And another 'can you come into school this week?' letter

[queenofthepirates]

Another letter in DD's bag asking for parental help with school activities for this week.... I really want to participate but two day's notice (it's Weds at 1.30pm) is way too little to arrange work cover.

Is anyone else's school like this or is it the norm to ask for help at short notice?

I assume this is for outings or special events??

I was a parent helper when DS started school, and did half a day a week for five years supporting reading, plus Yr6 gardening activities, and a Yr6 after-school Keyboard club.

You can only write or email them, saying you would help, but need advance warning. It seems very inconsiderate to ask at short notice; maybe they been let down by someone else, or they just not well organised.

It's the norm, unfortunately. Interesting to hear a teacher's perspective from KohINoorPencil and I honestly can see that in a complex environment like a school, unpredictable things will come up. But it does sometimes just seem to be lack of forward thinking and appreciation that people just need a bit of notice.

(Am a bit bitter about the fact that my daughter left for a week long residential today - at 1:15pm - but no-one thought to warn working parents of the timing in advance. It wouldn't have mattered, except that they cheerily invited parents to pop in after lunch and wave the coach off ...... Therefore, all the kids whose parents were working at that time will have had to watch all the other kids getting hugs and kisses before they got on the bus :-( If I'd had a couple of weeks' notice, I could have arranged my diary to get home early.)

It was never the norm at my Childrens primary. Special days, assemblies, parents take part in x etc were generally planned atvthec start of each term/year & communicated in the yearly diary or monthly newsletter.

All parent helpers at my DC' school have to be CRB checked. DH assists regularly and he had his check done last school year and is still valid so he was good to start immediately this year unlike others who had to wait for the CRB.