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View Full Version : grrr! schools!



jo.jo76
11-12-2012, 09:29 AM
My son's school nativity tomorrow and we are limited to 2 tickets only, which includes bringing children with me. Soo I can go but on my own with 1 child! Phoned them to explain I need to bring all children or I can't come! Have to now wait and see if they can let me be 'a special case' :angry:

wellybelly
11-12-2012, 09:36 AM
Rubbish isn't it! Its the same here with our schools x

TNT
11-12-2012, 09:38 AM
2 tickets including children is ridiculous. We have the two ticket system in my sons school also but they are for the adults! They also do 3 shows, 2 of which are adult only which seems the wrong way round to me but hey ho.

loocyloo
11-12-2012, 09:42 AM
my old school used to let me go to the dress rehersal with all the minded children, as this is the one the school watched! (but this was a 'special dispensation'!) i prefered it to going with all the parents, as there was always fuss over who sat where etc and the children were more relaxed at the dress rehersal! i used to make sure a friend would make a fuss of whichever of my childrens play it was, ( if DH couldn't go ) so they didn't feel left out, but they knew i'd already seen it :)

our current school is happy for whoever to come & watch their plays ... i'm going to a few in the next couple of weeks ... and my children are in none of them!!! some have mindees in and one is the class i volunteer in!

scottishlass
11-12-2012, 10:57 AM
We are the same here - 2 tickets including kids! They do 2 shows - one is this morning and one on thursday morning and you have to fill in a slip letting them know which day you are going. I am going on thursday as only have 1 little one then and her mum is happy to start at 11am so I can watch the show without entertaining a baby! :)

jo.jo76
11-12-2012, 11:24 AM
Well, they won't back down, won't even allow my mum to wait outside in the corridor with mindees so they would still be in my sight and hearing (just!). Looks like my mum is going with my DD now and I'm at home with mindees! :mad:

So now in process of looking at how to register mum as my assistant so I don't go through this again!

mama2three
11-12-2012, 11:28 AM
I can see both sides of this - our school for the 1st time has allocated 3 tickets per child:clapping:
I completely understand why some of you arent happy - but in our tiny school hall it has been a joke in previous years. i can think of 1 family alone where parents , grandparents , uncle and aunts , and great grandma all come ..plus 3 los as the mum is a cm....12 seats for 1 family. And thats not unusual...they are there camping at dawn to get the best seats , and other parents and siblings are left standing at the back unable to see or hear their own child.

FussyElmo
11-12-2012, 11:36 AM
Our school does the 2 tickets rule too but any which are left you can buy after a certain date so I have managed to get extra.

Our school imits it to 200 people and it's a squeeze to fit in.

So I can see both sides but it is annoying

Tazmin68
11-12-2012, 11:51 AM
Ours also has two ticket rule and do a performance next monday afternoon adults only at 2pm and Tuesday morning at 9.30 allowing children. Hubby is going monday and fortunately I an going tuesday morning and have no children until 11am except school run.
Deb

TooEarlyForGin?
11-12-2012, 12:06 PM
Ours have the 2 ticket rule and as they are two evening performances, younger children are not allowed AT ALL - inclusive behaviour my ****

jo.jo76
11-12-2012, 12:15 PM
Ours have the 2 ticket rule and as they are two evening performances, younger children are not allowed AT ALL - inclusive behaviour my ****

It's such a shame as the little ones love it. That's why I'm asking mum to take my daughter and use my 2 tickets as she was looking forward to see her brother at school.

I do think an evening performance is a good idea, when I worked in school I used to get so much hassle wanting time off to see things at my own children's school.
The reason I left working in the school was so I can be there for my own children and I still can't do it! :(

lynncjt
11-12-2012, 12:33 PM
All the schools round here the limit it to 2 tickets per child and no children at all of any age, and for the younger ones it's in school time so parents have to find someone to mind any small children they have.

LauraS
11-12-2012, 10:10 PM
Ours are limited to two tickets, and no kids at all. However, they run a creche manned by teachers/ta's.

Not an answer for minded children granted, but helps with siblings.

To be honest, I can see the schools side of things as space is usually limited. If I were working in my old job, and really wanted to attend, I'd have had to take the day off. It would be no different as a cm, if I had minded kids that afternoon I'd have had to taketime off to attend.

scottishlass
11-12-2012, 10:14 PM
I spoke to some of the parents at our school who went to the show today (i am going on thur) and asked how they enjoyed it - 3 sets of parents said "oh it was great - we are going to go again on thur as no-one was making a note of who went" they said there kids didn't understand and wanted them to go twice - the rules are annoying but I still stick to them and it is very annoying whe others don't! I had explained to my daughter I cou;ldn't go today as we are only allowed to go to one showing so I am going on thur - she was ok with this but its mixed messages when she then sees her friends parents there both days (she will notice as rattled off a lost of parents who were there today that she knows!) and of course will be elbows at dawn on thur if lots of people do this!

jo.jo76
11-12-2012, 10:27 PM
We have to order tickets! But never had to have them for children before. For one assembly I forgot my ticket, had to wait outside until all the other parents had go in and for them to check that there was enough space for me! Felt like a naughty school girl! lol

rickysmiths
12-12-2012, 12:45 PM
This was the very reason I became a cm. I would take the day or afternoon off so I could go to things at school otherwise it kind of defeated the object of working at home.

I can't blame the schools for not letting in lots of children or having to limit to 2 tickets. They only have a limited amount of space and it wouldn't be fair if they let you in with several children because you were a cm and then didn't let another parent bring husband and two grandparents if you see what I mean.

Our local schools allow us to go to the afternoon rehearsal and take minded children and as my children are grown up now I don't go to theirs but this scheme means I can support mindees.

Ripeberry
12-12-2012, 12:56 PM
We only have a two ticket system, but the hall is tiny and there are only 60 kids in the school. They have to adhere to strict rules on numbers and even have to do a raffle just to pay for the 'performing liscense' This is for kids yr 2-6.
The reception and year 1 kids do their play in the local church and LOTS of people can turn up there :-)

blue bear
12-12-2012, 05:18 PM
We used to have a two ticket allocation, but childminders we treated separately and not limited

Maza
12-12-2012, 05:19 PM
I book the day off. Wouldn't want to take mindees as I want to be totally focused on my own child for once. It's tough losing a days pay so close to Christmas though but I'll always do it. x

tulip0803
12-12-2012, 05:42 PM
Our school does first come first served. DD2 was ill last year for the week that the notices went out so there were no tickets left:( try explaining that to an 8 year old! Luckily my friend had not realised that as a school governor she would be given tickets and had already bought hers so I bought them off her! Phew!

This year we are singing in front of the Christmas tree in about 20 mins!! best go!

ruby
12-12-2012, 06:17 PM
i have just been this afternoon to watch ours Snow White, they put on one for Grandparents in the afternoon and i have always taken my mindees (5 today )to watch it. The evening ones and tomorrow afternoon are 2 tickets only per family.

They were very well behaved and we had a lovely afternoon.

Cathy

doris127
12-12-2012, 10:36 PM
My daughter's school is a nightmare for this. 2 tickets only. You don't get a choice of when you get tickets for - they just hand you 2 tickets and then you have to try and swap with someone to get suitable times. The HT is a joyless woman who rules over it with a rod of iron and she is incredibly rude. Several parents were turned away for bringing children that were too young to sit on an adult seat by themselves - it's a fire risk to have a child on your knee!! Others were turned away for being a couple of minutes late as it's a child protection issue to accompany them down the corridor - even when the performance hadn't started - this included one mother who actually works in the school! What gets me most is the performances are always just over half full so there's loads of space. There were also lots of very upset kids who had no idea why there parents hadn't turned up!

I do appreciate the space issue but if we all got to choose which performance we wanted to go to with a 2nd choice and then have first come first served for spare tickets they would get a better attendance. As far as I am concerned it's a primary school and it should be all about the children. In a previous life I was an infant teacher - and because I play the piano - my Christmas remit was the nativity. I wonder how we ever managed with all the health and safety. We took over the local cathedral one year - did one evening performance and it was packed out with as many relatives as wanted to come. There was a whole pew at the back of breastfeeding mums! And do you know what - everyone had a ball - the children got a rapturous reception, nobody got left out, most parents were able to attend without having to take time off and there were no screaming babies!

Have managed to swap my tickets for next week so I don't need to take any kids with me - just husband. My dd moves up to high school next year so it will be my last - no chance of getting a ticket under the current rules - so won't be allowed in to support mindees!

OK rant over!!

Tealady
12-12-2012, 11:11 PM
This is why I like being self employed. I just close for the day or am/pm and go to see my DD. The date for the show is announced when the schools go back on Sept so I can give parents plenty of notice. Children are welcome and numbers are not limited, but I feel my DD deserves my full attention with no mindees around every now and then. (plus she is the lead this year, so I've even arranged care for my 3 year old DS so as I can enjoy seeing her perform)

harleyrider
13-12-2012, 07:27 AM
I had informed parents of the dates back in Oct explaining that they are special memories for me and my children, they could either take day off or arrive later, at no extra charge. Although I have had performances last Thursday and another one today all parents have without problems re-arranged their hours with me.

ziggy
13-12-2012, 08:16 AM
mindees playgroup only allow mummy and daddy to attend. The reason given is 'that other adults wouldnt be vetted and children would be at risk'. Which i think is madness!!!! So minders and grandparents cant attend. Neither can younger or older children.

Whereas other playgroup invites anyone in village who would like to attend. Local village school holds nativity play in church next weds evening and again everyone is welcome