Special Needs - getting into the school of your choice

My child has a statement of special educational needs – can they go to any school they want?
Basically, yes. A formal statement of special educational needs means that a child’s needs are recognised and resources will be allocated to their needs.
Also, virtually all schools now abide by the Government’s code of practice which clearly indicated that in terms of admission criteria into schools, a statement of special educational needs should go at point number 1, having the same status as looked after children.
Theoretically then, a school with a really good reputation for SEN could admit a higher proportion than you might have otherwise expected.

Dinner Ladies - now there's a topic!

My school does not have enough dinner ladies – is there a legal minimum?
The answer to this is not really. Schools are en loco parentis (in the place of parents) and clearly have a duty of care. However, it will be the decision of the Headteacher and Governors to appoint midday staff. It is also true to say that in some areas and in some schools it is an extremely difficult role to fill – the pay is very low and at times they do a ‘thankless’ task! So, it really comes down to interpretation – it is not uncommon for a ration of 1 midday superviser to 50 children but this can operate quite safely if the school is generally a safe and well run place.
Schools also offer training for midday supervisers (or should do) – as usual, if you do have concerns though, it is worth raising these with the school.

Ofsted and the 'Satisfactory' word!

Ofsted reports; what does ‘satisfactory’ actually mean?
In everyday life, if we hear the term satisfactory we tend to assume it is anything but! Not good enough. Whilst it may be true that we would all wish our own school to be judged as good or even outstanding, it should be remembered that satisfactory in Ofsted – speak does actually mean that the strengths are greater than the areas of weakness, it does pass muster!
Actually, when you read the requirements for an Ofsted judgement of satisfactory in terms of a teachers lesson it really is actually rather good. So I think I would sound a note of caution if you receive a report littered with the ‘s’ word – it basically means it’s ok, reasonable, sound – yes, it could do better but there is nothing to be particularly concerned about.
More importantly expect the school and the Governors to draw up a post Ofsted action plan and, hopefully, this will be shared with parents so that everyone in the school community can be involved in making sure that the schools further improves.

administering medicines to your child

My child requires special medication – I am concerned that the school will not be able to cope with this. This is one I've heard on several occasions.
Schools are increasingly used to having to deal with a range of children’s medical needs – particularly as the drive towards inclusion for all grows and the number of specialist schools and units decreases. Moreover, the rise in asthmatic conditions means that it is commonplace for this sort of medication to be accessible to children throughout the school day. Schools differ in their approaches here – I favour children having access to inhalers and the like in their classroom, but many schools require them to go to the office. Certainly if you have concerns you should raise these. In any event, you should expect that the school with have a clear and concise policy in terms of medication and this will be available for you to see.

School Dinners - are they eating them?

Can I be sure my child is eating their school dinners?
This question is usually raised by parents of very small children. You should be reassured by the school that part of the role of the midday supervisers is to oversee your child’s lunchtime experience – and their food intake is certainly a part of this. Clearly they have a lot to do and will not be certain that your child will always be able to be as closely monitored as you would like. However, most schools are very accommodating if there is a particular concern and will pay special attention to individual children if directed to do so.

Reading books - too easy? too hard? boring?

The most common of these is the assertion by parents that their child's reading books are too easy.
I have heard this said by parents in the past but it is my belief that it is usually borne out of a lack of understanding about the development of the successful reader.
Your school will probably have a policy document that covers their philosophy about the teaching of reading.
In my own school, we are keen to promote the enjoyment of books from an early age and we talk about the 90-95% rule; that is, if your child is able to read between 90 and 95 % of the words in the book, then it is probably set at about the right level of challenge. So, conversely, if they are unable to or are struggling to read more than about 10% of the words then it is likely that the whole experience of reading that book will be counter-productive.
We are in the business of encouraging our children to develop a love for books – every reading experience needs to be a successful and a pleasurable one, not a struggle and a lesson in failure.

School assemblies - compulsory?

I don’t want my child in school assemblies. Do I have a say?
Absolutely. Schools have a statutory obligation to perform what the law calls a ‘daily act of worship’ and, in the UK this needs to be ‘mainly of a Christian nature’. Now, in practice, nobody ever actually checks up on or enforces this and in today’s multicultural and secular Britain it is true to say that the overwhelming majority of schools are probably interpreting this statute to fit their own context.
However, every parent has the right to withdraw their child from the act itself and it is the school’s responsibility to accommodate this wish as well as to provide the pupils with an activity and the appropriate level of supervision.

Expulsions, or fixed term exclusions

We often still tend to talk about children ‘getting expelled’ although for a long while now the term has changed to ‘excluded’. There has been a huge drive by local and national Government to reduce the numbers of these exclusions but, of course, they are still an option open to schools.
There is, however, a fairly clear and transparent approach to exclusions these days. A Headteacher cannot simply and out of the blue, exclude a child for a one-off misdemeanour unless it is incredibly serious.
Usually, there will be a number of steps that would come before it ever got to the stage of permanent exclusion. These would be a number of ‘fixed term exclusions’ – ranging usually from between 1 and 5 days in the first instance. Each of these would be accompanied by a letter from the school clearly setting out the rationale for this course of action, defining its length and – crucially – notifying you as a parent about your right to have the case heard by an appeals tribunal which may even overturn the school’s decision. So, if you do not feel that the process is just, you should definitely take this as an option.
It will vary from school to school, authority to authority, but it is increasingly prevalent to have several of these fixed term exclusions before a permanent exclusion is considered.

Headlice problem – what can be done?

In days gone by schools used to be able to take action themselves to attempt to address this problem. The school nurse was often referred to as Nitty Nora. She would be responsible for checking children’s hair and even treating the condition in some schools.

Those days are gone. Now, the best you can expect from a school is a fairly standard leaflet home advising on the best methods of treatment for the condition, which basically involve a shampoo (there are mixed opinions about the worth of the actual nit shampoos themselves), followed by a conditioner and fine tooth comb comb-through.

Taking Holidays in term time

I want to take my child on holiday during term time. Is this my right?

Bottom line is ‘no’. Schools, or more accurately Headteachers, have the ability to authorise leave for all sorts of reasons but ultimately this is at their discretion. Having said that, you should expect that there is a consistent policy and that this is made known to the school community. You should also expect that there is back-up for the Headteacher’s approach from both the Governing Body and, where the school is a community school, the local authority.

So, what is the usual attitude then to a request for leave during term time?

Well, it is certainly true to say that schools and Headteachers are coming under pressure from the Government and Local Authorities to reduce the amount of term time absences actually granted. In the past it was quite common to be able to collect a holiday form from the school office, fill it in and have it returned and signed by the Head within hours. Many authorities have now withdrawn these forms entirely since they imply a kind of automatic right to the 10 days that is technically permissible. Most schools in these areas are now asking parents and carers to write in specifically requesting the leave. Some will even ask for justification – i.e. why the leave could not be taken during school holiday time (oh, and cheaper holidays is apparently not a good enough reason!).
Before reaching any decision, most schools will look at factors such as;

Your child’s general attendance pattern
Your child’s abilities or attainment
Previous requests for leave

So, will I get it then or not?

This is where it varies and it can, I am afraid, be down to pot luck in terms of the particular stance your Headteacher takes! Most schools will authorise some leave, some will only authorise the annual holiday leave (i.e. not the odd day for a trip to Covent Garden or wherever!), some will only authorise a maximum of 5 days in a year, some will try to accommodate the wishes of their parents and carers in a bid not to alienate them!

So, what if they don’t authorise it but I go anyway?

Well, this will be recorded as an ‘unauthorised absence’ on your child’s school records. That may be it – indeed this really only looks bad for the school itself when Ofsted come calling! However, unauthorised absence may well attract the attention of the local authority’s Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) and this could be bad news. They are able to carry out home visits and even have the power to take you to court where you might end up fined. Relatively rare, even now, but possible.

Bullying - what can you do?

This is always a sensitive one but, like all situations there are some simple steps that will begin to put you in control of a situation you may feel is beyond you.

1. Be clear on what you mean by ‘bullied’. Often, the school will not take seriously the allegation of bullying if it is something that is used by a parent the minute their child is involved in any sort of a dispute or an argument (even if it becomes physical) with one of their peers. If the behaviour you are referring to is targeted towards your child and is carried out over a period of time and by one or more individuals then it might very well be described as bullying. If it is an isolated incident, however unpleasant, then it should not be referred to as bullying.

2. If it is happening, talk to someone at the school about it. This will vary from school to school but the usual policy is to encourage a first port of call to be the class or form tutor. If you go straight to the Headteacher you will almost certainly be redirected via this first route, in all but the smaller Primary schools. Whatever you do, don’t waste your time going straight to the Chief Executive at the Local Authority as it will definitely be referred back to the school.

3. If the matter remains unresolved, speak to the Headteacher and expect some or all of the following to happen:

· A promise of a full investigation of the allegation

· A promise that you will be communicated with once this investigation has taken place

· An outline of the school’s approach to bullying (ask for a copy of the anti-bullying policy if you wish; it is your entitlement to see it)

· An outline of any specific strategies the school (and you) deem to be appropriate in connection with the specific incident

Usually, the matter can be resolved by recourse to the school. Where it hasn’t been resolved to your satisfaction, you may need to request a copy of the ‘schools complaints procedure’ which will guide you through the steps you are able to take next. These will almost certainly include writing to the Chair of Governors, after which it may be necessary for there to be a hearing from a group of selected Governors. Further to this, and only then, it may be appropriate to write to Officers of the Local Authority and ultimately the Secretary of State for Education.

Exclusions at schools

We often still tend to talk about children ‘getting expelled’ although for a long while now the term has changed to ‘excluded’. There has been a huge drive by local and national Government to reduce the numbers of these exclusions but, of course, they are still an option open to schools.

There is, however, a fairly clear and transparent approach to exclusions these days. A Headteacher cannot simply and out of the blue, exclude a child for a one-off misdemeanour unless it is incredibly serious.

Usually, there will be a number of steps that would come before it ever got to the stage of permanent exclusion. These would be a number of ‘fixed term exclusions’ – ranging usually from between 1 and 5 days in the first instance. Each of these would be accompanied by a letter from the school clearly setting out the rationale for this course of action, defining its length and – crucially – notifying you as a parent about your right to have the case heard by an appeals tribunal which may even overturn the school’s decision. So, if you do not feel that the process is just, you should definitely take this as an option.

It will vary from school to school, authority to authority, but it is increasingly prevalent to have several of these fixed term exclusions before a permanent exclusion is considered.

My Child is not being stretched. What should I do?

This is not an uncommon suggestion for a teacher or a Headteacher to hear. Schools are in the business of challenging young people to achieve their best and all schools will have a set of aims, usually published in their prospectus or brochure. 9 times out of 10 there will something in there along the lines of ‘to challenge our pupils to achieve their full potential in a safe, secure environment characterised by mutual respect and fostering a love of lifelong learning’

Most teachers are wrestling with the challenge that comes from teaching to a range of abilities but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t expect that your child will receive the education that their abilities and talents merits.

Here are some simple steps to consider:

1. Be clear on what you mean by ‘not being stretched’. Make sure that you are aware of the standard of work your child is producing so that you can state your case with evidence. This might include independent work that your child is able to complete at home (great though parental support is, it’s no use turning up at school with a whole batch of stuff that essentially is your work!).
2. If it isn’t happening for your child, talk to someone at the school about it. This will vary from school to school but the usual policy is to encourage a first port of call to be the class or form tutor. If you go straight to the Headteacher you will almost certainly be redirected via this first route, in all but the smaller Primary schools. The class teacher is the day to day expert and, in most schools, they will always be willing to meet with you by prior arrangement. So, no need to wait for a parents’ evening. Your child’s class teacher should be able to talk to you about how your child is doing (their attainment) as well as how well they are achieving (their relative progress). They should also be able to tell you what your child’s immediate targets are and what the aspirations are in terms of their end of year attainments (although many schools are reluctant to make this last point candidly).
3. If the matter remains unresolved, speak to the Headteacher and expect some or all of the following to happen:
• A promise of his / her investigation
• A promise that you will be communicated with once this investigation has taken place
• An outline of the school’s approach to learning and teaching as well as gifted and talented provision (ask for a copy of the relevant policies if you wish; it is your entitlement to see them)
• An outline of any specific strategies the school (and you) deem to be appropriate in connection with your child’s progress

Usually, the matter can be resolved by this course of action. It is worth remembering that, usually, a school will know your child’s abilities very well indeed. We all love our children and sometimes our own view of their exceptional abilities might not in reality match the truth.

Tutoring Primary School Kids - a worthwhile option?

At this time of year this is something many parents consider. I think that the answer to this one depends upon your reasons for believing it necessary.

Also, factors will come into play such as:

The age of the child

The ability of the child

The motivation of the child

I think it is important to consider ability and motivation. Bottom line – if your child is not likely to be able to respond to extra tuition because they find school work unappealing, boring or just too difficult then you will probably be wasting your money. You may feel better but if the results are not going to be forthcoming, it probably isn’t worth it.

When a child is young, 4 – 8 years old I think that there are very few, if any, circumstances where tutoring is the best thing to do. Usually, this sort of approach is in response to a feeling that “my child is behind at school”. Therefore, if they are given some additional 1:1 support, then it has to be a good thing, right? Not necessarily. I often tell parents at my school, if you want to prevent the need for coming to see me in year 2 or year 3 with this sort of a concern, get reading with and talking to your child, or helping them to write fun stories, play at spellings, learn addition and multiplication facts from the beginning of formal schooling at age 4. With reading and sharing stories, right from the first weeks of life works best!

Time is the most precious commodity we can give our children. It is also perhaps the most difficult. If we give a little, and often, right from the word ‘go’ it is likely to be a) more effective and b) considerably cheaper than paying out for expensive tutoring further down the line.

Liaising with the school in terms of how you can best support your child at home is likely to be an effective way of devising the right sort of program or strategies for the needs of your child.

Remember – tutors are in it to make money. Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas and tutors are almost bound to promote their services in terms of usefulness for your child. That doesn’t mean that there are never circumstances where additional tutoring is useful, there are. It does though mean that you need to be realistic about your expectations and wary of ‘throwing money at the problem’.

So when can tutoring be a good idea then?

I think that there are circumstances where 1:1 tuition can be beneficial to a child. Top of my list for these would be preparation for entrance examinations or other sorts of tests.

I say this because often the sorts of skills required for these are not really taught as part of the national curriculum. Non verbal and verbal reasoning tests would spring to mind as two examples of just such tests. They require a specific approach to a particular sort of problem solving and practice at the technique itself can be of come use in terms of giving a child the best chance.

So, if you are in area where your child has the chance to sit 11+ tests to gain admission into a Grammar school, or if you are considering sending them to an independent school, then 1:1 or even small group tuition could be of some use.

Even here though, most of the independent schools are able to provide you with past papers and there is a multiplicity of materials available to buy at places such as W.H.Smiths. So, if you have the time and the confidence to tutor your child yourself, it can be done easily enough. There is nothing guaranteed by paying for it.

School Dinners anyone?

How can you be sure that school dinners are of a decent standard?

We are all familiar with the Jamie Oliver effect, I guess! One thing that happened after the outcry surrounding his TV programmes was that the national food standards agency imposed new strict standards on school kitchens, limiting the amount of saturated fats offered to children as well as eradicating processed foods. So, in terms of choices available to kids nowadays, it has never been better.

What will vary is the quality of the individual catering consortia and, more pertinently, the individual cooks. All of the standards in the world will not improve things for children if the cook can’t actually ‘do what it says on the tin’! (i.e. – cook)

Of course another by-product of the Jamie Oliver factor has been the tendency for a lot of kids to go over to packed lunches which are, of course, entirely unregulated!

Transfer to secondary school - act soon!

The process for filling in the common application form which is handled by the local authority and coordinates the transfer from primary to secondary schools is about to begin. This seems to have been an earlier and earlier feature of life for year 6 pupils and their families and is certainly something not to be overlooked.

How can I find out about secondary school selection procedures?

Your school should be able to provide you with a booklet outlining the options open to you as your child nears the end of their Primary School. This is produced by the local authority and is, in many authorities, already available. Additionally, many schools will run an information evening for parents, often attended by the admissions department of the local authority. Often this will be available to Year 5 parents during the summer term.

Children starting school - not a level playing field!

Entering Reception – January or September?

There is disparity nationally, and sometimes locally, in terms of admissions arrangements. Some schools and authorities admit all children in September, some have September and January and a few still have a 3^rd entry point after the Spring holidays. There are a couple of important things to remember here;

1. Children do not have to statutorily attend school until they are 5 years old, even though most schools admit them before this time.
2. Your school’s admissions policy will have been set by the local authority if it is a community school, meaning that it will have very little flexibility to admit your child at any other time than their published admissions criteria. Even if it is the Governing Body that sets these criteria (as is the case with foundation status schools, it takes time to change these admissions criteria so it is unlikely that any specific requests will be able to be accommodated to take into account your own preferences.

Breakfast Clubs / After School Clubs - should every school provide one?

Juggling the return to school for working parents can be a bit of a nightmare and some parents are very keen for there to be adequate childcare provision on a school's site. But, is it actually the case?

Not necessarily. The whole extended schools agenda had really taken off in recent years, particularly driven by the Government’s ‘every child matters’ edict. However, clearly not every school is able to provide every service and so what many are doing is ‘signposting’ parents to their nearest range of services which may well include the breakfast and after school club facilities. If there is a huge demand for one of these at your school and the school is not providing it, it may be worth asking them if there are any plans to do so – you could even make your views clear to the Governing Body which has an obligation to consider the views of their main stakeholders.

Teachers teach, don't they? Well, not always!

I thought a teacher was supposed to teach a class. Is that true?

Actually, no! It is a little known fact that there has never been a legal requirement for a school to ensure that a class is being taught by a qualified teacher. Indeed, in secondary schools especially, the notion of a member of the support staff (usually a teaching assistant) acting as a ‘cover supervisor’ for a class is a well practised approach.

In the last few years this has become increasingly prevalent in Primary schools too, particularly since the advent of 10% Planning, Preparation and Assessment (PPA) time being allocated to all teachers by the Government! Supply teachers are expensive, support staff are much better trained than was the case in days gone by and actually in many cases are equally able to deliver effective lessons.

If you have concerns about the specific provision for your child though, you need to contact the Headteacher about that, or email me here and tell me what your specific worries are.

School holidays - over? Not yet!

Does anyone else share my annoyance at the pace of commercialism and its refusal to let anyone actually enjoy what is happening now!

Throughout August we are bombarded with 'back to school' ads imploring us to spend money on clothes, books and stationery despite the fact that we have only actually broken up for the long awaited summer holidays for a week or so.

When we do eventually return to school in September you just know that we will start the annual build up to Christmas which, when it eventually arrives, only appears to actually last for about 24 hours before we are told to go out and spend money in the sales, swiftly followed by thinking about our next summer holiday. Once that is here, we will again be told to think about going back to school. And so it goes on.......

Drives me nuts!

SATs – is tutoring an option?

(Worth referring to my page on tutoring to see my views on this one too.)

SATs are standard assessment tests and they are administered in years 2 and 6. Additionally, there are QCA tests that are optional but used by most Primary schools at the end of years 3, 4 and 5. Most schools will do some sort of in-house preparation or coaching before SATs because, basically, it is in their interests to get your child to perform at their best when these tests are undertaken.

Accordingly, I wouldn’t generally recommend the tutoring route in this example. SATs provide you, as parents, with a useful snapshot of your child’s abilities and may be used by the school for setting or grouping of children. Moreover though, they are a way for Ofsted and the DCFS to keep tabs on how schools are doing – so, in that sense, they are far more importance to the school than to you or your child’s future.

SATs tests for the chop anyway!

This morning there is the anual furore about how standards, as measured by SATs tests for children in year 6, appear to have stalled. Indeed, whilst maths and science were the same percentagess as 2008 English actually dropped by 1% in terms of the amount of children attaining level 4.

On will leap the Daily Mail and others to lambast the Government! Cameron has apparently already come out and accused Labour of 'failing a generation'. Well, we all look forward to a change of Government when the education service will be treated to the steady ship of the Conservative party leading us through untroubked waters and to the promised land of higher attainment whilst spending less money! Yeah, right.

For my own part, reflected in the views of the vast majority of parents I speak to, we represent a profession that has never had higher standards and teach to a level that was never achieved in the days before the national curriculum. The notion that there was somehow this golden age when over 90% of our 11 year olds did leave school attaining all of the necessary skills is simply fanciful. Does that mean we shouldn't be concerned? No, we must always strive to do better. Does it give those that seek to score cheap political points licence? Apparently.

At the end of the day, there exists the probability that our 11 year olds will not be put through these tests for very much longer anyway. This is already the case in Scotland and Wales and moves appear to be afootin England to abandon tests in year 6 and move them into year 7!

Special Educational Needs - are you concerned?

I think my child has special needs – how do I get them diagnosed?

The usual advice would apply here – talk to the school about it. They may well have a view about the likeliness of some sort of a diagnosis. However, it is worth remembering that a diagnosis of itself might not necessarily mean any difference in terms of the school’s approach or provision. There is increasing pressure on education authorities and schools to reduce the number of statements for special educational needs since they are incredibly expensive. Accordingly, a school needs to be able to demonstrate that it has put in place all sorts of strategies and reviews before there is any likely success at a statement panel hearing.

Having said that, there is also a move to put in resources earlier rather than later – an early intervention approach. So, it is well worth pursuing doggedly if you really do believe that your child’s needs are acute enough. If, however, it is simply a case that your child is ‘a bit behind’ their peers then it is extremely likely that their needs would qualify them for any additional funding – it is simply down to the school to find ways and means to address their needs through targeted teaching strategies.

'Naughty' child? Labelling – does it happen?

I am often approached by concerned parents with comments like “he’s been in quite a lot of trouble recently and we are worried that he is getting a bit of a reputation.” It always horrifies me that there are schools where this does happen. It reflects upon the school culture quite badly in my view, since my belief is that every child deserves a fresh start every day. In this way, labelling is simply not tolerated, it is not an option. If a Headteacher hears it going on, they should intervene to prevent it recurring. I have to say that in my experience the vast majority of my contemporaries would feel the same way. If you feel it is happening to your child you should most definitely approach the school about it.

No money? Children at school? Can they help?

Money is tight and I am worried about costs associated with school. Can they help at all?

It is worth remembering that your child may well be entitled to free school meals. Every school office will be able to give you the appropriate form to fill in to apply. It may seem like a small thing but those £1.70 s do mount up quite quickly and suddenly you are into a debt of £50 or so which is difficult to find.

As far as other costs go of course there aren’t too many in the state sector. School trips are a part of the school curriculum and, as such, it is actually not legal for schools to make a compulsory charge for them. The way schools get around this is to say to parents that a voluntary contribution is required to cover the cost of the trip and that if a sufficient number of voluntary contributions are not received then the trip cannot go ahead. In practice, in an area where it may just be around 10% of the pupils that are unable to make a voluntary contribution, a school will usually be able to find the money from somewhere!

These days many schools have a family liaison worker attached to them too and she will usually be a good source of advice about benefits, grants and dispensations that may well be available to you. Ask at the school office for an appointment.

The usual advice applies if things are tight – talk to the school about it. They will at least try to help. The worst thing to do is to pretend there isn’t a problem and wait until you have incurred all sorts of debts before contacting them.

'Summer' Holidays - you're having a laugh!

Does anyone else look out of their window, check the forecast, listen to the latest August weather predictions and wonder why the hell the Government persist in keeping the 6 week summer holiday during August?

Our summer vacation, both in terms of its length and its placement, has more to do with the historical need to employ child labour in gathering in the harvests than it does to weather patterns in the 21st century.

Indeed, year on year we now swelter during June and early July whilst still at school, only to endure week after week of grey skies during the summer recess!

There, that's off my chest then....

Swine flu and schools this autumn

Swine flu is a real hot issue in schools just now. Towards the end of last term, the prevailing climate seemed to change inasmuch as GPs appeared to be increasingly reluctant to actually diagnose it – probably as a response to the media coverage and the general scare mongering that seemed to be around.
The latest advice to schools seems to reflect the fact that the condition is essentially uncontainable – i.e. schools should continue to open as normal even if there are suspected or indeed actual diagnosed cases.
During August there is expected to be a growth in the number of cases nationally and the Government have already pre-advised Headteachers that they will be issuing new guidance on 24th August in the UK in respect of arrangements for the start of the autumn term. In truth, no one expects that the guidance will do anything other than to advise schools to open as normal in September, although I guess there may be the proviso that where a school is being affected to a significant degree either in terms of teachers or pupils, full or indeed partial closure may be a permissible option for a short period.

school assemblies - do they have to go?

I don’t want my child in school assemblies. Do I have a say?
Absolutely.
Schools have a statutory obligation to perform what the law calls a ‘daily act of worship’ and, in the UK this needs to be ‘mainly of a Christian nature’. Now, in practice, nobody ever actually checks up on or enforces this and in today’s multicultural and secular Britain it is true to say that the overwhelming majority of schools are probably interpreting this statute to fit their own context.
However, every parent has the right to withdraw their child from the act itself and it is the school’s responsibility to accommodate this wish as well as to provide the pupils with an activity and the appropriate level of supervision.
Your school should be able to provide you with a copy of their own collective worship policy and tell you about their own daily assemblies.

Separations and effects on kids

My partner and I are breaking up and I don’t want him picking the kids up without my permission. Is there anything I can do?
Schools are very used to this situation. Often, break ups will be unpleasant for all of the parties concerned and clearly the school’s overriding concern is to protect the emotional and physical wellbeing of the child – it certainly cannot ‘take sides’. In situations like this, the school will invariably encourage the adults to reach agreement so that the school is not being used as some sort of a pawn in the game of break-up chess! Bottom line, unless there is actually a court order in place that states anything to the contrary, both parents will have legal, parental responsibility and a school cannot do anything other than apply fairness in the eys of the law in such a situation.

Who's looking after your kids?

Are all of the adults working in school safe?
Since the dark days of the Ian Huntley episode, everyone that works in schools is now subject to a full Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. This at least ensures that any past misdemeanours, or worse, will come to light and their employment would be terminated.
Even parents who help in schools are required to undergo these sorts of checks, although assuming they are never actually alone with children some schools may go down the route of a less stringent ‘list 99’ check which will show up if they have any actual convictions.
Bottom line – our kids are probably better protected and safer in terms of the checks that are undergone on school staff than they have ever been in the past. At the end of the day though, I guess no system is failsafe.