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.

What is G&T?

gifted and talented

gifted and talented, they normally talk about enrichment progs now, tho if it's the whole class it may not be!

Talk to them. What if it's fab?

We have "Enrichment Days" as ds's primary. I think it's when they go off piste a little - still supporting the National Curriculum but it's a chance to do something a little different.

Omg just had a chat with ds about the Tuesday thing which led to a discussion about today lesson. It appears they have done sex ed today, and the teacher asked the class to write down all the bad words then replace them with the proper name. The kids where writing stuff like Dick fanny arsehole etc. my minds boggling.

That's not enrichment, that's part of the curriculum.

Why are they using after school time to teach the curriculum?

loopy, don't be phased by the exercise, have done it with yr7s many times. The children make up words half the time; it's a good springboard to dispel myths and talk about sexual development in an age appropriate way.

Oh phew. I'm strict on no swearing so may have over reacted then. This wasn't the enrichment tho, this was today in school.

Tbh it sounds like school is B a bit U in not sending a letter explaining the change ( it's not at the bottom of his bag is it?)

But in turn your communication with them sounds a bit passive aggressive too - why say you have 'plans' if what you mean is ds enjoys spending time with a loved gp?

how on earth in saying we have plans being passive aggressive?

Blimey ForMashed.
If you picked up that comment I wonderthat you didn't bother withthe several posts in which I was challenged on it and responded with fullsome praise of grannies.

and wonder that you left out drama and picked on the rugby and cadets. again. Does rugby and cadet sound like code for butch or something?

Leave Pag alone - I have already had an arm wrestle with her in defence of grannies and she gracefully capitulated clarified matters and most definitely does not hate grannies!

YABU its only an extra hour and finishing at 4 is hardly late is it.

I think we're losing sight of the real problem here which seems to me to be the issue of the school demanding every child attends a session outside of school hours.

The school cannot do this and you are totally within your rights to not insist your DS goes and, what's more, it's none of the school's business what he is doing.

I wonder if the OP will be stopping her ds from going on trips that end too late

But it's not the time that's the issue - it's the fact the children are being told it's compulsory to attend outside of school hours when, quite frankly, it's not up to them what the children do or don't do.

If the DS went on a school trip it would normally end at an after school time and it would be complusary to stay.

no BBG read the thread properly before you me FFS. It is that he does not want to go, nothing to do with the time.

OP, I would do as another poster suggested and phone your LEA to clarify exactly what the school's official hours are. If they do not include this extra hour, write to the headteacher and say that your DS will not be staying to this lesson and that you don't want him to be pressurised any further into attending. And if he is pressurised again, say you will make a formal complaint against the teacher.

We had a similar incident with DD1's primary school a few years ago, although it was a one-off; the school had a local ex-mayoress opening a new classroom and when we all arrived at 3.15 for pickup we were told it would go on for some time and no one was allowed to get their child until it was finished. The children were all in the playground and the gates were locked, keeping parents of the premises

It just sounds as though you wrote 'plans' rather than explain the situation more fully. The communication doesn't sound great on either side. Why not speak to the teacher and find out what the thinking is and explain your situation?

If the school want to extend hours they can but generally they'd want to have a good reason for this and usually they would consult. Having said that I'm surprised by the extent to which posters feel you should assert your rights - the school want him there for enrichment activities rather than selling him into slavery. I think sometimes people have a poor experience of school themselves which they bring to bear on their view of education in general.

For a school trip, the school need your signed consent and they generally stipulate in the letter sent home what time they are expected back. I even had to sign a consent form for my DC to be taken off the school premesis for swimming lessons, which take place during school time.

Unrulysun - if the OP doesn't assert her rights, the school will trample all over them. I have positive memories of school, but wouldn't allow my DC school to dictate what my children do once the school day is over. I certainly wouldn't expect to have to give reasons why my child wasn't attending.

I think lots of people are focussing on the activity itself, which may or may not be 'enriching'and not thinking about the way staff at this particular school have conducted themselves.

I would be extremely unimpressed if this was sprung on me halfway through a term. It's all very well saying "it's only his nan rearrange it" but what if LoopyLou had PAID for an out of school activity for all term? She wouldn't be seeing that money back. Most out of school activities are paid for at the start of term and I for one would need at least a half-term's notice to sort that out. I think the school is being rather inconsiderate not to give proper notice.

Some children just don't want to hang around at school more than is strictly necessary.
DD's school is quite into this sort of thing, and she genuinely isn't interested. She already has gymnastics training, and practises when not in training sessions.

School have been trying to get her to join a sports team, but she doesn't really like team sports, certainly doesn't like outdoor sport, and doesn't actually like school either, if the truth be told.