Would you allow your year 6 child, miss the last two days of school, to go on a fab holiday ?

[JennyTals]

I feel so bad at the thought of dc missing the last 2 days
Esp as dc will be leaving the school

If my dd didn't mind then I'd consider it. I wouldn't if they felt they wanted to be there. It's early days now but as time goes on there will be lots of talk in school about plans for the last few days- usually fun things.

There certainly wouldn't be any missed learning but no, I wouldn't take him out.
I don't know about your child's school but my DC's school did lots of lovely things at the end. Special assemblies, picnics, signing shirts etc etc.
You can go on a cruise anytime but you won't get the last days memories again.

Think I would ask them and give them the choice, I definitely wouldn’t have an issue with them missing the last 2 days though, most leaver assemblies are a few days before or early on in the last week so they would still get that and I’m sure if you asked the teacher they would allow you to come in and show you the leavers video that will be played at the assembly x

Y5 yes I would but not Y6.

Ok little update, I’ve spoken to dc this am and dc said they are fine with it and would rather go somewhere cooler for longer
and that l, doing that would be dc preference

so I'm going to dedicate the day to investigating all the options
as obv I’d rather that dc be at school on the final day
but if it means we can go further for longer
and see some places we wouldn’t be able to see otherwise I’m going to seriously consider doing mainly on the basis this dc says it’s their preference to do so

My DS missed the last 2 days of year 6 because someone in the class got covid so the whole class had to go into isolation at home. He still mentions it now in year 10. He's gutted they never all got to do the proper goodbye thing.

I would because the silliness over year 6 leaving has got ridiculous, my dc just left school, few hugs in playground but that was it, was only 13 years ago so not that long. Certainly no parents sobbing as I read here

@Needspaceforlego IF THEY WANT. You (accidentally or deliberately)missed out that part from my original quote. It is entirely at the teacher's discretion, and they could do any or none of those things.

I asked my DC who are in secondary and they both said no way, and DS who is usually particularly unsentimental said ‘your child would resent you forever and probably never speak to you again once they left home’

So fairly emphatic there.

Yes and have done when mine were little and wouldn't even think twice about it.

Does the cruise go near somewhere with an easyjet airport a couple of days later (after the end of term)? Have a look to see whether you could get cheap flights there after the end of term.

If so, I'd book the longer holiday and have the rest of the family go from the start (assuming 2 parent family) and the Year 6 DC and one parent catch up a few days later. Holiday providers are generally fine with you joining later.

I did it in yr 6 because of the sob fest that is the last day....I didn't want my child involved in that, and neither did they.
So we made the decision to take a holiday.
Do it & Enjoy

Tbh I personally hate the sobbing, I get it’s emotional but I think when the parents are crying etc it makes the dc more anxious about leaving and going to the big school and going to secondary
but maybe I’m a bit too stiff upper lip !
this particular dc of mine is quite dry also
I do have another dc who would have been horrified at the thought, and has right horder tendencies, still probably had their year 6 shirt in a drawer along with so much other stuff
so i do think it varies very much by the child

I would investigate if there is any leavers celebrations? not all schools turn year 6 leavers into some mawkish week long extravaganza. Our primary leavers was a complete non-event when I left (and I am only 25), other than the standard end of year assembly where we were given a class photo, and some of us signed shirts on the last day. I certaintly dont look back on my last day of primary as a defining moment in my life.

It would a bit gutting to miss a cruise for a complete fizzer.

I'd even see that as a fun thing to add: flight then local bus to join the rest of the family at one of the port stops. That will be a fun meet up, with everyone sharing the adventures you've had separately so far.

Might add a bit of cost since the later flights will be more expensive, but hopefully not much. If the cruise has flights included, speak to them about removing the outward flight for those joining later.

Id ask the child. If the idea is devastating for them I wouldn't, if they say they'd love the holiday go with that in between you decide. One of my 4 missed the last couple of days at 11. Emotional child who'd have found it difficult.

Mine would happily have left 2 days early, his class wasn't very nice and he hated those awful end of school assembly things. It depends on the child and how into that sort of thing they are. It doesn't sound like yours would be bothered so book the trip.

No as it's the end of an era, right of passage celebration.

Absolutely yes the two arnt mutually exclusive, teaching respect for education and life esp in our country

My dd sobbed all the way there her leavers in year 6. Last year she was straight out of the door in y11. Didn't look back.

She still chuckles about her crying now. But it was a right of passage. We have aome lovely pics that were used at prom in year 11.

Through not there

I wouldn't miss a child's milestone just for an adult priority you could do any year.

Same for my dd too. She’s not the sentimental type at all, and wouldn’t have been weeping, but the milestone meant a lot to her.

Ds recently said that the last week of primary school was his best memory ever.

They aren't all the same. 2 of mine enjoyed it one hated it and one missed it.

But he actually can't speak for all children. For my one that had a horrible time in primary school it was just another opportunity for people to put her down. I do regret it. loved their grammar school, couldn't have had two such extreme experiences.

The one who missed never mentioned it again and certainly speaks to me.