Is this a red flag or am I overthinking?

[Redisforme]

DC is in year 6. Our closest secondary had an open evening and the headmaster gave a speech. During the speech, he told us that the majority of dealings with parents were complaints about punishments, we should trust that the school had got it right and that a patient wouldn’t question a surgeon.

I guess he's saying these are the rules, we won't be bending them. So if you don't like it don't send your kids here. Which seems fair enough. Not especially welcoming though. I probably would find that comment a big red flag. As I don't like extreme strictness and rigidity. But some might.

Leaving aside the more ridiculous complaints, can you be more specific? I’m trying to find the shades of grey - I think it’s unrealistic to expect that every sanction will be applied fairly or that every complaint will be sensible.

In secondary schools, there's usually a drop down menu on Sims or bromcom which the teacher enters the sanction and the points accrued. This will be available to you on MCAS. So say late to lesson is 1 point, cause for concern about learning 2, etc. there will be a box where the teacher adds details.
If you have concerns about the school, look elsewhere, but be aware, the culture in schools now is to have firmer boundaries because of disruption to learning, and problems with recruitment and retention of staff, and complaints from parents.

@BillieWiper If it’s your catchment school and you cannot get anywhere else because you live rurally, it’s a total bummer. You might not want the school but getting anywhere else can be difficult and no transport is available. It’s a huge shame when schools are not welcoming and alienate dc. The vast majority of parents are reasonable too. Recruitment is seeing an uptick due to lack of grad jobs elsewhere.

That does sound really annoying!

Sounds like he’s sick to death of parents questioning his staff who are professionals. I wish more head teachers were like this. Parents complaining about the school policy being enforced take up far too much time which could be better spent actually helping the children. The amount of parental complaints now is off the scale. If parents don’t want a ‘strict’ school send them elsewhere.

I was happy with a ‘strict’ school. I have 2 daughters at secondary school now and neither have ever picked up a single negative mark/sanction/warning or whatever else they’re called.
What I didn’t want was a school where the entire open evening speech was taken up with talking about discipline. Nothing about the actual education of the children, expected attainment, achievements of the students, extra curricular activities on offer… just a 15 min lecture about behaviour, discipline and bullying. It made me think that was all the school had to offer (and knowing many children who now go there, I wasn’t wrong!)

@BugJuice There’s just no enthusiasm for children when that happens. It’s not welcoming, it’s very negative. Of course it’s trying to put off difficult dc and Sen dc from applying. It’s sending out a message that only certain types of dc are welcome - and you can read all about sport, clubs and results elsewhere. Which the head expects you have done before you arrive!

I had read all about it before hand, but you kind of expect the Head to be a bit enthusiastic about the school at the open evening!

The head was enthusiastic about behaviour! All the schools are very strict here, but other schools focused more on what the school had to offer, were saying to contact them with questions, make appointments to visit again in the day. I don’t envisage issues with DC, but I’d like the security of knowing there’s some willingness to help resolve them if they arise.

@BugJuice I do! However the head has a different agenda. He’s warning off “undesirables ”. I think it’s not acceptable and shows no respect for the dc and staff who make the school what it is. Their achievements are all overlaid by behaviour expectations.

I do know not every parent can run a mile from these schools due to where they live but it’s so dispiriting and negative. All prospective parents want dc to go to a school where dc are valued and the head is proud of them. Go back 15 years and you would never have had this narrow approach to “selling” a school.