meeting. They supported the head and said that the only change should be that they reveal the 'deception' within the same school day.
I was not happy with this and said so (after having had to chase the reaponse from them) and I was offered a meeting with the head to 'explain her rationale'.
I want my complaint to be dealt with properly and in accordance with their policy. I went to the department of education and they wrote to the schill reminding them to follow their own policy and said I could have a panel of governors from other schools to review the complaint properly.
Is it just me or is this a compete hash up on the school's part?
Is lying to children deeply wrong and should not be supported?
In all this time the head has not approached me at all (and we are into the 14th month since the original complaint). Would you expect a professional to try to tackle this head on or at least communicate with us?
So fed up with all this

Our school did something similar, but it was 'discovering' a mystery suitcase containing photos and letters in a foreign language. I'd forgotten about but until I read this thread.

I expect the children forgot it fairly quickly. It all seems to hinge on OP being embarrassed that she was taken in. One thing is for sure- it must be embarrassing for her children that she is still mâking a fuss 14 months on!

The whole point of fire drills is for them to be as realistic as possible advanced warning .defeats the purpose. That applies to any workplace not only schools.

Often you go out to a fire drill not knowing if it is real or routine.

If you always had notice there would be real panic with one without notice!

Bloody hell. How do you even care after 14 months? I wonder if this is what the poster said- you felt daft because you were taken in?

Children generally have no problem with imagination- sadly you can't say the same for adults.

I think it all boils down to OP feeling a fool- therefore I would have thought best to forget -not carry on looking a fool for another 14 months!

I understand that. I believe that many schools carry out both un-pre warned and pre warned fire drills.

This thread isn't about fire drills though.

No -it is about how you use your imaginations and some parents expect the school to fit in with their ideas.
Since you can't please all the people all the time it seems pointless trying. As a parent I would complain about OP if she was trying to dictate her ideas to the school. I see nothing wrong in it-bound to get more impassioned letters if you think it is happening. I expect the children forgot about it by the end of the day, if not the end of the lesson-one thing is for absolute sure not one of them is worrying about it 14 months on!!
I really don't know how OP manages the upsets in life if trivialities occupy her to this extent. The only way I could deal with her is 'smile, nod, ignore' and put in the odd 'really' in a non committal tone. I suppose that I could run to 'I am sorry that you were upset by this'.

I'm surprised many schools carry out pre-warned fire drills. Defeats the object I would've thought. Sometimes some of us staff are in the dark as well which focusses how many seconds are lost by us looking at each other and mouthing 'has it gone off by mistake?' etc.

They don't Camolips. The children never know-the staff sometimes. Generally as a supply teacher I have been completely in the dark-as have regular staff.

Did you follow the complaints procedure when you wrote? Did you make it clear that it was a formal complaint that you wished to make, according to the complaints procedure?

I once e-mailed dd's school governors with what I thought was a complaint that would be followed up. However, because I had not made it clear that it was a formal complaint, it was not handled as such.

I then requested a copy of the school's complaints procedure which meant that I had to receive a formal response within a certain time frame etc.

However, I think that given that 14 months have passed, however pissed off you are, you should just stop obsessing over this one issue and move on. The school have obviously been chastened by your and other parents' concerns and I'm sure will think more carefully in the future.

You are in danger of losing the moral high ground and looking slightly unhinged if you continue with your insistence on an independent governor panel when the incident happened so long ago.