School headteacher bans my bike from school ground-I am the only cyclist from 270 mums

[Linford]

Don't do anything rash which might see your child stigmatised by the Head or her minions....like creating a scene int eh playground. The only way you will see success is to do it by the book.
I sometimes feel that these people forget that they are still public servants when they go off on one like this.

 

[Banjo]

just wishing you good luck and let us know how you get on.

in my experience confrontation with entrenched little hitlers is rarely productive. You need to find a way to get her nonsense over ruled either by the Governors or local authority.

 

[Yvette Obertelli]

The school have NO TRAVEL PLAN and they encourage children to walk only not to cycle. I have no received a written letter from the headteacher she just putthe letter into my 5 year old daughter's hand to deliver it to me... great people skills!
Her letter is VERY CAREFULLY WRITTEN: SHE SAYS: SHE IS REQUESTING ME TO DISMOUNT THE BIKE (which id dismounted before the gate anyway) and take it at the children's new scooter area (it is a small fenced part - and today I HAVE COUNTED AND TOOK PICS- HAD 45 SCOOTERS IN THERE- zero space for bikes- no any sort of railing either- with 5-6 kids running around in it- NOW THAT WOULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD- ESPECIALLY THAT THE ONLY WAY TO GET THERE IS THROUGH THE MAIN SCHOOL ENTRANCE WHICH IS EXTREMELY BUSY as its a junior and infant school. According to her I am not sensible- taking the very quiet side entrance into the school ground. Also I cannot dismount my child outside we are next to a very busy road with buses, tracks, vans leading into an A road.I will write my answer to her, keep riding the bike, walking in as per usual into school and safely transporting my child. I will avoid the scooter park suggested as it is far more hazardous very busy /small area - parents would be outraged. She also says in her letter that the size of my marine city bike is an extreme safety concerns- it is shorter than a tandem pushchair!!!

 

[Yvette Obertelli]

just wishing you good luck and let us know how you get on.

in my experience confrontation with entrenched little hitlers is rarely productive. You need to find a way to get her nonsense over ruled either by the Governors or local authority.

 

[Yvette Obertelli]

I am writing a letter to her as reply to her request to not to bring my bike in. Her letter is so ridiculous and I took lots of pictures this afternoon about lack of any space to accommodate children/adults arriving with bikes. I will raise the issue with my local council too- I understand that most parents would back off in my shoe but I am the opposite-fighting for something good. I WILL ALSO SUGGEST HER TO START TO RAISE AWARENESS TO CYCLE MORE AND SUGGEST HER TO MAYBE FOR A AY SHE SHOULD CYCLE TO WORK TOO!

 

[Yvette Obertelli]

Don't do anything rash which might see your child stigmatised by the Head or her minions....like creating a scene int eh playground. The only way you will see success is to do it by the book.
I sometimes feel that these people forget that they are still public servants when they go off on one like this.

i WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING STUPID. I have written my reply and will wait her new letter in return. She cannot single my child out over this as it would raise even more issues.I have talked to many school mums today on the playground-standing with my bike there- they were all shocked by the head's decision it is really unreasonable. I never really warm to her as she has some strange managing techinques... (for example my daughter's school bag is regurarly full with junk mail : adverts of fake tan, eyelash extension, hairdresser, gardening etc....nothing to do with kids activities- basically she charges local companies for distributing their all sort of leaflets into the school bag-direct marketing...- her charge is £10 per 300 leaflets- by the amount we receive its quite a bit of school pocket money)

 

[ufkacbln]

Let's get back to the basics

To make a Health and Safety decision there needs to be a formal assessment of the risk

The first step always to write and ask for a copy of that assessment

 

[fossyant]

The above ^

Play it by the book, be reasonable. She will lose. God 40 plus scooters blimey. Lucky if we get 10 in my primary. Our primary does have a shelter for the bikes and scooters just before you enter the playground - this is big enough for bikes, but I've seen parents wheel bikes in the playground.

Oh and the high school, about 800 students, and only my lad and 1 other regularly cycle, my lad being the most regular ! Crazy.

 

[glenn forger]

i WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING STUPID. I have written my reply and will wait her new letter in return. She cannot single my child out over this as it would raise even more issues.I have talked to many school mums today on the playground-standing with my bike there- they were all shocked by the head's decision it is really unreasonable. I never really warm to her as she has some strange managing techinques... (for example my daughter's school bag is regurarly full with junk mail : adverts of fake tan, eyelash extension, hairdresser, gardening etc....nothing to do with kids activities- basically she charges local companies for distributing their all sort of leaflets into the school bag-direct marketing...- her charge is £10 per 300 leaflets- by the amount we receive its quite a bit of school pocket money)

That's awful, and tawdry. That sort of rubbish is why young women aspire to be wags or models, makes me mad. OT, sorry.

 

[steve52]

on secoond thoughts, the head isreally not fit for purpose, and over reacting take it to the goveners,not onoy should we be taching children how to cycle and that its ok to do so, we have to teach then how to handel the cycles when in a public space, ie a school! is it not there to teach children? and as we are part of a society we are all corperate perents to evey child, the teachers teach the academic stuff, (we correct it when there wrong) and us perants teach them how to live and challenge bullys! So head, as a parent to 5 a grandpaent to 10 and a great grandparent to 2 YOU ARE WRONG!!

 

[steve52]

on secoond thoughts, the head isreally not fit for purpose, and over reacting take it to the goveners,not onoy should we be taching children how to cycle and that its ok to do so, we have to teach then how to handel the cycles when in a public space, ie a school! is it not there to teach children? and as we are part of a society we are all corperate perents to evey child, the teachers teach the academic stuff, (we correct it when there wrong) and us perants teach them how to live and challenge bullys! So head, as a parent to 5 a grandpaent to 10 and a great grandparent to 2 YOU ARE WRONG!!

on secoond thoughts, the head isreally not fit for purpose, and over reacting take it to the goveners,not onoy should we be taching children how to cycle and that its ok to do so, we have to teach then how to handel the cycles when in a public space, ie a school! is it not there to teach children? and as we are part of a society we are all corperate perents to evey child, the teachers teach the academic stuff, (we correct it when there wrong) and us perants teach them how to live and challenge bullys! So head, as a parent to 5 a grandpaent to 10 and a great grandparent to 2 YOU ARE WRONG!!

ps i dont ever metion spelling or gramma, i leave that to those who have masterd both

 

[Yvette Obertelli]

I have written her a 3 page response letter including statics, government and council guidelines and also pointing out that maybe for a day she should join me cycling to school to set a good sample :-)

 

[Dusty Bin]

I never really warm to her as she has some strange managing techinques... (for example my daughter's school bag is regurarly full with junk mail : adverts of fake tan, eyelash extension, hairdresser, gardening etc....nothing to do with kids activities- basically she charges local companies for distributing their all sort of leaflets into the school bag-direct marketing...- her charge is £10 per 300 leaflets- by the amount we receive its quite a bit of school pocket money)

Personally, I think that's outrageous and a gross abuse of her office, regardless of the tenner it might raise for school funds. Surely the LEA would have a policy on this sort of thing?

 

[Sara_H]

I would just ignore her. And next time you're challanged say "I'm ignoring you because you're talking nonsense." Realisticly, what are they gong to do about it?

 

[Spinney]

I would just ignore her. And next time you're challanged say "I'm ignoring you because you're talking nonsense." Realisticly, what are they gong to do about it?

Take it out on her kid? I'm sure a head could do this in ways that could never be proven...