Vent about primary school ds is due to start in sept :(

roosterpotatoes

Hi all,
We live in a village which has three primary schools and because we are not Catholic that narrows it down to two. The community primary which we are currently in nursery at and the CofE.
Well its been nagging at me for ages. The teachers are not constantly in the class rooms, i go to the parent and toddler group twice a week with ds2 and the teachers can walk through easily four or five times in the 2 hours we are there. Don't they have classes to teach
On the weekly newsletters that are supposed to come home weekly in ds1's school bag but are never there are constantly muddled up and make no sense (a bit like this rant of mine):mad::mad:
Ds's uniform order was put in over a month ago, everyone else has had theirs except my ds :mad:
None of the parents i talk to have any respect for the school eg..for events like gala day the school ask for donations of for example chocolates and three families donate, when i ask how come, they reply and say because there have been issues with the school and parents!!!!! Now this is setting off alarm bells in my small brain, should i get my ds out now before he makes proper friends????????
The ofsted reports were garbage and the c of e is much better, im sure im not doing the wrong thing by enquiring there to see if they have any spaces and moving him if they do.
Any opinions about the way i should deal with all of this please, most welcome

Oldernotwiser

You've ruled out the Catholic school because you're not Catholic but are you CofE?

poet123

Firstly,calm down. If you are unhappy with the school the nursery is attached to, you need to change tack. This is a long term committment, and if you have doubts now, they will only get worse.

McKneff

Why not involve yourself with the school, set up a pTA, get people motivated.
organise a school fete yourselves, get a sports day organised. Perhaps
that might get some respect going for everybody.

mum2one

McKneff wrote: »

Why not involve yourself with the school, set up a pTA, get people motivated.
organise a school fete yourselves, get a sports day organised. Perhaps
that might get some respect going for everybody.

Just picking up on the PTA thread, I joined dds school pta, and turnout for events etc are poor, but in all honestly it needs a kick up the bum and a different perspective.

For example - summer fayre - approach parents and say were aiming to raise £400 for which will this will be brought, eg music instruments, for the classes to use, be really good for your children as well, don't suppose you could pop by for an hr to do tombola, with xx, be like a girls get together

By doing it that way - your personalising the request, their children, the class, what the money is being raised for - that their children will benefit, and making it as a get together, turns it into a going out ocassion rather than another parent running a stall that doesn't want to be there.

I don't know if the school has a PTA, - guessing yes, and you say that only few families donate, by organisng events, new blood etc.

Can't help re class rooms, but maybe gut feeling, have you popped in for a chat with the head, xx

gwendipops

My son goes to a Catholic school and we're not catholic at all.

Takoda

Yeah move him - you'll be doing the school a favour by relieving them of an interfering busybody parent!

There are several reasons why teachers might walk through - PPA, playtime, they might be senior staff out of class due to other responsibilities.

Like I said move him otherwise you'll just stress yourself more and make the poor teachers' lives a misery for the next 7 years!

Becles

All my children are at Catholic school and we're not Catholic.

The primary school didn't used to have a PTA, so a group of parents started a "Friends of...." group a couple of years back. They run a lot of social events such as a BBQ night, talent show, quiz night etc., and organise the summer fayre.

This year was the best ever and over £7000 was raised at the fayre alone.

They've bought masses of stuff for the school. Both the infants and juniors toilets and cloakrooms have been replaced as they were pretty grim. They've bought outdoor play ground games like a giant Connect 4 set, big skittles and stuff. There's a wooden climbing area just off the main yard now and some picnic benches. The outdoor area for nursery and reception is brilliant, with play houses, a tree house, sand pit and loads of toys.

Although I'm not directly involved in the PTA, we have been to the social events and send dontations of things to sell and raffle in the summer fayre. My children have certainly had the benefit from what they have done.

It's amazing what can be done when you put your mind to it!

trumpton

Get a copy of the admissions policy for the Catholic and C of E school. You will probably find that the order of priority for admission is 1. Church goer 2. Siblngs at the school already 2. how near you live.

Depending on their size and the area they draw from, you may find that both, certainly the C of E, will have non-church going families attending. Remember, getting them into the nursery does not always guarantee a place in the recption class, but if they have a place I would move him.

There may be many genuine reasons why teachers do not seem to be with the class when you visit, but if you have concerns and can get him in a better school I would do it. It sounds like the school does not enjoy much parental support, though.

You need also to think about the high schools that the promaries feed to - would getting a place in the Catholic primary guarantee a place at a Catholic high school?

poet123

mspig wrote: »

That is seriously uncalled for, some school arn't up to the job of teaching our children and some ofsted reports have proven that.
Some teachers are not up to the job of being teachers either.
I removed my son from his school not long into year 2 because the school was useless, the headteacher was pathetic and i for one didn't feel my son was either being taught properly or was safe whilst there, and it seems my feelings were right as the school has just been put into special measure.

Just because some parents speak up against what they feel the school is doing wrong then i see no reason to call them interfering busybodies.

I have seen both sides of the school system bad with my middle child, but my eldest went to a lovely primary school and i never had a bad word to say about it, and his high school is great too.

Some teachers actually make the childs and the parents life miserable for the 7 years and should find a different career.

But to the OP i would go on gut feeling, whilst their little the kids have a chance to make new friends somewhere else, but one thing though check out the other school properly first as you don't want to move him and have the same problem.
You can always apply to the catholic school aswell as they do have to take a percentage of non-catholics in.

I think the point is that the OP needs to be sure of her facts, and to articulate her concernsinstead of just having a knee jerk reaction. if she is not sure the school is for her son, then move him now, dont just go ahead and then moan about the short comings.

McKneff

MSPig

Thats the trouble, there arent enough interfering parents, 70% of them couldnt give a toss, they sit there drowning in their own apathy
as long as the kids are somewhere else.

Then when things go wrong they can blame someone else.