Is this normal?

[HelloKittyFan]

Do all secondary schools not respond to parents for ages? I’ve left a voice message and emailed and nothing. It’s been 2 days and I told them it’s urgent but still nothing. Is this normal? I’m use to primary where they always respond the same day no matter the urgency.

That wasn't my experience. Did your voicemail say what it was about/why it was urgent? Did the email go to the right staff member or a general enquiries address?

Both were to the head of year, voice message said urgent. I followed it up with an email 9am the following day when I didn’t get a response.

Our policy was a reply within 48 hours.

the reply sometimes was “we’re looking into it and will get back to you”.

same day reply unusual.

your definition of urgent isn’t necessarily theirs.

That’s fine but he won’t be in until someone has contacted me.

What's the actual issue? As @Octavia64 says, your definition of urgent may not be theirs. Is safeguarding involved? Because school staff are generally expected to drop everything and deal immediately with a safeguarding emergency, but if there's no immediate danger that needs to be protected against there's a balance to be struck between the needs of the one pupil whose mum says something is urgent vs the needs of the other 29 pupils who's needs won't get met if a teacher has to drop everything.

My policy was to respond within 24 hours, even if just to say that I needed to investigate and would respond more fully when I had more information.

I’m guessing that there’s been an issue with your child and you’re keeping him off school until you get answers.

Yes that’s the case. I won’t be going into details to protect his privacy but yes I have some concerns regarding the school. Still nothing…

Our school has an SLA of 3 days. If the issue is safeguarding then there is an urgent (response) email contact. Have you tried this?

There isn’t one

I would be concerned that the head of year was not in office/off ill and be contacting someone else.

try speaking to reception and asking them who is in/who deals with X.

Call the school reception so they can find someone to contact you a soon as possible.

I’ve done that, they only put me through to the head of year so I’m sure they would know if she wasn’t in?

Still nothing, even went in today and asked for them to get HOY to contact me and still nothing, surely this isn’t normal?

This really isn’t normal. Is your DS still off school?

No I managed to get him in today but with lots of tears from him and still yet no one has contacted me I’m at a loss now they’ve had long enough surely?!