Miffed at dd's child's school closing early (again)

[wolveschick]

Daughter's first year in year 5 of a middle school (9-13). Was surprised when they closed at one instead of three for Christmas hols without any real reason but now annoyed that they are closing an hour early for parent consultations. Aibu? No out of hours childcare at the school. If IANBU what to do?

If she has friends at school, find out if she can go home with one of them until you finish work.

What do you normally do for childcare? There must be other occasions when school is closed - holidays, INSET days etc? Can your arrangement on those days not also cover this? If it is only very occasional times like this, then surely she can go home with a friend for a bit? Oh and it is very common for schools to close early on the last day of term, surprised you haven't come across it before.

Prob worded my op badly. I have the luxury of flexi time so no issue with collecting dd. I know full well that she is my responsibility . My question really should be whether to say something to school or not. They keep parents very much at arms length and bad communicators IMHO

Have the school not offered to supervise any child who cannot go home? Closing early for parent consultations is not uncommon - was this date not on the school calendar you were given?

Have not come across it before btw. First child to go to middle school and first year there. First school never closed early at any time.

Many schools close early on the last day before a holiday.

Parent consultations have to happen sometime I guess - one hour is hardly the end of the world.

And no, the early finish wasn't previously mentioned on calendar. The date was but a months notice of early finish.

A month's notice is not unreasonable and doesn't represent poor communication imo.

I have DCs in infants and juniors and closing for consultations is usual as is half day on last day. I usually end up with a couple of extra children of people who are working. I'm sure there is a friend who could do the same for you.

Quite normal. DS's school closes at 1 20 pm at the end of term (he's 11) and early for open evenings.

Our primary never does that. I think they should warn people on the calender.

Our primary school never finishes early for holidays or parent consultations. The secondary school does finish early at the end of term, but offers to supervise any children where parents aren't happy for them to go home. I would hope your middle school would offer to do this too.

Our primary never closes early re holidays or shortens day for parent consultations. I sympathise with you op. I also find the 'school isn't childcare' mantra irritating and wearing.
YANBU to be fed up about it.

Our local secondary school closes early at the end of term and closes for the day for parent-teacher consultations. Until we moved here I had never heard of a school doing this.
The middle and upper secondary schools that my children attend don't do this. In fact I think the Headteacher of the upper secondary school would have a heartattack if it was suggested to him about early closing and extra days of for parent-teacher consultations.

My DDs school (secondary) closes for the day when there's a Review day. It's always on a day I work a 10 hour shift that's difficult to change too.

It is annoying - nit because school is childcare, but because parents totally reasonably make arrangements based on the hours they expect their DCs to be there.

That said, if plenty of notice is given, then having an early finish is not in itself an unusual thing to do. Perhaps you need to encourage your school to communicate better (perhaps sorting last day finishing times out in time to include in the school calendar right from the outset?)