What's Going On At Castle Rushen?

[Chinahand]

This doesn't sound good - Link

 

PARENTS of pupils at Castle Rushen High are demanding answers after the school opened for the new term without its head teacher.

Education chiefs have remained tight-lipped over Maria Tomaszewska's absence but revealed that an acting head teacher is to be appointed.

 

Ms Tomaszewska attended a meeting with director of education John Cain at the Education Department's offices in Douglas on Monday morning which Education Minister Anne Craine said did involve her subsequent absence from the school.

 

Mrs Craine admitted: 'We were not anticipating that the school would be without a full-time head teacher at the start of term.

 

'We are looking at bringing in an acting head. That position hasn't been sorted out yet.'

 

She said the process of finding an acting head had only begun in the last few days.

 

Mrs Craine confirmed the posting would be temporary and it would be in the best interests of the school and the children to have a full-time head teacher in place, who ever that would be, as soon as possible.

 

I can't imagine it will be easy to bring in even an acting head at short notice right at the start of a school year.

 

Problems have been going on for a bit methinks.

 

What brought it to a head at the start of the year? Hope they've not sat on it over the so called "holidays".

[hugh janus]

I thought it was common knowledge she was out for the new term anyway. I knew way before the end of the last term!

 

Should have posted something on here then ...

 

edit for mojo

[mojomonkey]

I thought it was common knowledge she was out for the new term anyway. I new way before the end of the last term!

 

Should have posted something on here then ...

 

Perhaps you need to go back to school!

[Lee54]

Talking of school and holidays did anyone else get a letter from their child's school today stating that from now on under no circumstances will children be allowed to go on holiday during school term, its now law.

 

I don't think they should be able to stop you, not everyone gets their holidays at the same times as their kids, I don't get my holidays until October half time period due to work commitments and this has always been OK in the past. We have already booked two weeks away in October some time ago and now find that if we go away we break the law.

[wideload]

cough cough, sorry little johnny wont be in school for a couple of weeks, he's running a fever

[keyboarder]

I don't think they should be able to stop you, not everyone gets their holidays at the same times as their kids, I don't get my holidays until October half time period due to work commitments and this has always been OK in the past. We have already booked two weeks away in October some time ago and now find that if we go away we break the law.

 

Maybe you should take your child/ren's education a little more seriously.

[spanna]

This can only be good news for the people at Castle rushen and their parents.

[Lee54]

I don't think they should be able to stop you, not everyone gets their holidays at the same times as their kids, I don't get my holidays until October half time period due to work commitments and this has always been OK in the past. We have already booked two weeks away in October some time ago and now find that if we go away we break the law.

 

Maybe you should take your child/ren's education a little more seriously.

 

We do they go to summer school as well and their reports indicate they are in the top 5%

[Lost Login]

I am not sure they can stop you as the requirement by law as I understand it is that as a parent you are responsible that you child receives a sufficient level of education. I can not see how missing the odd day will effect that just as being off sick would not.

 

I have to admit then when we received the letter I was very tempted to take my kid out of primary school for a day in response, and write to the school stating that previously I would have requested permission but I am not writing purely to inform with a copy to the education liason oficer who will probably do nothing or send out a prepared letter with all sorts of threats but which are not worth the paper it is written on.

 

 

What did strike me though was wether the policy would effect school trips. Not educational ones but a week skiing with the school. I have a memory of long ago when a colleague wrote to the school requesting permission to take their kids out for a week. They got approval but with a snotty response that said they were basically irresponsible to do so and querying what plans they had to ensure their kids caught up with any missed work. Their response was short and sweet pointing out that their kids were about the only ones in their class in school that week as the rest were on a school skiing trip so presumably they could take advantage of the same arrangements that the school in respect of the kids it was taking on holiday.

 

 

 

I don't think they should be able to stop you, not everyone gets their holidays at the same times as their kids, I don't get my holidays until October half time period due to work commitments and this has always been OK in the past. We have already booked two weeks away in October some time ago and now find that if we go away we break the law.

 

Maybe you should take your child/ren's education a little more seriously.

 

We do they go to summer school as well and their reports indicate they are in the top 5%

[Cronky]

Talking of school and holidays did anyone else get a letter from their child's school today stating that from now on under no circumstances will children be allowed to go on holiday during school term, its now law.

 

Here is the Attendance Policy from the Isle of Man Government website.

 

Statutory provision regarding holidays taken by pupils during term time is contained in the

Education (Registration of Pupils) Regulations 2004, which state that –

“On application made by the parent with whom the child normally

resides, a pupil may be granted leave of absence from the school to

enable him to go away on holiday.

 

Provided that, save in exceptional circumstances, a pupil shall not be

granted leave of absence for this purpose for more than 10 school

days in any school year."

 

The legal position here is quite clear. The appearance of the word “may” means that leave of

absence for holiday purposes is not an entitlement and is entirely at the discretion of a child’s

headteacher.

 

Each request should be considered on its individual merits, and it is for headteachers

themselves to determine whether the circumstances of a particular application are

“exceptional” if more than 10 days’ absence is being requested. Authorised leave of absence

for in excess of 10 school days annually should not, however, be granted lightly.

There will be occasions when time off school is not in a child’s best interests educationally (for

example, at the beginning of Years 7, 10 and 11, or where a child already has a poor

attendance record) and school prospectuses should therefore make it quite clear –

 

• that, on educational grounds, neither the Department nor the school supports or

encourages additional time being taken off school for holiday purposes;

• that securing leave of absence for this purpose should not be regarded as a formality;

• that leave of absence will not normally be granted for more than 10 school days in any

academic year;

• that any time taken off school for which leave of absence has not been granted will be

recorded as unauthorised absence and is likely to result in legal action being taken

against parents by the Department; and

• that leave of absence should be applied for in advance, not retrospectively.

[manx-minx]

Talking of school and holidays did anyone else get a letter from their child's school today stating that from now on under no circumstances will children be allowed to go on holiday during school term, its now law.

 

My son's school letter reminded parents that 10 days can be used for holidays during school term time.

[Lee54]

Reply from the BOE this morning is response to my request, short and sweet, ignorant gits.

 

Attendance of Pupils

 

The Department of Education has decided to adjust its policy on term-time holidays.

From September 2008, leave of absence for any term-time holiday should be granted only in exceptional domestic circumstances . (Attendance of Pupils: legislation, Policy and Procedures July 2008 ).

 

Please note that in light of this change of policy, unless permission has already been granted, leave of absence for holidays during term-time can no longer be authorised.

[Cret]

What a sorry state.

 

Surely if the kids are doing well it doesn't matter as long as you don't take the piss.

 

Aside from anything else they keep bragging every year how kids are getting better and better exam scores so surely that in itself shows it's not really an issue.

[Bambster]

Allow these numpties to sit around holding meetings with minutes and patting themselves on their backs. Just going off the names of the board rings out that they're old farts and ugly as fuck middle-aged well-to-do bored wives that want to find ways to interfere and seem important and give meaning to their dull lives. Mr. R E Bankes-Jones, Mrs. B A Brereton Silverdene, Mrs. E Godby Paston, Mr. C S Lewin Highcroft, Mrs. Wooldridge Fernleigh etc. The day folks let these "brainiacs" start making decisions that effect your everyday life will be a very bad day indeed. They only have power because people are afraid and will tow their line because they waft the word illegal, ignore them and you take their power away. Let them get you done, the fine will be cheaper than paying Thomas Cook's summer holiday prices.

[Chinahand]

Bambster - you've added people's houses into their names to make them all double barrelled, apart from Mr Bankes-Jones I admit.

 

Ie Mrs Brereton lives at a house called Silverdene.

 

I suppose you'll claim that the fact they live in such houses just confirms your opinion.

 

You are going to go far with prejudices like that.