Pick up from school

[shoutymcshouty]

Sorry but posting here for traffic.
I would like to do at least one pick up of my dc from school. I am a teacher so have asked if I could have a last period of my day to be free (unpaid) so I can dash off to get my dc. It will be my dc's first year at school and it saddens me to think that I won't be able to do any drop offs or pick ups.
I know I'm lucky in other ways in that I get to spend school holidays with dc.
Aibu to want to pick up? Will it matter for Dc? It is worth it? Is it worth losing out financially ( slightly)? Or just stressful? It's a 30min drive.
Any advice appreciated!

It might be worth it to give your son a shorter school day once a week. They can get so tired when they start school. I was lucky in that my employer arranged it so I could do pick ups 4 days a week and drop offs three or four days a week. Now my DS is I’m Year 2 he’s doing some more longer days as I’m at a different school and can’t have my shorter hours. He does get tired by the longer days so might be nice for your DS to have a shorter one and after school time with you, and you to get to know the odd parent and friend too. I hate the school pick ups and politics etc but some elements are good. Not sure my DS cares less though.

My kids are now 8 and 10 but I have to admit I still look forward to the school pick-up. I'm a part-time teacher so can manage a few a week. I still get such a warm feeling holding hands with them and chatting on the way home usually with both of them talking at me at the same time and then chilling out at home with them while yelling at one of them to do their piano practise and the other to do their homework
If you're not going to take much of a financial hit then I'd do it. It maybe tragic to admit, but it's still sometimes the highlight of my day! I certainly wouldn't want to have missed them all.

At GC school teachers have PPA in the afternoon and go home, HLTAs cover the classes. It seems to be popular with staff so could you suggest that?

By the way, do you really need to take a financial hit for this? In most parts of the public sector at least, employers are encouraged to be more flexible and family-friendly. Would it not be reasonable to hope to leave early once a week and make up any time at some other point e.g. at home? I'm sure as a teacher you are putting in huge hours anyway!

I’m another one who thinks it would be worth trying to do some pick ups for all the reasons PPs have given. The other thing is that they may be tired straight after school but they may very well not be. Mine have very rarely been tired after school. They come out bursting with energy as do a lot of their friends and so that leaves a good few hours after school for play dates, clubs, homework, pottering also bickering and destroying the house.

I'd do it but I don't see why you should lose money as you would have to do the work at home anyway, even so if that was the only way to do it I would.

Most professional parents can't do pick ups and either do after school care, grandparents or a nanny/au pair. There is nothing wrong with asking for it but you would be unreasonable to expect it.

I think if the majority of the time children are picked up by the childminder or after school club, they do appreciate it when they can be picked up by their parents. It’s useful so you get to know the teacher, get to know the other parents, can arrange play dates for that day. If you can’t arrange it, your child certainly won’t be the only one in after school care every day, but I think it’s nice for them to get the chance to go straight home once a week.

I absolutely hate picking up my DS at the normal time which I do on wednesdays and Thursdays. It's busy, traffic is a nightmare, drivers are aggressive, if you have any other little ones it's stressful in case they run in front of aggressive drivers. I'm also at a secondary school (pt though) and the days I'm at work DS goes to after school activities or after school club and it's a dream ~ quick pick up, I can park in the school car park or directly outside the school. I love those days

I was never picked up from school by my mother and it hasn't done me any harm.

When younger, I was picked up by our nanny or grandparents. From year 3, I got the coach home.

Thanks for all the responses! I have spoken to the head and unfortunately they can only offer the arrangement as a "part time" basis. So will lose an hour's pay. But yes I do most of my work after school so more concerned that I will have to catch up that time in the evening. I'm trying to weigh up how much I want to see that little face coming out of school!
But a very good reason mentioned above is giving dc a shorter day. He goes to pre school and is shattered. And actually I'll be saving the cost of one after school club session.
I really really appreciate my holiday time with DC, but I must say I have already resigned to not being able to attend any day time events. Which non teachers can do.
I think I will give pick up a go!

Now just to sort out that pain the arse first few weeks where they do half days!!

Oh yes the September half days are a nightmare, I did them for my son/dil but I don't know how working parents cope. I don't understand it as almost all the kids have been to pre school so school isn't a big shock. Back when I started school, in the 50s, most kids hadn't been to any sort of nursery/preschool and we were just shoved in the door on the first day and left to get on with it.

I think you will feel it was worth losing the hour's pay, by the time you knock tax, NI, pension off it won't be that bad and as you say you save on after school care.

Hope it goes well.

If they don't pay you for that hour do they need to give you another hour off somewhere for PPA?

I get to do 1 pick up a week. Free last lesson and can get to dd's school if I leave on the bell (or 5 before). My school have never had an issue with this and allowed me time off to see her first xmas play last year. Having said that I do extra classes - unpaid - 3 days after school and pay for resources for pracs myself so it's give and take and good will is reciprocated. How early would you have to leave before the end of the school day op?

I'm a secondary school teacher and I have ppa once a fortnight on a period 5, I've never asked but I always leave to pick my youngest up from school on this day.

Unsure of English system but ‘PPA’ in Scotland can take place wherever the teacher sees fit. Bit cheeky they are putting it down as a PPA slot...then not paying you for it!

I work part time and really appreciate being able to do some picking up and dropping off. It means the kids can do some after school stuff and have friends round sometimes

Hmm yes I will ask for my ppa back. It hasn't all been worked out yet. To be fair the head is lovely. He's new but the school is known to be quite stingey. I offered to do some extra duties but he said no. He's worried everyone will want to do the same and all go home an hour early!?

I just saw downinthesticks comment deleted. I don't remember seeing any offensive comments?

I am quite torn on this actually. I have always done the vast majority of the school runs. I do the drop off and pick up usually 3-4 days a week. I love it as I feel very much a part of the school as you get to know teachers, parents and their friends. You hear snippets of info from other parents that you wouldn't otherwise hear. It is very important to me. However I don't know that I would want to have the rush and then the working at home that you will end up with. It may well take away from the positives. I wonder could they let you trial it for a few months?

MissDuke it's probably the case that the op will take work home anyway whether he/she leaves early or not. I think the idea is that anything that would be completed in the PPA missed could be completed at home too.

I work part time but have negotiated that I finish at 2:10. This means that my kids only have to go to after school clubs when I have Parents' Evenings. Otherwise I can get home to collect them from school every afternoon. I do lose money as I don't get paid for the last period of the school day but I don't have to pay for after school club (£24 a day)
Well worth it as I am not a career teacher and my kids really hate clubs after school, they just want to come home after school and have friends over.

If you can afford it, it's great.

By not being paid for that hour you are working time is an hour less per week so your PPA time will be adjusted accordingly and will be shorter because it is a percentage of hours worked.

Yes, but also by not working that extra hour, that's an hour that doesn't have to be planned and marked. Swings and roundabouts.

I know but I think the session is part of the OP's PPA time so she wouldn't have been delivering a lesson then anyway and someone asked,further up the thread, whether she would get the PPA time back.