Sports Days

[Skicatcher5]

Is it normal, legal or justified for a school's head (CE single sex secondary school) to ban all parents from a Sports Day which takes place away from school premises? The reason given:
I am sorry to say that parents are not able to come and watch the event as we are not able to check that all adults present are eligible to be there. I do hope that you understand the safeguarding requirements that we adhere to.
Until this year parents/carers were welcomed.

Any feedback would be great. Thanks.

I have had two children at two different secondary schools and they both held their sports days at the local athletics stadium. Parents were welcome at both of the schools events. I have never actually attended. Sounds like there might be some kind of safeguarding issue, maybe around a particular child or children? I can't think of another reason not to allow parents. I guess the issue must be a serious one if the school has made this decision.

I cannot remember at all what my son's school did, but the other two schools that my daughters went to, had their sports days at the local sports stadium (they used the same one). Parents definitely weren't invited - maybe people turned up uninvited to yours and that's why they've explicitly banned them? I can see why they wouldn't want to have to have the event open to anyone who might wander in.

Public or private venue?
Maybe they have had a child join the school with specific safeguarding concerns. We’ve always done it isn’t a good reason to continue.

They could make it a ticket event for parents and carers who are known to the school and check upon entry to the venue for the tickets. What would they do if they hired a theatre or took the children into any public space on a school trip?

It’s a big shame this happens because it’s probably an over reaction. Children would not be safe walking home in this scenario. It’s clearly not making an attempt to include the parent community and this isn’t what any school should do if they want to maintain good relationships with their parent body. It’s legal but not acceptable and probably not justifiable. It’s certainly lazy!

I thought no parents was pretty standard at secondary school sports days?

Been a secondary teacher for 2 decades and we've never had parents at sports days.

Ours are held a local athletics stadium and everyone is welcome. It is completely open, so technically anyone could tip up, but the stands are exclusively for the kids, so I suppose there is some security in that scenario.

What is the point of sports days without parents? I thought it was supposed to be a fun day with a bit of competition. We take a picnic and there’s always a parent race. Kids dress up in their house colours - t shirts, wigs, body paint and even tutus. At the end the house that wins most points gets to sing their house song. The gates are open anyone could walk in. At our old school it was held on a common so anyone could watch.

That’s what I remember about sports day, pippa. We had a Hakka competition. DD not sporty but as House Captain, organised the winning Hakka! Something for everyone. Schools seem such dour mean places now.

High schools around here have never had parents attend. I think most kids would die of embarrassment if their parents turned up!!