Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original poster

Do you let your DC stay off school on the last day of a term?

128 replies

goaskmum · 12/04/2022 13:42

For example, the last day of school before the Christmas holidays? If it’s a half day and they’re just watching DVDs?

I don’t like allowing DD to do it but sometimes she asks me

OP posts:

WonderfulYou · 12/04/2022 15:41

Also it’s usually only on the bigger holidays like Xmas and the summer do schools fo fun last days.

SunflowerSmith · 12/04/2022 15:46

I did for the first time last week, mainly because the morning was an Easter hat parade and the afternoon was two church services, ks1 and ks2 (not a church school).
We're not religious and I didn't want to be wasting time and money on two hats that would be going in the bin.

Partyatnumber10 · 12/04/2022 15:59

Not so far but I've considered it.
I'm a teacher in a different school.
His school closes at 1pm with no wrap around care.
Mine doesn't.
If I can't scrape together a friend or relative to get him then I'll be forced to keep him off school for the day and take him to work with me...it's actually quite annoying!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General education

gogohm · 12/04/2022 16:08

Er no, it's not a thing

DietrichandDiMaggio · 12/04/2022 16:21

Fairly sure I get to pick and choose which days I have holiday from work...

The PP presumably meant picking and choosing whether to go in on days that aren't holiday, so if you book 2 weeks annual leave, you don't just stay at home on your last working day before A/L starts, do you?

Heythere13 · 12/04/2022 16:23

Take it your children don’t enjoy school?

Not a chance my two would WANT to take off the last day.

Heythere13 · 12/04/2022 16:23

Aren’t you sort of sending the message that not going to school is some kind of “treat”

GoodnightJude1 · 12/04/2022 16:25

Nope! If school is open and they’re not sick…they go.
All my DC at secondary and sixth form (2 at uni) and they enjoy the last day because of the lack of work/DVDs etc

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 12/04/2022 16:36

I know it's a huge MN no-no to let your kids miss school, but in reality, it's really common and loads of kids miss the last day of term.

I pretty much always missed the last couple of days of the Christmas term as we used to go to Australia to see family, and it was considerably cheaper to fly out on the Wednesday than the Saturday.

Heythere13 · 12/04/2022 16:37

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

I know it's a huge MN no-no to let your kids miss school, but in reality, it's really common and loads of kids miss the last day of term.

I pretty much always missed the last couple of days of the Christmas term as we used to go to Australia to see family, and it was considerably cheaper to fly out on the Wednesday than the Saturday.

Yes but that’s for travel reasons!

This is just because the DD doesn’t fancy it

Tillerman · 12/04/2022 16:38

No and they always get a half day before Christmas and the six week holidays, they’ve always gone in.

Hiddenvoice · 12/04/2022 17:17

Attendance is still recorded both in the morning and afternoon, in all schools I’ve worked in.
We don’t have a film day as that tends to be pretty boring for the children as they want to chat and have fun. Its more of Christmas/Easter assemblies, arts and crafts and then some games but I’m in a primary setting.
School work is still taught that week but the last day is more lenient so might be a fun spelling/ maths task but that’s simply because the children are excited and there can be quite a few absent!

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 12/04/2022 17:23

no, it's the best bit. All the socialising and fun, none of the algebra. Plus I don't have enough leave to cover the bazillion holiday days they do have, without creating extra childcare headaches of my own making.

JesusSufferingFuck22 · 12/04/2022 17:31

My ds used to ask me this all the time. Before he turned 16 he'd ask for a note to be excused from going to church because it was against his beliefs or something. He'd end up back here with his friends who'd all done the same have a wee mini party.
I still think they should go in though. I know they're not learning anything but they're maybe able to make plans with friends who are crap a texting.

robocracker · 12/04/2022 17:38

My daughter did an assessment on her last lesson on her half day!

I only let them not go in if we have cheeky holiday plans (my other daughter missed her last day to go skiing with dh)

I'm a teacher though and my current work schedule is Fridays so not like we're usually going anywhere!

I did a proper but "fun" lesson with my class on the first lesson of the half day. Not everyone watches dvds. If I do have a video it's subject related and consolidates what they've been learning.

I personally don't think it will damage their education to miss it and i'd do it if it was convenient for me but if you do it everytime the school will start asking about it and maybe marking it unauthorised. Also if you often do this your kids aren't getting the right message about school and learning.

I realise I contradict myself a bit there!

TL:DR

ok as a one off to help with travel event, not good if everytime. They do learn stuff on half days.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 12/04/2022 17:41

No, I don't. My 8yo child doesn't get to decide whether he goes to school or not.

DanglingMod · 12/04/2022 17:43

I don't think it's a "thing." Attendance is never down on the last day of term in my school or any other I've taught in.

We also teach right up until and including the penultimate lesson. The last lesson is celebration/awards assembly (every big term end. Half term end is teach up to and including the last lesson).

GreenWhiteViolet · 12/04/2022 17:45

I usually missed it, especially as a teenager when I didn't bother to ask permission! I hated school and had no interest in class parties or in watching a film at school - either I wouldn't be interested in the film, or I would be but other people would be talking over it so I wouldn't get to enjoy it.

Once got told off for taking out a book to read instead of appreciating the film treat. That was the teacher (early secondary school) who wouldn't put on a PG film because we didn't have parental permission for it. U ratings only.

This was many years ago though - if you know your child is at a school where there is valuable schoolwork done on the last day of term, send them in. If it's just 'fun'? Not everyone enjoys the same things, and I'd let them stay off.

AnnaSW1 · 12/04/2022 17:46

No. That's the most fun day!

SierpinskiSquare · 12/04/2022 17:49

It used to piss me off so much that so many other kids stayed at home on the last day as it meant the teachers didn't bother teaching the kids and would get them to do pointless stuff like helping them clean out cupboards. The less constructive teaching the teachers do on the last day the more kids will stay home.

RavenT · 12/04/2022 17:52

I have let ds do it a couple of times in primary. They do doss about the last few days at his school and several of the kids don't go in on the last day.

barfotoliv · 12/04/2022 17:52

I'm a secondary teacher. The attendance rate is really low on the last day of term, so this is really common. I think covid has made it even more significant. We always have a half-day.
Contrary to previous posters, we DO watch dvds all day. Well, Netflix, but you get the point! However, I'm an English teacher, so they're usually (but not always) linked to a text they've been working on, e.g. if we've been reading Holes, we will watch Holes.
Our Principal will also sometimes send out a message to parents that if pupils are in on the second last day, they will automatically be marked present on the last day. This was common over the pandemic as parents didn't want to risk children picking up covid on the last day of term.
As to whether or not I send my own children in, yes, I usually do. My kids are still primary age, so they generally want to go in for all the fun. When they are at secondary level, this might change!
For me, it's a total non-issue. Send them in, don't send them in. I don't mind either way!

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 12/04/2022 17:54

This is just because the DD doesn’t fancy it

Meh, what's the difference, really? The results are the same.

I really can't get worked up over someone missing a day of sitting around watching movies.

BertieBotts · 12/04/2022 17:55

If you do this in Germany you can get fined something ridiculous. Police actually patrol airports and train stations looking for people sneaking off on holiday early if you've got permission to take the children out of school you have to bring a note from the headteacher

I wouldn't do it but I do think the German approach is a bit far!

user1471443411 · 12/04/2022 17:59

I've never done it, but if it was a thing in primary schools (maybe even secondary but unlikely nowadays), then I might let my child if they had good attendance otherwise, if I knew they were not going to be doing any work. Thinking about it, at primary there was a tradition of taking board games in on the last day of term, but mine always went as they liked this type of thing.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6