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!!!!

Mine used to close at midday

I found it irritating because we didn't do anything except collect reports and listen to an inspirational talk or something from the head. Just do it the day before and give everyone an extra day off already.

5moreminutes "My DD's school closes at 9:35am on the last day"

what on earth time does it open??!

My school finishes at normal time - 3:20pm - on the last day of term. Only one I worked at which finished early was secondary - so didn't really affect parents, and school buses were laid on early too so no issue not hat score either. Staff had to stay til normal end of school time though, so no knocking off early. Was handy though as could sort things out in the afternoon, meaning your room was nice and clean and empty by finishing time ready for the caretaker and cleaners, etc. in the summer.

DD's primary and secondary (independent) finish at lunch. The morning is prize day assembly, in the primary parents were invited, and they leave after that.

My school have already started the new school year 2 weeks early with our new classes. No class parties this year or fun days. I am currently planning and resourcing lessons right the way through the coming week. We are primary age - my 7 and 8 year olds will be working right up to the end of term. I will be back in on Fri (we finish on Thurs) to strip my classroom of all the displays I put up the week before last for my new class as the room is being painted over summer. Then I'll be back in later in summer to put it all back up again!

OP, I suppose it's because you suggested it was so the staff could go to the pub and get pissed. It was tongue and cheek but it obviously touched a nerve because teachers get sick of comments about their long holidays.

OP Maybe it's because people gave many reasons and despite many clear posts outlining a range of reasons, you'd decided to then do some daft reply like 'all I really want is a real answer that isn't teachers saying they work hard'

Then as the thread continued, you've replied 'I knew that would happen' and a rolly eye face.

It's almost like the intent of the thread was to stir up some silly debate about teacher holidays. Fortunately, what actually happened is a sensible discussion about end of term arrangements.

Jaxhog Sun 16-Jul-17 12:58:53
I'm sure being a teacher is very stressful. So are many other jobs! But we don't get 6 weeks holiday.

Simple solution. Retrain. Then you too can have 6 weeks non-contact in the summer too.

@Thisarmingman you could of course spend a week of your holiday cleaning and redecorating your office and another week planning, resourcing and printing all your work for the next 6 weeks. Oh and your half day could be cleaning up all the left over rubbish and belongings of other people's children if you want. I love my job, I work evenings and weekends and pull all nighters when needs be. I do after school clubs and have been at two late night functions for the kids this week, but it is totally worth it when I see what my children achieve. However, then ignoramuses with sweeping comments make me wonder why I bother! It's a good job that your teachers bothered or you wouldn't be able to sit on mumsnet insulting us!

I suspect that the OP is being goady. Either that or it's a slow news day at one of the bloody tabloids.

I don't work in the holidays. I don't stay late on the last day of term.
I work very hard the rest of the time, but I have a family and am a committed union member so not getting involved in competitive martyrdom.
I have absolutely nothing to do with choosing the end time for the last day or when the in service days are or anything else that annoys parents.

DD'S school finishes at 12.00 on Friday. I don't mind what time they finish now in Seniors as I'll be at work and she gets herself home anyway.
It did annoy me when they had lunch time finishes in Primary as I would have to take a whole days annual leave. Thankfully they only did this for a few years where they had
10 1/2 day teacher training days instead of 5 full days.

Kudos egg I dislike competitive martyrdom too. I do feel some people are pushes to justifying things on sites like MN where there's a reasonable amount of people who think the job is easy and we're all lazy sods.

I tend to stay a bit after so that I can walk in on the first day back and it's all there. I'd rather not have to fight for the photocopier on the PD day in September.

I think I work a happy middle ground, but then I also work in a school where good will goes both ways.

Mittens no I didn't

I used to help out in our boys primary school. On the last day, after the kids went home the teachers and classroom assistants had to clear the classrooms, including moving all the tables and chairs out. They also went back to work a couple of days early to set up classrooms for the new school year.

Thank you Maisypops, I work hard and put in extra hours (not all evening or weekend though) and my employers definitely get their money out of me. But I have done this for a long time and need to keep going till retirement. I do not want to burn out, have children who don't recognise me, or collapse with a stroke at 55 due to stress.
For some people teachers working 24 hours a day 365 days a year would not be enough; they just don't like us.

We finish at 1.30. Then we get all the cash the PTA have raised and use it to get pissed while we dream up new ways to annoy parents. Or we clean our rooms and take down all the displays.

@tazmaniandevil, I do apologise, it wasn't you that said that. You just asked the question. That was the post selected by mumsnet to be the headline. It was the first line people Shaw clearly designed to goad teachers to hit back.

You did say we hadn't given you the 'real' answer when several of us had told you precisely why it happens at our schools. The real reason will vary between schools. There is no one answer.

Why is it a problem if your DC are of secondary age?

Slimthistime school starts at 7:30am (which is daft, yet for us handy), DD catches the school bus at 6:30am.

So she isn't only there for 35 minutes :o but it really doesn't seem worth her having to get up at 5:45am for 2 hours of school ... It's just how it is - I have no idea why schools bother with the tiny short last day at all (except of course I know they have to because the education department decree how many morning registrations have to occur per year, and there is no getting around it - central computer says no to logic I suspect!).

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.

This.

When I was a sahm I lost count the number of times parents moaned that early closes, parents evenings, parent assemblies were fine for us, but unfair for working parents.
One group even tried to stop the parent assemblies as it wasn't fair on working parents, like they trump all other parents
They should publish finishing times on their calendar though, no excuse for last minute.
Working parents have to realise that the world doesn't revolve around their childcare issues, school is not childcare, and they have to live with compromise if they choose to work.
I'm a working parent now, and yes I've had to miss things too.

Teacher miss their own kids stuff - plays assemblies sports day leavers

They can't take time off (or get cheap holidays)

They have other jobs than teaching - reports incidents they maybe head of year or head of English - classrooms are deep cleaned and the caretakers are in all summer

school is not childcare
Well said.
Schools are educational establishments. They are not childcare.

It's like people bitching about sorting childcare for the school holidays. Schools having holidays isn't something surprising that creeps up on you unexpectedly. It's something that is (or should be) factored in when deciding to have children.

My usual rant is this: teachers and schools are not there solely to provide convenient and free childcare to allow parents to do their own jobs. Education is to provide skills, knowledge and qualifications to our young people and teachers have terms and conditions of work too.

AND year 7+ should be able to entertain themselves safely for a few hours - and get themselves some lunch

What's the issue with that?