Birthday Parties at School

[dolallylass]

My childrens' school have started offering birthday parties during lunch time. In the county I live in, it appears to be a local council initiative and the offer has been implemented in all of the schools near us and is always the same - 8 children with a party type meal (fish fingers etc), seperate table, cake, in the school dining room during school lunch time.

It is a small school and seems a very divisive policy, these 8 children get to have a party and the other children have to sit in the lunch hall at the same time.

I have many reasons why I don't like it but what I am interested in is what is good about the idea. I have yet to meet someone who can give me one good reason why birthday parties should be at school.

Does your school offer similar and, if so, what do you think?

There was a HUGE thread about this a while back - with general agreement that it was a hideous idea. Someone cleverer than me will link to it

Nooooo
this thread explains why Birthday Tables are never a good idea.

You might have to start a campaign to stop them

i think its a bad idea and probably just lines the councils pockets.

dolally

If this has only just started you have the chance to nip it in the bud before the school gets used to having additional income from it.

Seriously bad idea and against all school poicies on making some kids feel excluded etc etc.

Could you gather support from other parents a.s.a.p. and petition the head.

I think Boco got it stopped for the very young children who were too young to cope with being "excluded" by classmates through no fault of their own.

It is a terrible idea, can't understand why schools feel it is beneficial to divide the class like that and cause unavoidable upset to young children.

Look up Boco's threads and you will see just what a terrible idea it is.

The school have cancelled them!! I think the fact that I said I would go the papers helped!! I am going to put something on the Jamie Oliver forum and see if this debate can stop it nationwide. I am all for the good food he has promoted in schools but this is a blatent marketing idea from the councils and food providers and should be stopped before we have Coca Cola printed on the back of the kids sweaters!!

If you come up against this please speak up. The original letter I sent to the head, about 3 weeks ago forced them to send out a questionaire, which was not widely responded to (although it did have a slant of 'what can we do to imporve the meals' not 'what do you think of this idea'). I have had lots of people saying they can se my point but it's no big deal and I am afraid I think it is. Schools should be a neutral place and not give kids ammo to exclude each other.

Thanks for the posts.

Hello, I'm afraid I had those threads deleted once it was all resolved, too much mention of kicking the head in the fanjo etc and it'd got a bit tense for me at school!

Eventually though, we managed to get it stopped for the whole school.

It took speaking to the LEA, putting it in writing to the governors and head, and having a petition from the parents. (petition i have realised should be very very last ditch thing, as it makes head teachers very very angry)

Start with registering your issues with it with the head, and then putting it clearly in writing and cc govs. I can probably show you my letter if you like?

It's a horrendously badly thought out and ridiculously divisive money making pile of utter shitness.

Ah, you see, I didn't actually read your last post there did I. Red mist.

So, good! Well done. As you were.

That's fantastic Boco, having stopped the silly ill-thought out system altogether !

Award yourself a medal for heroic services to small children. (these medals although shiny on the outside generally contain chocolate on the inside).

Ah - just about to flame and now see it's all sorted. Well done!

Boco, I am really sorry I missed your thread. Well done for getting it cancelled too and its seems you worked much much harder than I had to.

This policy must be stamped out and people must speak up. Kids have enough to cope with. It's a marketeers dream idea and all credit to them but parents have to draw a very thick line and make sure these things don't cross into school. Our kids don't have spending power - we do and if we don't buy this package then they won't want to sell it!!

Mind you, had I not had success early on I had thought of going for the opposite tact and booking a birthday lunch for the whole of KS1 (I did say it's a small school), then arranging a clown, balloon arch, magician. Random relatives dropping in during the day. If they want to do birthdays then they need to do it properly!!!

WHAT???? AM I READING THIS RIGHT? How come I missed this one? Who on EARTH thought up that stupid idea, and why on earth did the school buy into it? Crazy, crazy, crazy! Well done for getting it de-railed.