A post in response to "Briscoe Primary School's" refusal to allow pupils to attend their first week.

For those who have not seen the news article here basically Briscoe Primary School in Basildon, Essex turned new starting children away on their first day at school because their parents had failed to attend some 'health and safety' and 'child protection' sessions.

This blog is purely my viewpoint as a working mother and ex-teacher.  I do not know of any children who attend this school.




The Government dictate that our children must attend school (or be home schooled) from the term they turn 5, they have laid rules down now to Local Education Authorities stating headteachers should not allow pupils ANY holiday during term time as this affects massively on their education.

I am disgusted that the head teacher of this academy would happily turn children away at the gate and technically suspend them for a week because their parents did not attend 2 mandatory sessions on Health and safety and child protection.

Personally if my child's school even contemplated implementing this rule I would be on the phone to the LEA/ OFSTED and moving my child elsewhere.  As working parents with 2 children and no babysitters/ relatives on tap myself and my husband would not have been able to attend theses sessions.  For starters our bosses could have refused the time off work, or if they were evening sessions would they have provided childcare???

Why could the documents not have been posted to parents to read??  With the age of technology it could have been filmed and put on the website for parents to watch.


The first week of school is so important, not because the children learn a lot of knowledge but they learn life lessons.  they make new friends, they begin to form routines, they learn boundaries and where things are located.
Not only is it singling these children out to make them start a week late they are not going to want to go back to "that place that told me to go home".

They are too young to understand it is mummy/ daddy's fault they couldn't start school and could think they are too blame.

Don't get me wrong, I would never miss anything that may hinder my child's education, I missed 1 pre-school parent/ teacher session not through choice but because something came up that meant we simply couldn't be there.
I will be attending every parent/ teacher session now my son is at school but I fear that due to the lack of childcare assistance we have that we will have to choose between me or my partner attending so the other can stay at home with the kids.



I am of the same opinion when it comes to school uniform - in particular this article of the headteacher who sent 30 pupils home because they were wearing incorrect school uniform, too much make up or "shock horror" used a handbag.

Yes I love to see children in school uniform, it creates a sense of community and I agree 100% that it should be worn.  At Ben's school they have a choice of wearing the logo'd uniform (at an extortionate cost) or buying it in the correct colours from tesco/ asda etc (the choice we took).  I do not agree with the schools who insist that all uniform must bore the logo and charge excessive prices to the parents for this.  School should be about the education not the child's appearance.

HOW is the child's learning going to be affected because of the bag they chose to bring to school or the make up they are wearing.  They are surly just expressing their personality - do we really want to churn robots out??
By all means give the children a detention if they are breaking school 'appearance' rules.  Ask the parents to come in for a formal meeting and agree a date by which the 'uniform' will be corrected.  but DO NOT ruin their learning opportunities simply because you are running a dictatorship.



Will be interested in others views...............but please lets respect each others views and base comments on the facts (as I have done) and not challenge others opinions.  Thanks.