Non resident parent and scottish schools/legal help please!

[jhicboiejbo]

I am a non resident to one of my children and their school is not updating me on their progress or even returning my calls.

No safeguarding issues or anything like that so I am flabbergasted at how I can be treated this way (have 3 other children in my care and the non resident parent is updated/called back - although different schools).

There must be a legislative provision for parents being treated equally but I am yet to find it! If anyone based in Scotland could help me I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

I think if you have parental rights and responsibilities they legally have to update you. You may have to visit the school to show proof, for example, your name on the birth certificate.

You'll have to visit the school and sort it. If you're on the birthday certificate and there are no court orders in place against you then they are legally obligated to inform you. That means adding you to the mailing list and you should also download the school app etc. They should also be splitting parents night with you. Because of covid, parents evening is now a 10/15 minute phone call at our school but they split that in half if parents want separate calls. All you should need to do is say that you are legally entitled to be informed and contacted and they have to do it.

If they say that the other parent is telling them not to then you tell them that an angry parent after a split does not over rule the law, which entitles you to be kept fully informed.

Was the school previously communicating with you and has suddenly stopped?
Has your DC turned 16? At my DC school when they are in their final 2 years the kids have to fill out a form in school detailing who they want school to communicate with re everything to do with their exams. We get an email to say if you're not on the form they can't communicate with you. The kids also make all the appointments for the (currently online) parents evenings and accompany the parents.
This won't be relevant though if your DC is still under 16

Dh and I live together and the school only email me stuff.

Our primary school only sends information to one parent. Just about every PTA meeting that we have it's complained about, and the school say that you just have to go in and ask the office to add a second address, but loads of people have tried and it never seems to get updated. Similar happens if you try to change your contact email address! Its a nightmare. I think some schools are better at it than others.