Should I complain to the school?

[junerat]

My DD4 is due to start school in September. It is a brand new school - her year will be the first ever reception class, and I'm really excited about helping to "build the ethos" of a whole new school. I really, very much want to be an active part of her school community, not just someone who moans!

I am also very sensitive to feminist issues, and my DD is too - she will always notice when there aren't enough female characters in a book, for example.

We have just been sent the induction packs for her new school. They have a house system, with the four houses named after local famous historical figures. Every single one of the four houses is named after a man.

I sort of understand (but still hate) it when a school has been established for x number of years and has a patriarchal system, but this a brand new school, and they seem not to have taken the opportunity to start off on an equal footing.

When I met the headmaster, I mentioned to him that the "girls' uniform" didn't include trousers, was my daughter welcome to wear them? He was fine and flexible with this, so I do think he's a reasonable person. Though it is a part of an academy trust, so very, very likely not his decision re: house names.

It may be too late to change the names of the houses (literature has already been printed), but if it is an academy trust, could speaking up stop this from happening at the next school that opens?

My husband thinks I'm talking absolute nonsense and it's a total non-issue, but I hate that my daughter will see four male "role models" as the pillars of the school, and not even a nod to the (very eminent) female historical figures from this area.

I categorically do not want to forge a poor relationship with this school though and do not want to become "that parent". Any thoughts?

Well done for all your work on this junerat. I think the questionnaire sounds deliberately planned to shut you up. A question along the lines of 'do you think women should be represented in the house names?' would throw up completely different results. They are relying on the unconscious bias of the parents to avoid changing anything. Thus proving your point that always naming things after men means people assume greatness is an exclusive my male attribute/men are the natural leaders.

Definitely think it is worth flagging up the issue with the questionnaire before any results are back, includin cc-ing the governors and pointing out that they seem to have deliberately worded it as badly as possible in order to get the result they want - ie no change. Alternatively they have worded it badly because they are stupid which is again not looking good on them. And then point how it should be done... Including the option of removing 2 names to change to female or double barrelling both. I would also suggest there should be the option of having all house names changed to female names - that sets them up to say that would be crazy at which you get to pointbout it is exactly the same crazy as 4 male house names...

Any chance you could do a survey in the playground - even if it is on a board in the playground with all the options on and getting parents to vote when they can see the options and understand the issue... So that when the results do come out you can fire back with your own results. If they include comments from parents about how they wish this was explained better in the questionnaire so much the better.

If the questionnaire is still open could you ask the head if you could do a school assembly about it and give the kids a chance to vote on different options or even suggest their own. Collecting info on the class and sex of the voter would be interesting and provide some good practical maths practice for the top class too!

I have so much admiration for you junerat for persuing this. Maybe one day a house will be named after you! This is a big thing that you are doing.

What a disgusting atitude the head has.. his weaseling about including minorites is so revealing; you can't have one without the others? He thinks of women as a minority group!?! As if women are an optional added extra?!

It isn't about representing minorites, it is under-representing majorities!.

It is worrying that he is digging his heels on about this. Unfortunately it means that the kids need you to fight even more because of this. I would struggle not to point that out - but then i dont have a child there.

I think there should be no need to double barrel, there's no problem with boys having a woman as house name, as you said it would do them good to be 'forced' to look up to a woman figurehead. Boys have plenty of role models already. And it would give lots of very teachable moments if the boys made any objections. And of course if it is unfair on the boys to have to have women house names, well..... there's the hypocrisy.

Its a tough one for you to have to fight on your own. Is there something on the school policy/ equality policy that you could use to your advantage? use their own words against them? Again phrasing it as being helpful. Does the school have a sponsor/ associate? ( I dont know much about academy funding) could you see if their stance would help you/ give you an ally.

And gently suggest that any change could get the school good publicity, as opposed to the bad publicity that it might get now...

Perhaps some posters on the school fences?!!!

I wish you lots of luck with this

And are we really arguing that people don't need to be represented because a black guy and a woman once got elected to something? Give me strength.

No, Certain, not at all. My issue is with slogans; I’d rather hear proper analysis. Slogans seem to impoverish thinking (see: TWAW). Did you really read that as an argument for non-representation?

As a teacher myself if I was approached in a calm way about this by a parent I may well be inspired to do some lessons about the female role models. Whether or not there is enough freedom in the curriculum at this stage at the moment is another matter.

I agree with Bertrand - BE that parent! Who is THAT parent in your mind anyway? To me a parent who wants to engage in intellectual discussion, or who raises a thoughtful, articulate challenge to the status quo is an asset to the school community. THAT parent to me is the parent who phones to complain about the teachers all the time because their child is perfect and can do no wrong.

Apolgies for my brain fog, I missed a page of the thread where you explained junerat about the Head's response. I admire you totally for raising this and yes, highlighting the limitations of the methodology/ weakness of the questionnaire and cc'ing in governers etc is a step I would agree with. How many in the school leadership are women? Is the local MP a woman? She could be cc'd in. I had to do that once to get an organisation to move on a local environmental issue. Go official and polite first and then when that doesn't go anywhere, write to the local news, give them bad press.

Thank you all. Considering this is such a tiny point to make in a small school in the middle of nowhere, I can't believe quite how scary it feels.

Logically I know I am doing the right thing, but I am very involved in the school with volunteering etc. and I'd hate to sour relationships unnecessarily. But it isn't unnecessarily.

I will email the governors and CC the head making the following points:

1. Concerns about the format of survey as people hate change, there is no context around the question, and even if there were, it isn't an appropriate question to put to a popularity poll. For example, would they put access requirements for a disabled pupil to an opinion poll?

1. Understand pupils feel an affinity with their current house. Instead of abandoning current names, consider double barrelling each house.

1. Sure the school is aware that girls overachieve compared to boys at primary and secondary school and yet the gender pay gap is vast. Surely we should be doing everything we can to counter this and ensure girls and boys have role models of both sexes. (Considering snarky comment here about how the vast majority of the books Reception have studied this year had solely male protagonists, but I will probably think better of it!)

My issue is with slogans; I’d rather hear proper analysis. Slogans seem to impoverish thinking (see: TWAW). Did you really read that as an argument for non-representation?

Yes. Sorry. I've reread it and it still looks like you're saying it's not that big a deal.

Keep going OP.

I teach in inner London so our children are diverse. We have four houses - 2 are women and 2 are BAME (1 man and 1 woman). It's certainly possible and not at all difficult. We also chose people famous for different things - academics, sports, creativity.

Just wanted to add my support to this excellent thread- keep going junerat this is absolutely worth persevering with.

Adding my support too OP. Great initiative

Two updates:

I emailed the governor who promised to look into house names with the message below (identifying details changed).

Dear X

Blurb about house names... I remember you volunteering to work on a way of moving this forward.

I see that the school has asked a question in the recent parent survey along the lines of, “Should we change the house names” with a yes/no response. I have a few concerns about this.

Firstly, the question is asked without any context or background around the omission of female names, so doesn’t give a reflection of the initial concern raised.

Secondly, even if this context were to be provided, I really doubt very strongly that most parents would vote “yes” – people are generally resistant to change, plus (which is really lovely) each child is going to feel a very strong affinity to their house, and isn’t going to want to change it.

Finally, I am unsure that a parent survey is the best way to address this issue; I think it would be absolutely appropriate for parents or children to narrow down a shortlist of potential candidates by voting, but a matter of equality shouldn’t come down to a public vote, any more than you would ask parents to vote on whether we should provide access equipment for a disabled student.

In a world where boys underperform in schools compared with girls, and yet still out-earn them significantly in almost every career, according to the recently-published gender pay gap data, I think there is still much work to be done in showing girls (and boys) the amazing things that women can do, to encourage them to aim high. As the vast majority of books the children will come across in school will also feature predominantly male characters (no reflection on the school: recent studies show that 75% of characters in children’s literature are male – and the female ones rarely speak), it seems more necessary than ever to show all children some female role models.

All of that said, I do completely understand the frustration and administration involved in potentially having to change house names. I did have a thought that might provide a compromise solution. Instead of abandoning the excellent house names we currently have, we could look to double-barrel each house with a male and female name. So – for example – Blokey House could become Pankhurst-Blokey, Manly House could become Manly-Blyton (for example). I appreciate this is more cumbersome but would at least provide equality without needing to remove existing loyalties to houses.

I absolutely took the school’s point that it was difficult to find high-profile local female achievers after whom to name the houses, as women's contribution to history has not always been recorded. It may be that if we were to go down this route, we might need to dig a little deeper into local archives, or else use a different category for the women – e.g. all scientists, or activists, or mathematicians or authors.

I wanted to raise this ahead of your governor meeting next week, and ahead of the survey results, and would be keen to get your thoughts.

There is a second update, which I will detail shortly.

Second update: I went to DD's school this week for her Y1 induction chat where the curriculum was outlined for next year. The named people they will be studying are (exact specifics changed, but along these lines):

• John Lennon
• William the Conqueror
• Miro (artist)
• Beethoven
• Neil Armstrong

Not a single woman amongst them. And the promised study of Florence Nightingale this year didn't happen either.

So I am going to have to pen yet another concerned email, I think.

I am finding this endlessly frustrating and depressing. I have a really good relationship with the school, and constantly bringing this up as an issue is not very pleasant.

Your excellent thoughts and opinions are as always, really appreciated.

Yes this must be very dispiriting. Despite his initial tone, it appears absolutely nothing of what you've said has been taken on board. Your email to the governor was excellent.

You should definitely write about the list of people they're learning about next year too.

I've just sat through a primary school play riddled with sexism. I feel like going through it with a highlighter!

Your letter was brilliant. I’m copying and pasting for future use. My DC haven’t started school yet.

Keep pushing on! You’re a trail blazer

Perhaps you can use the school workforce tables to help support your concerns OP. They show that women significantly outnumber men as class teachers and teaching assistants in primary schools.
There are more female Heads in Primary, but statistically men are more likely to be employed as a Head than a woman.

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2017

OP - just wanted to add my admiration for what you're doing here. It's not easy to challenge your child's school, particularly when you have a relationship with them that goes beyond being a parent.

The head's actions are infuriating. Sending out the questionnaire without explaining the reason for the potential change is just astonishing. He's clearly trying to put you in your place for daring to question him. It stinks.