To resent sending DS to school when there's no learning happening ...

[skewiff]

And they're all so b*dy tired.

DS (in reception) has been ill for the past 3 weekends. He gets through the weeks and then collapses at the weekend with the latest virus/bug.

They haven't done any learning at school for the last 2 weeks and there'll be nothing at all happening this week for sure. They'll be watching lots of film and TV.

Why am I breaking my back to get him in early for this?

If you really think there's no learning going on for several weeks I would be speaking to the teacher. I wouldn't want to give dc the message that school is optional.

Dont send him in if you think he is under the weather. I wouldn;t. He is only little.

I work in Y1 and we have still be doing classes as normal with the extention of 2 or 3 additional assemblies - to watch the other Y1 class assemblies, plus a couple of rehearsal times for our own - although rehearsals can also be learning time depending on how approached. This week we will still be doing normal lessons bar the last day when the children are having their chosen treat afternoon - having worked towards the target all term - they have chosen a cinema treat and toy afternoon. The Y1s can chose one of 3 rooms - 2 are cinema rooms with a different film in each, another a toy room. Popcorn will be served.

IME most schools keep going with most learning - just the odd time taken out for leaver's assemblies, etc.

It's reception! They are meant to be playing creatively with a few letters and numbers thrown in!

Keep him off if he needs to recover properly.

What makes you think they have done nothing educational at all?

Since reception should be learning through play they are probably the only ones still learning anything. The older ones will probably just learn that if you don't install sufficient drainage in a school pitch, you can't have sports day.
DD1 is delighted about this, she is probably the only person in the country praying for rain.

If he's unwell / under the weather keep him off. What makes you think he'll be watching lots of tv? Have they told you this? My ds is in reception (in Wales) and they do 'learning though play'. If your that unhappy home educate.

How come they're so tired if all they're doing is watching telly?

I think it's so easy to assume they're not doing anything. I hardly get anything about DD's day beyond 'we watched a film', which they may well have done. But I know (from recent parents eve) that they've also been doing loads other things and as others have said 'learning through play'. My DD has also been meeting her Y1 teacher and beginning a little of that transition which I think will help enormously come Sept. AND she loves going to school, seeing her friends etc and that for me is just as, if not MORE, important than anything academic they may or may not be doing. If your DS is ill, keep him off for sure but otherwise trust the school to be judging how best to use this last week.

Sorry but I refuse to believe there has been no learning at all for 2 whole weeks.

When school winds down at the end of term, it can be fun for the kids to do a bit less.

Why are you 'breaking your back' to get your child out of bed, fed, dressed and off to school?

Have you thought about an earlier bedtime?

My kids rarely see their school mates away from school so like to see them in less intense atmosphere of last few weeks of each term.

Normally I would say YABU, but my yr 5 dd is in very much the same boat. This last couple of weeks of term they've been colouring / reading their books / doing 'fun maths' which involve sums adding to 10 then colouring to make a picture and other time fillers while the teacher & TA sort things out for the end of year.

I think the problem is that normally they expect good weather for this time of year and have interesting outdoor things lined up for them, but with this incessant rain it hasn't been possible.

But come to that I always remember the last couple of weeks of term being insanely boring at primary school, just hanging in there for it to all end.

(Even worse I have a feeling that next year is going to be more of the same - dd is really ready for secondary, has adored all the transition days they've had and would love to be going off in September.)

"The older ones will probably just learn that if you don't install sufficient drainage in a school pitch, you can't have sports day."

now, setting them all to work out angles and dig a functional drainage ditch would be a great educational project!

The end of year is all about transition, meeting new teacher, seeing new classrooms etc.
If you are so worried that your dc is so tired from school, you should be glad they aren't doing anything too stressful, surely now he will be less tired?

Its back breaking getting to school on time because we have to do 45 minutes of physio before we go. DS has mild CP.

That's why he gets more tired too.

I feel real pressure to get him to school (even though he's so tired and not 100%) because of all the pressure on attendance. His attendance has been worse hit because he has appointments throughout the year with Moorfields and Great Ormond Street etc

I didn't realise until the report was given to us that these were included in his attendance allowance. With chicken pox, and other genuine sick days its made his attendance seem low. Although I shouldn't worry about these %'s - I do ...

Bigwheel - I would really love to home- educate - but there's not a good group of home educators round here and I feel we'd be isolating ourselves.

Plus because DS already is 'different' I don't want to separate him even more.

I do hold onto the idea of home education if things, school wise, get worse though.

I'm confused a bit. I mean they always wind down at the end of term we used to spend the last two weeks playing games, watching films etc. It was great fun.

Bit worrying if they're all bored have a word with the teacher and see what they've been doing?

Skew....you've hit the nail on the head with your last post. YOU feel massive pressure...but that's what most of us feel. Yes...most of us don't have to deal with the physio...but you should hang on in there nd keep going unless he's really not very well.

It must be very tough getting up so early every day...but its ALMOST over! I can't wait!

Well I'd keep him off in your situation tbh. Yes, flame away, flame away, but I would. Hedoesn't necessarily have to see it as school 'being optional', at this age they hardly know what day it is, just tell him it's the holidays now. Keep him off and take him on some nice trips to museums and do baking and stuff. He'll learn plenty with you.

Why on earth do people on MN keep insisting (and yes I've seen this many times before) that Reception children don't know what day of the week it is or whether they should be in school or not?

I would expect any NT 5 year old to know what day of the week it is....especially considering the teachers do so much work to ensure they do.

I'm also quite sure he'll know when they should be breaking up.

Oh well

But a lot of them in Reception aren't 5 yet! Even by mid July.
My 8yo still occasionally comes downstairs on a Saturday with school uniform on.
And the other mums keep telling me that he's known as one of the bright ones. Probably just shows how thick most the rest of the year are?

If they're not 5 by now, they're as near as dammit and really the teachers to drum the days of the week into them, just as they should.

Just asked my v bright 5 yo what day it is. She said...

.... Friday

Obviously school are doing a shit job and I should just keep her off the rest of the week

And I don't think she needs anything 'drumming into her' tbh (well except stuff about running into the road, not putting things round her neck or plastic bags on her head etc etc). I don't think she'll reach adulthood still not knowing the days of the week.