To think the school year actually ends in May?

[shebird]

It feels like once SATS are over with at the beginning of May very little happens at school. At my DCs school there been lots of 'golden time' and ICT in between practice for sports day and a class assembly fir the last few weeks. Do teachers just coast along these last two months? Seems like such a waste of time to me.

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There are a lot of teacher mumsnetters on here. Don't think they will be happy.

Actually it does end then for some schools

I had a thread few weeks ago about it being the beginning of the new school year!

I know! We've had NO homework for weeks and when I spoke to the teacher about some school work, the teacher was very dismissive...it wasn't a fussy thing either!

Ds1 (13) started a new school this week. Tests and homework. That's what I like to see.

I'd say yes .... KS3 child is doing EOY performance production all day. KS4 child is sitting on his arse for 3 months because there is no school until September.

hahhaaa

and don't forget they are all settling in from August up until the October half term, then it's rehearsals for the Christmas Carol fundraiser from when they go back till christmas.

Yes, - and it appears to start in January!

Shebird - I am a teacher and I can partially see your point. Assessments are done by the end of May. The second half of the Summer term is more relaxed, as tests have been done and less rigid curriculum is in place.

But! Teachers are practising for school concerts, leavers' assemblies, organising sports days, school trips, end of year celebrations in school while teaching too.

In the time after the children have gone home, they are marking assessments, recording the data (often in triplicate for different bodies), writing reports, doing end of year tasks for the next teacher.

The list goes on.

It is different to the rest of the year, but I can assure you, teachers are not coasting. It is the most stressful time of the year for staff, less so for pupils which is why they come home and say they've played, or had free time. It's the only time of year we can let them have the freedom to enjoy school - while still learning!

All the settling in is done here in June and July... So straight at it come sept

Dd started in year 10 after half term/jubilee. Much better this way

Animation I'm not out to upset teachers just speaking of my personal experience and wondered if others felt the same. I understand they have reports to write etc. at the end of term but there's still valuable weeks of learning left.

It did seem that way when dd was in yr6. Not so in younger years.

I thought yr6 was an awfully wasted opportunity in many ways thanks to SATS but I know many teachers don't like them much either.

I was advised by a teacher to home ed in year 6.

I sort of understand winding down in year 6 if most of the year has been hard work towards SATs then maybe some downtime is ok. But surely these months could be used to boost levels of pupils and esecially those lagging behind so they are better prepared or the next year. They have six weeks golden time in the school holidays!!!

many secondary schools start their new timetables after May half term so no coasting there. However, tis easier for the secondary teachers as there are no year 11 or 13, which gives time to get some planning done if you're lucky.

for the first time this year, i have a weird "What is the point?" feeling about dd's school as the assessments have been done, reports written and phonics test taken and nothing we do now will be "recorded." I am having stern words wwith myself because they are doing lots of learning at school, spellings, reading books and it all contributes to her learning anyway because it does not come in discrete chunks, learning does not stop and only restart at the beginning of next year.

Not in my dcs school.

shebird how old are your DCs? Mine are in preschool and YR2 and they seem to be doing the same sort of things as they have done throughout the rest of the year.

It's often an opportunity to cover the 'softer' subjects that we haven't had time to do because we're so busy trying to push up the levels in reading, writing, maths and science.
We do a lot of poetry at this time of year because it's not something that can be easily assessed. Sad but true.

My DDs also moved up to the next year after the May half-term.

I'm not a teacher but I have friends who are, and they assure me that this is a very busy time of year for them with all the final stuff to do, so I know they're not coasting.

For the kids, they've eased up a bit, and will do so more in the next couple of weeks, but they've still done work too. To be honest, I like it that way. DS1 is exhausted, as he always is at this point in the school year. I think it's entirely appropriate that they spend some time doing easy things and winding down.

I am still teaching everything I have always taught, I've done lessons today about fractions, algebra, enlargement and percentages. I will continue to teach proper lessons and set normal amounts of homework until the last day of term. That is standard in my school. The only classes that get anything different are the ones that have already taken their exams as they are no longer in school (Y11 or 6th form)

Year 6 I believe does have some less pressured time at the end of the year. That seems fair to me as the children can't be expected to manage the entire year at the same pressure as they've been under leading up to the SATs. I don't like SATs at all, I know a lot of pupils find them very very stressful and they need the time doing softer subjects as they haven't had the time to do much of them for the rest of the year.

Nope DD has a very important test next week. The following week is a residential, and then the last week they do wind down a bit, along with Prize giving etc.

At juniors its all inductions and moving up. But quite a lot of work until next week onwards. But then there are so many special leaving events for the year 6's Cathedral, Church and school ones.

After experiencing Year 6 post May I can agree with you 100%. At my DS's school the Year 6 children did nothing but run around in a circle for the last few weeks doing nothing remotely educational. It got to the point that even the kids were getting bored and asking for work!!

I do appreciate and understand that the children are at the end of their Primary schooling but it is not the end of their school education.