Welcome to the DAD.Info forum: Important Information – open to read:
Our forum aims to provide support and guidance where it can, however we may not always have the answer. The forum is not moderated 24 hours a day, so If you – or someone you know – are being harmed or in immediate danger of being harmed, call the police on 999.
Alternatively, if you are in crisis, please call Samaritans on 116 123.
If you are worried about you or someone you know is at risk of harm, please click here: How we can help
Hi Everyone,
I visited my son's school today to see how he is progressing now he is in Year 5. I was really happy with the feedback I was given until his teacher informed me that she was now seeking permission from my ex to attend parent-teacher meetings in case it upsets her in any way. Is the teacher/ school right to be doing this as I thought I had equal rights with the resident parent to my son's education and well-being at school? Unless I phone the school, and ask to see a teacher, they never keep me informed of my son's progress, they don't send me his school reports, they never keep me notified if he's had sickness absence, they don't let me know of any special assemblies or school activities that I could attend and never send me notification of official school portrait photographs, I am always chasing them and sometimes I don't hear anything back from my inquiries at all.
My ex hasn't let me see my son now for nearly 12 months and stops contact as and when it suits her so I like to be able to visit the school and find out how my son is doing so I just need some advice as to whether the school should be seeking my ex-partner's approval for me to be there and whether my ex-partner can stop me from attending? I do not have any court orders against me and pay child support every month through a family based arrangement without fail.
Please can someone advise on the legalities of this matter and where I stand with the school over them seeking permission from my ex to be there?
Assuming you have PR, then you have every right to get information from the school, and I don't see any reason why they should need your ex's permission. I would remind them that they should be sending you a copy of all end of term reports without you having to ask each time - if they don't agree, speak to the head, and then to the education authority, with proof of PR.
I would take a look at the stick topics at the top of the legal eagle section on representing yourself and look at mediation initially to get contact back on a regular footing, and if no success there, then consider court for a contact order.
I agree with actd, except I would liaise directly with the head about this issue. As long as you are on the birth certificate or were married to the mother you have PR and are entitled to be kept informed of his progress at school etc.
I would also urge you to try and resolve the denial of contact, your son deserves to have you involved in his life!
Yep, Mojo's is a better answer 🙂
As the above person said, i think it is a good decision.
Welcome to the DAD.info forum.
We don’t like to set ‘rules’, but to make sure that you and the other dads are kept safe, we have some requests. When engaging with the forum, please be aware of the following:
- The forum is not moderated 24 hours per day.
- Many of the moderators do so on a voluntary basis. Whilst they may be able to provide some guidance, advice or support, they may not be able to deal with specifics.
- We are not an emergency crisis service so if you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call emergency services.
- If you are concerned about the safety of a child, please click here to find the support you can get for them (link to new page)
- If you are in crisis, please call Samaritans on 116 123. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
We hope you find this forum a supportive environment and thank you for joining us.