Book return day - inconvenient.

[mumblechum1]

So today I get an email from school to say that on Monday, ds has to personally take all his GCSE textbooks to school at 1pm. We live 5 miles from the school, there is no public transport and both dh and I are at work all day.

The next day they have a 6th form introductory day.

I called the school to ask whether

a) he could bring the books in on the Tuesday
b) I could drop them off on the Monday on the way to work
c) I could drop them on the Monday on the way back from work

To which the answer is no to all of the above. So I'm going to have to lay out £30 for taxi fares as he can't carry them on his bike.

It's soooo annoying! The school receptionist is a really unhelpful dragon type who always speaks to me (and others) as though I'm something she's stepped on.

Just ranting really.

How would he normally get to school?

I'd drop him at 8.30 or he'd get the bus. But he's been on study leave since mid May.

I think I'd fume. And I wouldn't be in a position to lay out £30 on a taxi.

I'd be tempted to e-mail back, reiterating the main point that you cannot, on such short notice, meet their preferred window for returning the books; and that you have offered three other options which have been rejected; you have no other options, and therefore request the school informs you of its preferred fall-back or picks them up from you.

Personally, I'd just take them the next day and hang the consequences.

Is the school bus not running those days then?

WHy on earth should he get the bus at 8am or whatever time so he can drop the books back at 1300 hours precisely? What's he supposed to do for the 4 hours until he is officially allowed to return the books?

That is very annoying, sounds like the secretary is most of the problem. Can you email her in the form meditrina suggested, and copy in the head of year, form tutor and/or deputy head? She might be more inclined to be helpful then.

it's only five miles. tell him to cycle or walk it. it'll get him some fresh air for a couple of hours, and it will be nice for him to see all his friends as they'll all be there and the stress of exams is over. he's old enough to decide himself how he's going to get there, surely?

Courier them? Payperparcel is only about £8, and would probably collect tomorrow and deliver (signed fo) on Monday?

How are the other kids going to manage it? Is there no bus other than at 8am?

Just ignore Jobsworth and take them back the next day

At our school the teachers are checking the condition and correct amount of books returned for each child. If everyone dropped them off whenever they wouldn't know who they needed to chase up for reimbursement. I imagine the inconvenient time is because the teachers can't take time out of teaching to do this and so are doing it through the lunch period. Not saying it's brilliant, just trying to think of a reason for it!

hocus: you're totally right about the reason. And the school is right to be as insistent as they can be on the timing so they can achieve this without additional disruption. But they need a fallback, as there will always be a few (particularly in rural schools) who cannot make the time specified, so they should either: a) offer more than one day/time in the first place (ideally have at least one at the drop off/pick up times - perhaps using what was a lesson slot but which became free post-exam) or b) offer bespoke fallback appointments.

I don't really see how he can cycle or walk 5 miles with a crate of textbooks.

I think what I'll do is drop the crate of books off in reception, (catsbum mouth receptionist will have to lump it), then ds cycle in for 1pm, collect the crate, take them to the handover thing in the hall and cycle back.

The school are always doing that sort of thing - in winter they all got chucked out into the snow at lunchtime and ds had to walk through a foot of snow for five miles as the school bus was, of course, cancelled. It doesn't seem to occur to them that not everyone lives in a town and/or has public transport and has parents who have to go to work.

Have great sympathy for you - I have the dubious honour of organising this at my school - and really don't see why ALL the alternatives you have forward
have been refused.
As somebody else said it does sound as if the teachers are doing it themselves and so want to have all the books done in one go.

I have been reminding Yr 11s for months now - and encouraging them to return as and when they have had the exam in that subject.

I would recommend though if you do leave the bks at a time other than the 'magic' 13:00 - make sure you get sb to 'sign' for it - if the bks go missing (if they are left in reception) yr son might be liable for them??

It sounds daft and inflexible, so I'd do what is most convenient for you.

'At our school the teachers are checking the condition and correct amount of books returned for each child. If everyone dropped them off whenever they wouldn't know who they needed to chase up for reimbursement.'

DS has many GCSE books to return. Each one has a number inside it, and when he was given the textbook, his name was recorded as having been given number x.
Not hard to track who has damaged or not returned a text.

Should he have handed them in already? Just asking.

(I've been chasing books all day)

Our GCSEs aren't over yet. so I'd expect books to be handed in after the exam period.

Book day is next week here.

They go in as usual first thing in the morning and do all the boring bits, then the staff organise a BBQ for them.

I think on my DS's book return day last year, they returned their books and then had a barbecue with tennis/rounders for the rest of the day.

With study leave, it is hard for the whole year plus staff to get together, so this is an ideal opportunity for a final farewell, and adds some fun to a tedious task.

Nothing fun going on in ds's school that day, though they have their prom that night.

Sixth Form intro day has, he suspects, been planned for the morning after the prom because they'll all be hungover

I would drop them in on the way in as you said and ignore the dragon/school reception. The school should be happy you are making effort. Leave a note so they can contact you if there is a problem with them.

Serious lack of flexibility. Its not like you couldn't be bothered!

Agree with sillybillies, I can see why they don't want loads of books before the allotted time, but one set because you can't get there at the right time (to me forking out £30 for a taxi fare is a complete non starter) is ludicrous. TBH I wouldn't even have bothered ringing up I would have just dropped them in on the Monday morning.

dd's school also have a book return day. she can't make it so has had to make arrangements with individual teachers to return books and get her form signed off. it's not been particularly difficult - and probably easier than the scrum that will be general return day i expect. your school seems very inflexible.