Why do schools finish early before a long holiday?

[Dumpelstiltskin]

This gets my goat as a working parent.

All schools in my area finish at lunchtime when they break up for Christmas and Summer. DC don't even get lunch so DC on free school meals and KS1 DC miss out on a lunch which the school has already been given the budget for, I presume.

They are due a long holiday, why is it necessary for the school to have a half day?

Yes it is tough and in this society where women are judged if they don't work when their DC are of school age, I think we are entitled to 'moan' when schools create extra childcare headaches for no valid reason!

Good point. Judged if not working but expected to attend all daytime school events as if they are not working. Bit of a no win situation.

I suppose they finish early because the last week they don't really do much work anyway so no point being in all day.

They've not been doing much for the last month. Often a complete waste of time for all towards the end of term when the teachers are de-mob happy. Makes a mockery of the "all lessons matter" mantra when they want to fine parents for taking kids out of school for holidays - shouldn't apply when the kids aren't doing proper lessons.

Our school used to finish at 2pm but had to bring it back to 1.30 in line with other schools in the area

Our secondary does provide a packed lunch for kids who have free meals when finishing at 12.30.

I agree that the last couple of weeks are ridiculous in terms of how little work the kids have been doing. My DS's secondary school had wellbeing week ALL week from
11-15th July, before breaking up at 12.45, after a musical performance and evaluation session on the last day. Needless to say, I rang in sick for him, as we were flying off on holiday that afternoon, after seeing his timetable for the morning. I'm a primary supply teacher and had 2 half days of work in the whole of July, despite being registered with 3 agencies and the county council. It just shows how little work children do in the last month of school now, IMO.

They've not been doing much for the last month.

Strange that when I did a learning walk yesterday y8 -12 clasess all seemed to be doing subject related work. Some were doing some more "fun " lessons but they certainly were working.

Oh but whatever, lets bash the teachers eh?

Maybe in your school, Smallfox, but it's clear from several others' experiences, that's not the case in all schools. My DS didn't need his school bag and had put all his exercise books for the year in the recycling before the last day of term.

Sorry, school bag all of the last week.

Ours finishes at 12.

But we almost always break up on a Friday and we finish at. 12.25 usually so it's only a 25 minute difference.

Kids who get FSM get a packed lunch instead.

I've no idea why they finish at 12 instead of their normal time. Its a bit odd.

Ours finish at 1pm so just after lunch.

Schools are very different. My son (Yr 9) had no homework at all for the last four weeks and hadn't written so much as a dot in any of his exercise books. He tells us they mostly watched DVDS in class whilst their usual teachers were absent (school trips maybe) or marking exam papers. Some DVDs were relevant, but in Maths for example, they've watched most of the Blackadder series! Teachers gave up on teaching four weeks ago there.

Exactly, Badbadbaby, that's my point too. They should be break up earlier, if that's all they're going to do for a fortnight or a month. Or maybe the ones old enough could do work placements or activity camps (sports, languages, drama, visual arts, etc.)? It's a complete waste of learning time the way it is in lots of schools at present.

My school does that thing where you shift up a year prior to the end of year.

What was year 8 are now year 9 and have started some GCSEs, I think that helps with the "winding down".

I can't believe there are so many secondaries that don't do a jot of work for a month though.

DC don't even get lunch so DC on free school meals and KS1 DC miss out on a lunch which the school has already been given the budget for, I presume.

Only worked in secondary - FSM kids can pick up a packed lunch on their way out.

They should absolutely get their free school meal, that's awful. Please write to the school and ask for them to change this, as that is absolutely not on.

Every school I've worked in that does an early finish ALWAYS has lunches for the FSM students to collect/have at break. I'm certain that they can't do an early finish without it.

The secondary I teach in had a half day yesterday. I don't really know why, it happens every year, and I'm certainly not going to complain... The best of kids are uncontrollable with excitement en masse on the last day!

It was actually a really lovely day. The sixth form students arranged a "festival" on the school playing field for the younger pupils. They had bouncy castles and an inflatable gladiator thingy. Burger van, ice cream van, tombola, face-painting, and a group of Year 8 boys who have their own rock band played live and the kids danced (as did the staff, to the children's mortification). Brilliant fun. And free school meals were served at 11 instead, so no one missed out on their meal.

After the children went home, we had to have a staff meeting, say goodbye to leaving staff, then tidy up classrooms ready for maintenance to start today. That brought us up to three, then we had the staff BBQ. So yeah, for my school, we still worked until the end of the school day, just the kids weren't there. And I reckon the majority had a pretty great last day. I don't really get the big deal of half days at secondary. I realise that at primary it's probably harder, as the kids can't really be at home by themselves.

Often a complete waste of time for all towards the end of term when the teachers are de-mob happy.

Yeah, it's definitely that the teachers are 'de-mob happy'. Not that your precious baby and all his friends become nigh unreachable.

I have no idea but I doubt teachers stick around. In both the schools I've worked at its a race to get out the door once the kids have gone.

When I was in school we always finished early but it was just after lunch. Some would go without lunch and have it after leaving, especially if on packed lunch, but most ate lunch

I think its because on the last day it's basically just killing time until the bell goes anyway, so best making it shorter. Plus the teachers will then clear the classroom etc before they go home so it saves it being a really late day for them

Teachers on this thread are very defensive. I always wonder why some teachers ( and other people in general) seem to think they have a monopoly on working hard. Yes, they work hard, but then so do I, and I can't imagine the luxury of knowing I was never more than six weeks away from a week off.
Ducking for cover now ...

Yes, they work hard, but then so do I, and I can't imagine the luxury of knowing I was never more than six weeks away from a week off.

Sounds like you should become a teacher then, if it's so much better than your job? Why don't you do that?

I'm not a teacher, BTW, but my husband is and I see the strain he's under. It's not just the (considerable) hours he works but also the intensity and emotional pressure of the job.

Primary don't ever finish early here. Secondary finish at lunchtime on the last day in July only.

My school (primary) never finishes early in the last day and for the last two weeks I have spent hours each night after school sorting out my classroom ready to move and making sure the children's work is ready to go home.

never more than six weeks away from a week off

Is that really what you believe? That teachers don't work during half-term or the holidays?