Last day of term

[tazmaniandevil]

Why on earth does school have to close at 13:45 on the last day of term? What is the purpose of this? Confused!!!!

[metalmum15]

God, mine would love to finish early on the last day. 3.30pm here and not a minute earlier.

[metalmum15]

God, mine would love to finish early on the last day. 3.30pm here and not a minute earlier.

[Mistressiggi]

I will happily give up my early finish for the last day but in return I'll start working my contracted hours. So no more last minute revision classes or photocopying extra notes because your dc have lost them again, I'll remember instead that a couple of extra hours on the last day of term are begrudged so why bother with the multiple extra hours I do on a weekly basis?
except I still care about your children so won't let them down

[tazmaniandevil]

I knew that this would happen 🙄

[DoctorDonnaNoble]

@tazmaniandevil what's the problem I answered your question

[JustDanceAddict]

I work in a school. We shut earlyas we have staff get together after the kids have gone.
Teachers do an amazing job and are paid for holidays as they are expected to work masses of overtime without pay.
Support staff don't get paid - it's shit money offset against workimg term time only.

[Mistressiggi]

Teachers don't get paid for (most of) the holidays. Don't bring that up in school!
OP knew exactly what she'd get on this thread.

[pollyhampton]

tazmaniandevil Why don't you just 'phone the school and ask? I'm sure they'd give you a reason instead of trying to second guess here.

[HearTheThunderRoar]

DD's secondary in the past has always finished at lunchtime because they generally have end of year prize giving late afternoon (4ish) so it gives them a chance to go home to have some lunch, change into formal uniform etc before going to prize giving.

And seriously, in both Primary and Secondary, the last week is generally mayhem with various assemblies, plays, tiding up classrooms, sorting through classwork from all throughout the year - a lot of films and games. Not a lot of work is done ime, so they may as well go home at lunchtime.

[leccybill]

Just on the flip side- it's our last day today and we close at 2pm. It was my DD'S end of year mass and assembly this morning, I missed it. She was the only one with no family member there.
All of those in 'normal' jobs were there as they used annual leave/flexi/a favour/time in lieu.
So I will happily accept my 2pm finish so I can get to her school and collect her on time for the one and only time this year. Might even go for ice cream.

[JacquesHammer]

Mine finished at 12 yesterday.

All staff come into playground. Lovely relaxed time of goodbyes and waving off the leavera.

Absolutely love it. And to be honest the teachers have worked bloody hard all year and deserve their end of term shindig

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Our Secondary School used to finish half day on Christmas/Easter/Summer Holidays......until they became an Academy.

DD was CatsBumFace when she realised she'd have to do a full day and not go swanning off to town with her mates .

(But they'll get 2 weeks in October so can't be bad )

[thetemptationofchocolate]

Our school finishes at lunchtime on the last day, but all the staff will not be going to the pub, or home early. They will be in a staff meeting for several hours. It doesn't sound like a lot of fun.

[cardibach]

yummum you say As for secondary, not every child can get home, we live rurally so my kids need taking and collecting from school. I love rurally too. There are school buses for those not in commercial routes or who live more than three miles away. It's how they get to and from school normally. They run at the earlier time, although many pupils just go into town for a couple of hours or go to friends as it's the start of their hols.

[cardibach]

Live* rurally. Though I do love it.

[Whatsername17]

It's like a teacher day. Only the time is spent saying farewell to colleagues and chucking stuff out. The cleaners tend to come in early and start the deep clean.

[JennyBlueWren]

Every school I have taught in has always emphasised that the last day will be a full day ending at normal time. I wondered why this was but clearly because some schools do.

I wonder if it's to do with preparing for a big clean. On the last day of term we had to completely clear our classrooms and the cleaners were stacking the furniture. I did get some of it done with my class but the HT had made it clear that children should be occupied sensibly so had to stay late emptying/clearing the classroom. Other schools this is done by teachers in the first week of the holidays (unpaid).

Or maybe it's a crossover from private (boarding) schools where they end at lunchtime for children to travel home?

Or another theory is that schools can't handle children's behaviour on the last afternoon of school? Although I would have thought it would transfer to the morning instead and I've found it quite manageable even in "trickier" schools, if the children are kept occupied and having fun in a structured way.

[TheFallenMadonna]

I've never worked in a school that finishes early on the last day of term. Tutor group party in the afternoon. Traditional playing of "School's out for summer" just before the bell. Wouldn't feel right without it...

[MaisyPops]

JennyBlueWren
I teach right up until the end. Only exception is on the last day I do revision quizzes with them but it's still subject based. Behaviour is fine.

What annoys me more is when people have wind down pointless lessons and then I have to resettle my class and deal with 'but Sir let us...'

[halcyondays]

that's late for last day of term ime. Round here it's 12.00 or 12.30.

[CornwallLass]

I am head of a small CofE primary school. We finish at the standard time, but have a church service in the afternoon. Leaving aside the rights and wrongs of church schools, it is lovely to have a focus - infant nativity and carol service at Christmas, pre-Easter service for lower KS2 and Leavers' service. The children spend the last week getting ready for it and it is seen as a rite of passage. Our parent surveys confirm that all the parents and children love it - all are encouraged to take part, but no child is forced to do anything where they feel uncomfortable. It is a real community focus - local villagers come along too and it brings us all together. Wouldn't change it for the world.

[spanieleyes]

We have a Leaver's service in the afternoon, all children attend. we then return to school, usually by about 2.30. Parents can collect their children from then on but the taxi-children won't leave until usual time as the taxi's wont come any other time! So at 3.15 I have to

1. strip all the walls
   
2. clear all the windows
   
3. clear all the windowsills,
   
4. move all the furniture into the middle of the room and stack tables and chairs
   
   If I manage to leave before 6 I will be doing well!

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

i am always perplexed by the overt or covert niggles at teachers and their hours. Particularly so as I've also read where it's apparent that the OP has a flexible time schedule and some helpful benefits.

I suppose we could trot out the old chestnut that I have been using since I became a teacher many years ago. "If it's so good, please join us. "

Several posters have answered the question posed by the OP on this thread and those answers all apply, dependent upon the school. Some finish early to stagger the finish times with other schools in the area. Some finish early to allow for prizegiving. Some finish early because they are preparing for a summer deep clean. Some finish early because.......and so on.

Every school I've ever taught in will have informed the transport providers of the different time, so buses, taxis etc, will be available to take the children home in the usual way. If it's primary, presumably the person who usually collects the child will do so- parent, grandparent, child minder.

I always spent the first week of the holidays in school doing paperwork and preparation. I would also be in school at least one or two days for the rest of the time, unless away on holiday.

There are threads about people desperate for their children to be at home. There are others dreading the holidays. Whatever schools do, it's wrong for someone.

[LittleIda]

Perhaps people are resentful the teachers won't look after their children over the summer too or something. I've noticed on threads like this when no teachers reply it blows over and people are fairly reasonable, but when teachers come on and defend themselves people just get more and more goady. Perhaps teachers should respond to the more obviously goady threads by hiding the thread so the gfs won't get the rise they are looking for?

[cricketballs]

My old school used to do this; register for pm then send them home. It meant that we could do the staff leaving speeches without people clock watching and ensured a relaxing end of term. plus as the other secondary finished at a completely different time there was no fear of the 2 schools meeting when they were domob happy.

My current school doesn't - we have a whole school mass before lunch then form parties in the afternoon. But we have a very large catchment area and transport is an issue. This means I don't manage to leave until around 6 as we still have leavers speeches.