To send my children to school in the last week of term?

[ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs]

Here in Scotland it is the last week of summer term. According to both my dds (14 and 13) NO ONE goes to school in the last week, and definitely not in the last couple of days! They know they will both be sent in anyway, but are moaning that it's really boring, they don't do any work as the teachers can't teach anything because they would just have to teach it again when the rest of the class was there. Apparently they are told to "play on your phones", and some teachers are actively hinting/ suggesting they don't come in!

I'm a bit pissed off with this. On one hand the school officially disapproves of parents taking children out during term time to get cheap holidays, on the other hand the children who do make the effort to go in are seen as an inconvenience, it would seem. There is no penalty for not going in. Dd2 is home upset because her lovely friends are all staying off the last two days and going to a theme park, despite knowing that dd won't be able to join them, and will be in school on her own. (This isn't just hearsay, they did this at the end of last term too) So I am the worst mother in the world for making them go to school. Am i?

Where I live (in Scotland) the kids move up a year after their May exams eg if they are in 4th year they have a few weeks of 5th year before the summer break. I would send them! As a PP said, there will be a lot of parents getting the same story

All I did in the last week of term at high school was watch films. We certainly did no work. You could bring books/games in as well. This was over 20 years ago though. TBH I hated it, all my mates parents DID allow them to stay off and I’ve never quite seen why my parents were so insistent on me going in. Of course I resented it when everyone else was having a lie in then doing something fun.

Same here (also scotland)
Last day tbey do sod all, watch films, use pcs etc. Half the teachers are away with school trip lot so supply teachers in. Nothing against supply teachers but they still wont be doing much last day.

My eldest whinges on that none of his friends will be there and half the classes wont either. Its really annoying for him and me my ears ache from the time i pick him up 2nd last day till i drop him off next day 😐 I send him in regardless but its me who gets the grief.
Its not just his word btw ds2 confirms it. Every sodding year.

I dint have an answer. Maybe schools shpuld crack down on parents who let thier kids skive off every last day of term (i know kids who do this every time) or maybe it doesnt matter in the grand scheme of things?

Honestly it's pointless sending them, all they do is get made to either watch crap movies or sit on their phones until home time, not productive in the slightest.

It's a bit of a joke on the schools part, not "allowed" to take them out of school but the teachers aren't interested in having them in class either.

Our school also moves them up a year post exams but regardless there isn’t much work being done this week. I let them miss sports day as they weren’t in any events. I will probably won’t make them go on Friday. I do feel for them, one year DC2 got the same film 3 times! It’s true that many leave early to take advantage of cheaper air fares and attendance is down significantly.

Must confess I think this is beyond appalling! I know that many schools ‘wind down’ towards the end of term (especially end of year) but to have a whole week where pupils can come in ‘if they feel like it’ to play on their phones while others piss off to an amusement park?! Wtf?!!
You’re not even talking about missing a day or two to get that cheaper flight, A WEEK!!
Sorry, but I would definitely be speaking to the HT about this!

I have heard this about our high school too that “everyone else” stays off. My 2 are still in primary (eldest about to finish p7) and the eldest anyway is doing absolutely bugger all except watching movies

It was the same when I was at school tbf we did nowt but play games and listen to music the last few days

I'd be pissed off if I went to work as a teacher and only a few children turned up. Never heard of this before.

School in Scotland, every class of mine working this week though I have saved some more “fun” activities to do related to their courses. Haven’t noticed any more off than usual. Some trips are running.

Even if not a lot is done at your school, is there anything wrong with having some “downtime” with your classmates and teachers, having conversations that can be helpful next term in building relationships?

My classes are working this week! Higher class writing an essay that I will mark over the holidays.

my DD (primary) school sends a message home saying wear normal clothes and bring in games for the last week, my DD is staying off the last day as school finishes at 1pm and i have an appointment i need to go to so cant be in two places at once. all local schools both primary and secondary dont do any school work the last week

I remember this. The glorious break from May - September the year I went up to uni.

Lovely

(Not for my mum)

Send them in!

I'm be suprised if they were doing 'nothing' to be honest.

I teach secondary and we are keeping going with normal lessons until the very last day. Our head would not allow a week of doing nothing and certainly not pupils playing on phones.

Yanbu - my DS seems to come home with copious amounts of colouring in and lists all the films hes been watching. I know of At least 7children out of 26 who have holidays abroad booked for that last week. DS will be going in because, as someone up thread said, a bit of downtime and conversation is actually a nice way to end the year with his classmates and teacher. Send them in if you're working and they have nothing productivelse to do at home.

I’m also in Scotland and DS1 is desperate to go this week! It’s his last week of P7 right enough, but he’s loving it.

Seriously I’m all for a bit of down time, fun activities and chillin a little with friends and teachers, but I’m surprised no one else sees OP’s description of what happens in her dc school a total piss take!

Glad to hear some teachers are teaching and that I am not the only heinous monster of a mother for making my dc go in ! I always enjoyed the last week at school, spending time with my friends, but they moan that none of their friends are in.....It's a vicious circle, it seems the more people who don't go in encourages the rest to not want to go in, then the teachers don't want to teach anything important to a half empty classroom, so the message is that they don't do anything anyway, so fewer pupils come in.....

It’s a school day so they go to school. I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous in my life. Not even a conversation here I’m afraid

I left high school about five years ago, and the whole time I was there we never did anything that last week. Most teachers expected less than half the class to show up, so either put on a film or let us play games or do our own stuff. They were mostly getting everything wound down ready for end of year I think. My mother always made me go in the last week up until the last year and I hated it, I was sometimes one of only 2 or 3 in the class. So whilst you could try pretending to send an email, it's likely they won't back down, because there is a good chance they are telling the truth.

If you’re DD’s we’re in my classes, I’m definitely teaching
We are planning experiments (most of them chocolate and marshmallow based, looking at melting times in deferent areas of the school!) and then doing them.
We also get to eat the chocolate.

We are also making our own floods, and one group is devising a presentation on the carbon cycle via interpretive dance!

Sorry sent half way through
Send them in.
It’s a school day. It’s important

I'm in Scotland, kids similar ages, it's treated as a normal week here, everyone still goes, def don't sit on phones in class, fair enough it's a bit more of a skive, and there's a lot of work they don't do, but I wouldn't even contemplate my kids staying off (bad enough having another 6 or 7 weeks without adding another one on )

For those saying send an email do you have emails for individual teachers?? At the school my DC go to all emails are send via the office. You can mark for the attention of someone, but it can be an exercise in frustration trying to get an acknowledgement that it has been received and sent on. Similarly for phone calls, it’s via the office and hopefully you’ll get a call back but very rarely same day, normally next day at the earliest or even a few days later.

I have an email for DS1s teacher, but it’s a Language and Communication Centre attached to a mainstream primary with tiny classes so I’m not sure if it’s usual or not?

I also try not to take the piss and bombard her with emails, only when strictly necessary or replying.

Not implying OP emailing would be taking the piss!