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!!!!

The early finish isn't new. It happened 35 years ago when I was at secondary school. And now another poster has mentioned it, local schools were released at different times presumably to avoid the demob happiness (and fighting) of all the kids at exactly the same time.

It might take you by surprise the first year that your child is in a particular school but most have a recurrent pattern and so you get to know which days will be early finish and roughly when sports day will be. I know for example that the last day of every term at our school is kick out early and that sports day always falls on the last Friday of X term so we plan our leave and childcare accordingly. The after school club here runs normally on the last day of term so if parents have their kids booked in there they can choose whether to pick them up at 6 or anytime earlier than that.

It's a 12.45 finish at DDs school. Then the HT stands at the gate yelling "be nice to your parents" till they've all gone. I think it's a joyous way to end term.

1.) teachers get paid for 195 days a year, our pay is divided between 12 months so we get a wadge every month but we are actually only contracted and paid for 195 days so what we are doing on the rest of the days really isn't any of your buisness.
2.) I don't know any teachers who don't have to work in the holidays but those who don't good for them, they aren't being paid and shouldn't be working.
3.) the main reason for the half day is because most schools learning support assistants and classroom assistants are also on a 195 day contract (190 days with kids in 5 days for training) the half day allows assistants to meet with the teacher for the next year, more equipment into new classes, deep clean equipment etc.
4.) catering staff are also often on the same contract so not providing lunch means that the deep clean of the kitchen can start.
5.) and yes many staff leave in September at the end of the school year so often thank yous etc are arranged.

Its not a new thing, my secondary school used to finish at 2.15 on the last day of term, and I left school 20 years ago!

my son finishes at 12.15 on thurs before lunch (in secondary) and my 2 at primary finish 1.30 on friday! no idea why though! just like inset days after 6 weeks hols! why??? i know teachers work about 3/4 weeks over the summer hols & only actually get 2(ish) weeks off x

angel do a week in a school then we will see

Why is inset just after the holidays considered strange?

Did finishes at 1.30 and will have to come to ds's school where I work to wait for me.
I'm guessing they finish early as your classroom will be expected to be ready for new teacher/term, all class work on walls will have to have gone home. To be fair I think all the kids are demob happy already. I would deny the person who looks after my child for hours and hours week in and week out for free a pint at the pub! A class of thirty of them and as a parent we normally don't have to deal with much more than 1-4 of them. As a TA I'll be in school and getting thing and ready for new term and I'm not paid if expected to.

Oh insets are for all the new safeguarding procedures, first aid and all the other things the government throws at schools over the holidays!

Ours finish early too. I finish early on a Friday anyway but no doubt DD will want to go to town with her mates. Last afternoon of term usually has the town flooded with school kids from all the local secondary schools.

This is nothing new. When I was at secondary school in the 80s we always finished at lunchtime (or even a bit earlier) on the last day of every term. I've had kids at one primary school since 2004 and they've always broken up at 2pm at the end of each term. And two of my kids go to different senior schools which break up between 12 and 1.40 at the end of term too. So I don't see it as an alien concept.

In our case because the new head has flights booked for early evening on the last day of term, hence the early finish
Prior to his appointment, we were there till 3:30pm.

INSET at the start of September is fab. It enables us to meet with our heads of year, see who's going to be in our form and go over any problems and the like. I am particularly glad this year as there are several students in my new form that I need to learn a lot of information about.

I would rather teach a full day than sit in the hall and listen to boring speeches for hours on end. A couple of years ago a teacher's retirement speech went on for fifty minutes, it was agony.

And I won't have six weeks off, I'll be chuffed if I manage three.

And inset days have to cover safeguarding training, etc.

I also work in a school! Unfortunately many parents have no idea how hard staff work looking after and educating their children. It may be 9-3.30 in the classroom and lots of holiday but the extra work planning, sorting out the classroom, staff meetings, targets, parents evenings... the list goes on and on! Plus the increasing demands from parents! An early finish is actually nice for the kids too!

Our school started doing it because parents requested it! They wanted to get away early for holidays.

I'm sure being a teacher is very stressful. So are many other jobs! But we don't get 6 weeks holiday.

I don't think finishing early is a bad thing, provided schools give enough notice so working parents can make suitable arrangements.

They did it at my school over 50 years ago. Can't believe it's an issue.

Schools are obliged to be open for a certain number of days, most schools have a half day before Christmas and a half day before summer holidays. This means less time with super excited kids and an opportunity to have a meal together for teachers and say farewell to colleagues.

just like inset days after 6 weeks hols! why

Because they are training days? Some training is statutory, so has to be refreshed at least yearly. Plus, it's often more convenient for parents to have INSET tacked on to holidays, surely?

OP - if you "knew this would happen" and it makes you roll your eyes so much, why didn't you just call your school and ask?

Any school doing a full day will have an extra day of holiday elsewhere in the year.

You have had plenty of logical reasons offered, OP, why are you still demanding the 'real' reason?

Tradition
Time for departing staff to give speeches/receive presents
Time to clear swap/rooms
Students are very de-mob happy
Missing last lesson on a Friday is not harmful to education
School leaving times are staggered to avoid clashes with other schools

My school doesn't do this, we finish at normal time on Friday. Leavers' speeches are tomorrow after school.

Parents you were aware when you had kids that state schools close for 13 weeks a year. Plenty of teaching vacancies if you feel it's cushy.