Yearbook

[Proudsgo]

My child has an EHCP was pushed out of her primary school. Now she attends a Sen school. She has attachment issues and is Neuro diverse as well as complex trauma. It was a horrible ending for her at her primary but I work there and they are putting together a yearbook for the year 6 cohort she was part of. I have asked for a copy of the book but have been told she isn’t on roll and they would need every bodies permission. I believe even though she isn’t there they still have to not discriminate and that actually a yearbook is a public publication so doesn’t fall under the usual rules. Can somebody please help I really needed this book for her life story yes they’ve told the parents not to include any photos of her which is fine but all her friends are in it and it would have fab memories for her.

It's not a public publication at all. There is zero obligation to provide one if she's not on roll. They are absolutely correct in needing every child's parent's permission before even considering your request, and that's just not going to happen.

It might suck. But you really haven't got any kind of case here.

I can understand why you would want a copy of the yearbook as it would be lovely for your daughter to have a record of those memories.

What I completely fail to understand is why on earth you feel entitled to a copy (as opposed to hoping the school would allow you to have a copy) when your dd is no longer on roll and how it could possibly be discriminatory to refuse to give a copy to a child who is NOR.

Surely they would only be discriminating against your daughter if they gave a copy of the yearbook to everyone else who had ever been in that cohort but not to your daughter. Whatever the circumstances , she is no longer a member of the class or the school and therefore no longer a recipient of the yearbook.

She has no ‘right’ to a copy, she’s not on roll. If it ended badly what are you going to do -‘rip out the y6 pages? It is not a public document.

year books for primary are a ridiculous
notiom anyway.

I’m not trying to feel entitled here I’m trying to do the best for my particular circumstance for my very traumatised child. I would not dream of ripping up a book it is part of the schools historic records and they will get to see one.
I read something saying that although they are no longer on roll and I read that it is a record of the school year and if they were part of that cohort then it should include all of the pupils regardless of wether they left the school or not. It is stated that a yearbook is considered a public record of the school year and there is no legal basis to exclude a child.

People are being quite nasty on here and it’s not helpful I’m trying to find out where I stand in this issue not for people to shout me down for wanting to know actual facts. This book is about their whole school life at the school not just individual years and there are lots of photos at the school that I can’t have understandably because other children are in them so it would have been a lovely memory for her to have. You don’t know my child’s circumstances and how I’m trying to do the best for them.

Where did you read that? In the US, I think yearbooks do have a bit more formality. They could possibly count as a public record there.

But in the UK they're just a nice momento, often paid and organized by parents/PTA. You are fighting a losing battle. You will not be able to get one if your dd no longer attends the school.

Where on earth did you read that?

Very harsh replies here when all you want is a memento for your daughter. I guess rules are rules but it’s a pity. They might be able to get people to agree and if not just don’t make it a big deal around your daughter. Sorry op x

I’m assuming you’re not in the UK OP? My daughters’ old primary school included them in their Y6 year books even though they had both left the school at the end of Y4. They were parent led/produced and independent of the school.

Given the OP uses EHCP, I assume they are in England. In which case a yearbook has no legal status, many primarily schools don’t even do them!

This is not a battle that is worth fighting. Especially as you work there.

She’s not at the school anymore, she’s not in the year book, it’s not a public document.

It is something that probably other parents have organised. In America, a copy of a year book is stored in a library or similar and people can go and look at them. My dc have some yearbooks from when we lived there.

You could make your own? Online photobook, add school photos you have, photos with friends at parties etc and photos from the school website.

Do you have any parent friends in the class who would buy an extra one for you?

Agree with this. A huge amount of nasty people on MN with no empathy, these days.

In our school, the parents organised the Y6 yearbook, the school didn't really have a say in it. A couple of the people who'd left before Y6 asked to buy a copy and that was fine. We didn't go out trying to contact anyone who'd left though. I honestly think whoever is saying no is being a bit precious. That said though, it is not really a battle worth fighting - is your DD still in touch with any of the Y6 leavers?

No one has said she shouldn’t go the next step and ask whether they could TRY to obtain permission from all the other parents involved to receive one. People are responding to the OPs belief that she is legally entitled to one.

It’s very informal in our school. The children create it using Canva. Certainly not a public document! As a head, I probably would give a copy to the child in these circumstances, particularly if it will help them. As I say though, ours is just an informal few pages of A4 written by the children.