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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to speak to the school about this?

156 replies

Queen0fFlamingEverything · 27/11/2013 11:22

DD is in Yr 6 at a small village school. Every day, almost without fail, her class are at least 5 minutes late out of school. The other classes are generally out on time, and on the one day a fortnight that her class has a different teacher to the usual class teacher, her class are also on time.

They are meant to finish at 3.15 but the earliest her teacher has ever let them out is 3.19. Most days its more like 3.25 and several times it has been 3.30. DD says this is because the teacher insists on everyone standing silently before anyone leaves.

There's no shelter in the playground and its pretty unpleasant waiting with smaller children. I often just turn up at 20 past now, but for people with DC in other classes thats not an option.

More seriously though, DD wants to start walking home on her own. Its a 15 minute walk over fields with no major roads to cross, which I am otherwise happy with her doing - but I want to know when to expect her back and when to start worrying if she's late...

OP posts:
petalpower · 27/11/2013 22:07

I am a teacher - we are supposed to teach until 3.15 not have them out with their parents at that time. It is amazing how long it takes 30 children to put their coats on, pick up their bags and line up.

cjel · 27/11/2013 22:08

petal - trouble is this is the only class in this school keeping this time?

petalpower · 27/11/2013 22:13

I wonder what time the other teachers finish teaching then cjel?

SpikeyChristmasTree · 27/11/2013 22:19

Aren't there only two classes? So saying 'all the other teachers release on time' just means one other teacher does so?

chocolate140 · 27/11/2013 22:34

lots of schools have more than 2 classes per yeargroup nowadays

cjel · 27/11/2013 22:37

OP says 'the other classes'

SpikeyChristmasTree · 27/11/2013 22:37

OP said there are only 35 pupils in the school and 2 teachers.

Original poster
Queen0fFlamingEverything · 27/11/2013 22:39

There are only 2 classes and 2 full time teachers at the school, but they don't always have their class teacher for the last lesson of the day. Its slightly hard to explain but basically the school is part of a partnership with a couple of other very tiny village schools nearby. The schools share some lessons (eg if they are getting a specialist teacher in for something) and sometimes teachers from one school will come in to cover for absence or take a class (like languages or music) at one of the other schools.

DD's class has a regular 'borrowed' teacher one day a fortnight, and reasonably regularly (again once a fortnight ish) the head will take a lesson at the end of the day, or there will be another teacher in for some other reason - one those days, they are out on time. Then the infants class (who are nearly always out on time anyway) have a TA in charge one afternoon a week who also lets them out on time.

DD's regular class teacher is the only one that feels the need to keep them for an extra 10 minutes day after day after day. I am honestly not making it up or embellishing, I have better things to do!

OP posts:
Tinpin · 27/11/2013 22:45

If school finishes at 3.15 then they won't be out for at least another 5 minutes. You let them out at that time but in my last primary school they had to go downstairs, fiddle around getting coats and bags, chat, run back upstairs to collect the forgotten pencil case / jumper etc. Maybe have a little talk with the cleaners and caretaker , wander back out to the playground to look for a lost football and then slowly meander their way out to waiting parents. Children have no sense of time and a complete disregard for anyone waiting for them.

Tinpin · 27/11/2013 22:47

Year 6 are the worst culprits

chocolate140 · 27/11/2013 22:49

if you want her out quicker and it's obvious that this teacher isn't going to budge maybe you could try talking to your daughter and reminding her that she has to get her things together quickly at the end of the day and come out to meet you straight away - if she still isn't coming out after 10mins then I would talk to the teacher

Original poster
Queen0fFlamingEverything · 27/11/2013 22:55

Its a class made up of Years 3 4 5 and 6, all of whom are all equally late out.

And the classroom opens into the cloakroom which opens straight into the playground, so I can see for myself when they get let out of class into the cloakroom and DD can see my furious hurry-the-hell-up-its-effing-freezing gesticulation too

OP posts:
longjane · 27/11/2013 23:01

I think you have spoiled as you only have a 2 class school as bigger school do often stagger there classes coming out so parents can get the younger safely . Really it does make sence not to have 60 kids milling around at the same time. With younger one maybe getting hurt or lost.

stella69x · 27/11/2013 23:03

Get over it what is 10 mins to the time they get home? Yr 6 is prep for yr 7 so school ends at 3.30 walk straight home takes 20min. Panic on at 4:30?
Only person stressing is you, give them time to finish the day for all sorts of reasons. They may have been held back coz they ate late, not giving attention when needed or otherwise being teenage shits.

Original poster
Queen0fFlamingEverything · 27/11/2013 23:08

They aren't teenagers Hmm Its a primary school.

And I can't see how they will be able to do the same at the 'local' rural secondary because most of the children are bussed in on special services so they can't have half of them missing the school bus every afternoon, surely Hmm

OP posts:
chocolate140 · 27/11/2013 23:08

stella but if the parents are expected to get their kids to school on time and get 'told off' if they aren't then the teachers should have to do the same thing with the end of school no? if your excuse for being late was that your child took ages putting their coat on or you weren't leaving until they shut up, then the school would tell you that it's your responsibility to make sure they're there on time regardless of what happens at home. so isn't it the same at 3.15? it's the teachers job to make sure the kids are back with their parents ready to go home at 3.15

maddy68 · 27/11/2013 23:09

If they are not standing still following the teachers instructions then they should rightly stay behind until they comply.

In effect it's a detention
Schools no longer even have to notify parents of an after school detention by law (it all changed last year). In practice at my school we can keep them fir 15 minutes without notifying parents as it is our policy to notify but legally we don't gave to anymore!

You should explain yo your child that they need to comply with instructions

Original poster
Queen0fFlamingEverything · 27/11/2013 23:15

Maddy68 - I DO tell her to comply with instructions!! Its not necessarily MY child causing the whole class to be late. Maybe it is sometimes, I don't know - she tells me it isn't though, her teachers tell me she is polite and well behaved at school, and I guess if it was an issue with her specifically then her teacher would make me aware of it (and I'd be hopping bloody mad with her too). I can't do anything about other people's children though Hmm

OP posts:
Philoslothy · 28/11/2013 00:00

I didn't say they were teenagers , I was responding to the statement above that this is not expected in a secondary school. Most primary school children should be capable of being silent behind a chair for a minute.

maddy68 · 28/11/2013 00:25

Have you asked the teacher if your child is being disruptive at the end of the day?

lljkk · 28/11/2013 06:52

never required in the way OP describes, 5-10 minutes of waiting for it. They have to be in next class by then or on the bus home!

mummytime · 28/11/2013 07:20

I would have a brief word with the teacher.
To be honest if it is every day, then whatever the teacher is trying to do obviously isn't working, and she needs to think of a new strategy. Probably involving taking time off break time, and targeting the offenders only. (Most teachers I know dismiss classes in group /one table at a time anyway.)

At Secondary this really can't happen because of the school buses (my DCs school only gives after school detentions with warning because of this real problem).

Joysmum · 28/11/2013 07:46

Given how many parents struggle to get their kids out the door on time I think YABVU. They've got 30+ kids to get ready!

At my dd's junior school the teacher had to spot the adult collecting each child before that child was released so I'd turn up a bit later.

As far as the walking home but goes, you've said yourself they are always at least 5 mins late out soba just in your head the time she should be home by 5 mins and instruct her to look at the clock on the way out, if it's later than 5 mins your child will know not to dawdle and should rush to get hone on time. Great life lesson and no biggy.

Original poster
Queen0fFlamingEverything · 28/11/2013 07:50

Philoslothy I was responding to the poster who suggested the children were being "teenage shits"

OP posts:
NurseRoscoe · 28/11/2013 08:04

In the circumstances I think you are being a bit unreasonable sorry.

If children were missing buses because of it then no you wouldn't be. If they were half hour late or more you wouldn't be.

Small children should learn that not everything is 'now'. Mine are small and have had to wait for buses for longer than 5-10 minutes and they've coped with it.