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Primary education

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Original poster

only 2 nativity tickets at a time, how is it done at your dcs school???

32 replies

BackUpYourPhotosNow · 01/12/2009 22:40

At my dd's school this year in order to ensure fair allocation of tickets to the nativity, the school have decided to run 4 "box offices" on 4 separate afternoons after school. Tickets are 1 pound each. You can only get tickets from the boxoffice. You can only get 2 tickets from any 1 box office, you can only collect them for other parents if you have a written request from the said parent and then the name will be written on the back to ensure that you don't try to use them for yourself .

It is preferred that children under the age of 5 only attend the dress rehearsal.

The front seats at the performances are reserved for "special guests" - govenors or ex head teachers who are given tickets free of charge, do not have to que and whose tickets are reserved for them before the tickets go on sale.

My dds grandparents wanted to go and so I qued for the 1st box office for about 20 odd mins with 5 children ( aged 5 and under) and bought the tickets for them.

I then asked a friend ( and duly provided full written request ) to get 2 for me and dp for the only performance he could go too, as she would be queing and I was collecting dd an hour later that day.

I then went to the 3rd box office to get the final ticket that I needed for my dd2 to attend with us. I had no way of knowing if I would get my last ticket and without it one of us would need to stay at home with dd2

Several parents have expressed their annoyance at how the school has managed the allocation of tickets.

So can you tell me how your school managed this feat of fairness?

Were you happy with the way they organised it?

How would you feel about this schools method?

TIA

OP posts:
paisleyleaf · 01/12/2009 22:46

That sounds a nightmare!
There's no organization here at all.
We're just showing up to watch it when it's on.
I had thought they might do a 2 tickets only per child thing as the hall is small - but nope, apparently anyone can come.
We'll see.

Original poster
BackUpYourPhotosNow · 01/12/2009 22:55

PL how are they managing that with firesafety ? we have been told everyone must have a ticket - be counted in and out and must remain seated at all times.....

OP posts:
paisleyleaf · 01/12/2009 23:02

I don't know. Maybe they'll count us in and we'll have to remain seated.
But it is the same hall everyone was wandering around willy nilly at the weekend, with buggies and tressle tables etc for the christmas fair.

cat64 · 01/12/2009 23:03

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cat64 · 01/12/2009 23:05

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MedusaHead · 01/12/2009 23:08

Ours do 2 performances and you can request 2 tickets for only 1 performance. We don't have to pay for this.

Grandparents and younger siblings can go to the dress rehearsal. There doesn't seem to be any allocation for this so that must be heaving.

alwayslookingforanswers · 01/12/2009 23:09

for the infant school we had to select which of the 2 days we wanted to watch (they're doing it twice in 2 days) and could then request a maximum of 2 tickets for either day (or 1 for each of the 2 days).

If people want more than 2 tickets (for grandparents,aunts/cousins etc etc) then they had to say how many and they'll be allocated on a first come first serve basis once all parents have requested their 2 seat allocation (if they want them)

Haven't had the junior school letter but that's usually "please let us know how many are coming" so they can make sure they have enough seats/orders of servie available. There's not usually so many parents at the junior school one so they can do that.

Original poster
BackUpYourPhotosNow · 02/12/2009 21:19

Thanks for all the replies.

Between this thread and its duplicate there have been a lot of responses.

For those who think I may have been being greedy by asking for 5 tickets I just want to clarify, the hall can seat about 100 in the audience (guestimate from the last show) there are approx 100 children in the entire school. Based on the number of children who have siblings at the school there are probably no more than 85 families at the school ( we have a fairly high proportion of families with 3/4/5 children - not much to do in the winter round here ) so as there are 4 performances the school needs to sell 400 tickets and the parent quota would only fill 170.....

I really think that the idea of raffling the front row tickets is excellent and I'm going to suggest it at the next meeting.

The whole "box office" idea is - from my point of view - a pain in the neck. In the rush to pick up the kids get home and cook tea its too easy to miss the one slot where you could have bought a ticket. I also think its very unfair to the parents who work.

tbh a quite a few of the parents at the school didn't understand the rules on how to get tickets and only found out on the morning of the last boxoffice..

Thanks again for all of the replies, hope you all have fun at the school plays....

riven sorry you're not going to make the school play this year, hope everything is ok.

OP posts:
madwomanintheattic · 02/12/2009 21:22

only two tickets allowed for ours.

if you want extras you have to go on the waiting list and see if there are any left over from parents not attending.

the joy of many children and a small hall.

in reality, it does tend to even out. the ones left over get offered a seat at the dress rehearsal if necessary.

box office sounds like madness itself.

CardyMow · 03/12/2009 17:15

Same problem at my school, for my youngests performance, they are refusing me a ticket for my 11 yr old daughter, saying I can have a ticket for me and my 7 yr old, but that's my 2 tickets, am I meant to leave an LD 11 yr old at home on her own in the evening? I'm a single parent??!! I'm just turning up, I'd like to see them stop me from going in...

Goblinchild · 03/12/2009 17:53

I can see the headlines now Loudlass.
Give it a few years, we'll be uploading the show to the school website and no tickets will be needed by anyone. Although how you will recognise your best-beloveds with their faces pixilated I don't know.

islandofsodor · 03/12/2009 18:48

Our school has 4 different natvities/Christmas concerts Reception, Year 1 & 2, Year 3 & 4 and Year 5 & 6.

In previous Years the Year 1 & 2 play has been held in the High School but this year the hall isn't free so it is being held in the Ju8nior School Hall and tickets allocations have been reduced to 2 per performance (2 performances) to 2 in total.

It is unreserved seating and the request slips are handed in to the school office.

islandofsodor · 03/12/2009 18:51

I am thinking of taking dd (age 8) with us when we go and watch ds's nativity and sitting her in the waiting area outside the hall with a book and her ds. It only lasts an hour and it isn't as if it is an unfamiliar area.

cat64 · 03/12/2009 19:05

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trace2 · 03/12/2009 19:17

one night show i day show only two per child, and free, but we went this morning none left, just found out one parent got to 2 to day and 2 to night, so maybe other parents done same.

tbh i am well pi&&&ed i will pull my child out if they dont sort it out fairly.

Butkin · 04/12/2009 12:01

Our school has just had two pre-prep performances and, as it covers kids from Kindergarten to Yr 3, it has a lot of support.

However we can just turn up on either day and bring LOs with us if we like. They just ask us to be reasonable.

DW and I went on Tuesday and the 4 GPs went yesterday. It is first come-first served on the seats so GPs got there 45 minutes before it started! Apparently at yesterday's performance it was standing room only by the time it commenced.

Mind you lots of parents like to stand as they can get better videos...

Oblomov · 04/12/2009 12:41

A letter came home. do you want 2 tickets. do you want any more, if there are any left over. fill out the slip and send it back.
End of. simple.

Original poster
BackUpYourPhotosNow · 05/12/2009 11:27

oblomov, that sounds extremely simple, I feel as tho I 've been having to do backflips in comparison!

I'm going to print this thread and wave all the different options at the head teacher. Anything to avoid a repeat next year!

Thanks everyone for all of the alternatives.

OP posts:
cat64 · 05/12/2009 17:03

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bellavita · 05/12/2009 17:09

3 showings. You are allowed a maximum of 3 tickets for one showing only. We fill in a reply slip send back to school, tickets sent home via child.

MmeLindt · 05/12/2009 17:21

Our school invites the whole village, lays on snacks (cheese and bread) and mulled wine before the performance and is delighted if most of the village attend, whether they have children or not.

The joys of life in rural Switzerland.

trickerg · 05/12/2009 17:22

We're doing ours outside (first year trial). At least we won't have the space problems!

(Tickets have to limited in halls because the school's insurance will state max no of people allowed in therea t a time.)

hennipenni · 05/12/2009 23:25

one ticket per family per performance. (1 performance each for nursey and reception and 2 for juniors but you can only attend one of the junior performances)

madrose · 05/12/2009 23:37

2 tickets only and we had to pay £1.50 each for them and provide the costume - this is for reception.

Amapoleon · 05/12/2009 23:40

You're lucky, parents aren't invited to my dd's school play. I am gutted!

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