Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

249 replies

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 25/06/2018 16:43

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?

OP posts:
JazzTheDog · 25/06/2018 22:02

Also Scotland but last day of term is 6th July. Moving up day happened on 4th June and classes are normal until next Tuesday then we have activities day, house challenge day and muck up day.

DS will be going in every day lol

bookishtartlet · 25/06/2018 22:04

Secondary teacher in Scotland here. There are many pupils off, but definitely bout 75% in. My classes will be working until it is the last period I see them, and we tend to do silly quizzes and such.

However, loads of the teachers (and definitely one in my dept) were showing DVDs last week!

leccybill · 25/06/2018 22:05

I'm astounded that they are allowed to 'sit on their phones'.
Not a phone in sight at my place, not even the staff!

Sadik · 25/06/2018 22:06

Worth pointing out that independent schools get considerably more holiday than state. I"m in a tourist town, and the first two weeks of July it's stuffed out with private school families getting in before the prices go up. They also from what I know of friends families get longer at Christmas too. (Don't know if that's also true in Scotland.)

IsItMeOrAmIBoring · 25/06/2018 22:10

Last week of term? Confused

LankinMcElf · 25/06/2018 22:13

Why the hell are there parents out there who think it’s ok to give their kids time off school because they think it’s a waste of time?
Why the hell is nobody challenging the heads of these schools?
Seriously fucking despairing at the future of this country, that’s why we’re looking at Brexit, it’s the same bloody peasant mentality.
I would hazard a bet that most of you who think it’s ok for your kids to skip school cos it’s a waste of time are the same people who decided that immigration was totally out of control and voted to leave the European Union.
Come and bloody get me cos I’m SO angry about this shite.
Probably gonna have to change user name now

WaxOnFeckOff · 25/06/2018 22:16

I've had the opposite, DS2 is in 6th year and is moaning that the teacher isn't turning up! We break up Friday lunch and he isn't due in until 11 but he still wants to go...Confused.

Friends DS been off since Thursday (they break up tomorrow) he's run out of data on his phone as they were getting told to go on their phones. She hasn't phoned in and hasn't had a text from the absence line. They don't seem to be bothered.

LankinMcElf · 25/06/2018 22:18

Sadik they don’t get more holidays at all. It all gets worked out and balanced. You can have a state school having a day lasting 9am to 3.30pm and a private school doing 8.30 to 4pm for eg. It works out trust me

GoingGoingGoth · 25/06/2018 22:19

DD (13yo) finishes tomorrow at 1pm. So she has lunch, goes into registration then finishes Confused

She's also been telling me no-one goes in yet there were at lot leaving this afternoon when I went past and she's been texting her friends this evening talking about what they are doing tomorrow.

She WILL be going in

Naveloranges · 25/06/2018 22:24

There are plenty of activities students can do in the last week that still involve learning. I have continued to work on grammar, learning about South American culture, exam practice and completing any catch up work. The students are completely exhausted though, so you do need to temper the work accordingly. I am in an independent school, where the kids are in school on Saturday and take part in a multitude of activities. I don’t know how some of them do it all.

StealthPolarBear · 25/06/2018 22:28

Lank in that's a bit of a leap!

Catzpyjamas · 25/06/2018 22:30

Our council posted this on their Facebook page this morning. DD is at primary and they have a LOT on this week.

To send my children to school in the last week of term?
LankinMcElf · 25/06/2018 22:33

It’s a mentality thing StealthPolarBear
I’m tired and fed up.
We should support our schools, and our kids
The country’s going to the dogs and it’s stuff like this that winds me up.

craftymum01 · 25/06/2018 22:40

I am a teacher in a primary school in England and we work up until the last full day of term. The very last half day is taken up by a very long whole school assembly, awards ceremony and clearing out pegs and trays. The last week there is a lot of finishing off work happening and a lot of transition activities going on to prepare them for the coming term. Our Head expects full attendance and learning to be happening. To be honest we do more in the last week of summer than the last couple of days before Christmas as the children are fairly unteachable by that point!

LankinMcElf · 25/06/2018 22:49

craftymum01 again, more sense, I thank you

dementedpixie · 25/06/2018 22:52

I think it's different between primary and secondary though. Never had issues with going in the last week at primary but it's been cropping up the last couple of years at the secondary dd attends. They end up watching dvds and playing on phones so don't do anything constructive as half the class is missing

LankinMcElf · 25/06/2018 23:01

That’s my bloody point! WHY is half the class missing!? They shouldn’t be!!

LankinMcElf · 25/06/2018 23:02

Oh man that’s me done. I’m going to bed

Willow2017 · 25/06/2018 23:07

Lankin

I cant see anyone on this thread who has said school is not important, so who exactly are you ranting at on here?

My kids education is important to me but if they are only doing work in certain classes and the others arent then its not mine nor the kids fault.

LankinMcElf · 25/06/2018 23:10

You are absolutely right Willow
I’m ranting, stopping right now

YouCantBeSirius · 25/06/2018 23:30

Another North Lanarkshire maw here. My DD and DSD are both in primary and both going in all week. Both their schools are winding down this week with school trips, end of year assembly, prize giving and golden day.

Tootypie · 26/06/2018 01:03

It is the last day of primary on Friday. The secondary finished the start of June 3 bloody months.

Teen neice did not go in the last week for the same reasons as your DD's.

Tomatoesrock · 26/06/2018 01:09

Mine are in primary finishing this week, It is an exciting week in school at their age.

Choccywoccyhooha · 26/06/2018 01:24

I've worked in numerous schools in England (secondary) and never heard of the majority of kids staying off in the last week?! Is it a particularly Scottish tradition? Most classes in the last week will have a fairly normal attendance figure with one or two pupils absent and every school I have worked in has made it very clear that pupils will be working until the last day. On the last day there is some film watching, quizzing, games, etc, but not until the very last day,which would usually end with a celebratory assembly or church service in religious schools.

Kokeshi123 · 26/06/2018 02:00

I think it used to be an English tradition until the fines started!

The anal system in England is frustrating in some ways but I can see how schools can end up stuck in a vicious circle of more kids staying off, it becomes pointless to set proper work, reducing the motivation to come in at all, reducing attendence still further....

I do think that even if teachers are faced with a lot of absenteeism they should be doing revision of previous work, not just letting them goof on their phones (then again, perhaps they are. OP, have you double checked with the school to see whether your kids are telling the truth...?)