To be annoyed that DS's school are insisting that they stay after school every Tuesday till 4 fir some sort of 'enrichment' programme?

[loopylou6]

I don't think its on tbh, for a start they send mist of their anyway, secondly he goes for tea at my mums on a Tuesday which he loves, and thirdly, its practically dark by then and he has to walk home.

loopy THIS IS NOT COMPULSORY! You just need to say 'no' instead of allowing it to get to you.

I think you have misunderstood me. I didn't say 'boys' stuff unless drama is manlier than I imagine.

I was merely pointing out that DS1s choice would be a fun activity with his friends rather than tea with his gran. Especially as gran would see him another day or indeed for tea at 4.00

It is the teacher's business if the enrichment is part of the normal school curriculum for everyone.

Presumably the school are offering these activities to enhance his educational experience, so why would you want to deprive him of that and make him feel different from his peers? Why can't he go to his gran's a different day?

And 3pm is a very early finish for secondary school anyway, my older dc don't finish till 3.40 and don't get out till 4pm, or 5pm if they have after-school activities.

Pag, he doesn't want to stay at school, he likes seeing his nan. What's wrong with that? Are boys not allowed to have a close relationship with grandparents after a certain age?

loopy - stand firm and stand up to the teacher. Remember you've left school and don't have to do what they tell you anymore!

Thanks Rhine, will do just that :) I've had many a problem with this school, his art teacher said he had to come back before home time to finish off a picture, when he said he had to pick his sister up on the way home she said " well that's not my problem" I was furious.

Well if plans isn't good enough tell them he has a prior engagement

cant see why going at 4 for tea instead of 3 or 3 30 is a problem?

angel I might just use that one

"his art teacher said he had to come back before home time to finish off a picture, when he said he had to pick his sister up on the way home she said " well that's not my problem" I was furious."

Mm, you're just the kind of supportive parents teachers really love. Not. You do realise you're undermining the school and teaching your ds to take no notice of what the teachers are asking of him? Presumably when he doesn't get the grades he needs in his GCSEs you'll be cross with the school about that, too?

The thing about walking home in the dark is actually quite a big deal, and one of the reasons that next year we are most likely not going to be turning the clocks back in the winter, but staying on time with Europe (well, also it has to do with synching business and therefore making more money!)

Anyway - by not turning the clocks back we will save 100 child deaths a year. The theory is in the mornings kids generally head straight for school. Their hometime journeys can be more circuitous (after school clubs etc) and so are made in the dark. Hence more accidents.

Um, picking up a sibling from school is pretty important, more so than finishing a picture - it's not like her DS said "but I want to get home and watch cbbc" is it. "that's not my problem" is a pretty bad reply from the teacher under those circumstances IMO.

No, the school is undermining loopy. She has not given any indication that she undermines the teachers in the course of their work or that her DS is an ill-disciplined little toe rag.

He sounds like a lovely lad who merely wants to continue seeing his Nan on a Tuesday OUTSIDE NORMAL SCHOOL HOURS when his activities are none of their concern.

It's nothing to do with the school what he does at the end of the school day and any teacher should respect the fact that he might have another commitment like picking up his little sister. Not every mum does the school run in a reinforced 4x4.

Rhinestone.
Where does the Op say that her DS would rather have tea on that day than do whatever the activity is?

And your comment about 'are boys not allowed a close relationship with their grandparents '..
I have already said that DS1 loves his gran and would just want to do it on a different day.So i am not sure what you are trying to say or what the face is all about.

It isn't gran vs hated activity.It is possible fun activity and gran on a different night ( or an hour later)

I am just not sure what all the drama is about.

God knows many parents get frustrated by the rigid and limited education on offer but the school tries to do something dfferent and it becomes about granny hating

If the activity is shit then just say no then. But getting all stressy and dramatic about it seems a bit odd to me.

If there are obligations like collecting siblings then that is different. DS1 has to be here for DS2 sometimes.

It just seems like a lot of outrage and objections when there is actually no idea what the school are trying to achieve yet. i am not sure why the concept of trying to provide something enriching causes such hostility. if it is shit then fair enough but OP doesn't even know what it is yet.

thats all

I'm still waiting to find out what the activity is and whether or not the school hours have been changed making it compulsory, or if it is voluntary.

This totally depends on whether everyone is doing it, and what the activity will consist of. If it is, in effect, that they are lengthening the school day on one day of the week, then I think that's pretty reasonable, with enough notice of say 2 weeks of the change.

If it is something he has been selected for, and doesn't want to do, then he shouldn't have to.

A 3 o'clock finish is very early by a lot of school's standards, but they should give notice if they are changing the school hours.

D

OP YANBU, if the school day finishes at 3o'clock I find it silly from the school to expect every parents will be happy for their children to stay a compulsory extra hour. I would also greatly resent having to justifie the reason why he cannot stay every Tuesday. What you as a family decide to do outside school ours has nothing tio do with them.

I would not be able to let DD stay until 4 oclock unless the schoolorganised her lift home. There is no buses from school after 3.30, it is too far for her to walk home and I do not drive so could not even pick her up.

Do climb down off your big high horse AA my ds is excellently behaved and works hard at his school work, hence his own time he likes to do what he enjoys. I felt really sorry for him that day, he didn't ignore her and he went back and finished hid work. He git home 15 mins late and both of them where out if breath from running as he was concerned that I would be worried.

Also the head teacher was very apologetic about art teachers behaviour.

Oh good point TheprofiteroleTheif.

I have three at three different schools so the whole day is a bloody nightmare - an hours difference on any given day just always becomes another thing I have to sort. But I am used to it being a nightmare IYSWIM.

For parents used to one child or matching times it would be more of a shock.

Sorry, Badly x posted and totally misses AuntAda's post.
Are you for real AuntAda?

MissAnneElk we may never know, it seems to be turning into a general moan about the school. I have pointed out many times that it is not compulsory but don't think the OP wants to hear it, she is on a roll.

I clearly don't read these threads properly. I have no evidence that Pag hates grannies, I have no evidence that this is a lovely lad and I have not seen any indication that the OP cares what the activity is.

YANBU to be cross that they are implying this is compulsory. YABU not to insist that your DS will not be attending.

OP said that her DS loves having tea with his Nan every Tuesday and that sometimes another day is possible but not always.

You did imply that rugby and cadets were more fun for boys than seeing granny - but not everyone would agree with you.

Agree it's not something OP should get stressed about - just say no!