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?

Ds1's school (England) used to have this problem. Now the last week of term is "move up" week. They start their new classes with their new teachers (where applicable), new topics and new books. Miss it andcyou really will be a week behind in September. They do finish a period early on the Friday though.

Scottish secondary teacher here. What your dc are saying is probably true.

I was down to half numbers in all my classes yesterday, however, I still had them all doing work and will be doing so today again. The problem we get is the constant moans of "do we have to do anyone work? Why? No ones in!".

Children being in this week is certainly not an inconvenience. My reply is "you've been sent to school to work, you're working!". What I do see though is with a number of staff out on school trips, those staff remaining who have to cover their classes are not always as strict with how much work they do/if they are using their phone. Sadly though you do get a small number of teachers who shouldn't really be there!

@BarbarianMum - in Scotland we do this from the end of exam season, so they’ve all been on the new timetable for a month already.

For junior pupils this is good because it keeps the momentum going, but for seniors it’s a bit more complicated. I have pupils sitting in my Higher class who, based on their predictions, will not pass National 5, which is the level below. I still have to teach them until we get their results in August. Then after summer those that haven’t passed will have to be recoursed. The month of work that they’ve done with me feels a bit pointless, not to mention the month they’ve missed with their new teacher. One of the quirks of the Scottish system.

In England so 4 weeks left, the last week of term is only 2 days long and we are already receiving messages from the school that those 2 days are normal school days and absences will be monitored and where necessary action taken (fines).

No matter when school finishes, there will always be a ‘last few days’ which many invariably avoid. It is pointless for kids and yes, teachers won’t teach if multiple students are missing.

There will always be a last few days of term.
Most schools I've been in has been have been (rightly) of the view that term time is for learning. I'll be teaching until the last day and on the last day will be doing some fun review activities of the year's learning. Actually, I find that students prefer lessons where they are actually working over lessons where the teacher has attempted to be cool and fun. Students can watch films and chat at home.

Be wary of 'everyone will be off'. I had students ask me if my lesson was cancelled. Obviously it wasn't. I asked why they thought it would be and apparently 'everyone's gone home to watch the football'. My lesson rolled round. 2 absent out the class. So much for 'everyone has gone home'.

Scotland here and my ds class was full yesterday and there was still lessons on and they still did outdoor learning. He finishes half day on Friday and will b attending up till then. I know before anyone starts that schools not childcare but I have enough problems during the holidays without arranging an extra week of childcare

I'm amazed at how lax they appear to be in Scottish schools! In England attendance is compulsory no matter what the time of year! I'm also shocked that they can play on phones in lessons.

When I was at school the last day of term before summer was a half day. We finished at 12:30 so my mum never made me go in. What was the point? To sit there and do nothing for half a day?

I wouldn’t allow them the whole week off but the last couple of days is fine

Well as far as I’m aware that’s not the case for England. Kids always attend until the last day. But if your in Scotland and you know the rules are different there, I’d take what my kids are saying on board.
I’d contact the school and ask what will they be doing in the last week, if the answer is half hearted I’d let them havebthe last two days off.

13 year olds alone at a theme park (especially the one I’m guessing it is!) sounds like a terrible idea btw.
To read this thread you’d think teenagers aren’t prone to exaggeration, ever. I’m guessing the “all the teachers let us..” is similar to the chant of “all the other kids my age get to...” ie, a load of bollocks

I send mine to School but only because I'm working.

I’ve taught in lots of schools, and it’s always been ‘work up to the last lesson’ in every one. To be honest, it’s incredibly boring for staff and students to watch videos (apart from anything else you never get to finish a film!) and teachers who tried it we did come down on.

Having said that, after a long term some winding down outdoors or practical lessons are usually scheduled, and make hot classrooms with no aircon more bearable! Trips etc can mean smaller classes but that’s often a good chance to try activities you couldn’t do with a large group. One of my most productive ever lessons was with two students not in an exam everyone else was doing—in the time we sorted out some key barriers to learning 😃

I agree with other posters—“everyone else” is probably three kids. You’re the grownup so stick to your guns. If you really think the school is going to let them play on phones raise it with the HT, but it may well be not quite as reported!

I'm amazed at how lax they appear to be in Scottish schools!

Don't worry, it doesn't have a detrimental affect.

Last day of school today here - although no longer an issue for me as ds is was in S6 so finished after his last exam in early May

His secondary now "starts" S1 for the last 5 days of school, so the P7s have their last day of primary a few days early before going an having 5 days at the secondary so that it's familiar before they start in August. This is the third (?) year that they've done it and it's deemed a success. Helps keep the attendance figures up as well

Ds always used to say that they did very little work in the last few days - especially the last day when they finish at 1.30. I always used to send him in anyway - although I'm not sure he used to stay for the last half session!

I wouldn't have felt guilty though if we'd ended up getting good prices for flights to Australia a few days early (as it happened, the year I planned to do that, dh ended up saying he didn't feel we could afford it even though I had money set aside from my mum's inheritance )

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

Well at my son's school, it's school activities that take pupils and teachers away from the classroom, i.e. DofE, field trips, sports days, inter-school games matches, science festival at local uni, theatre/music/dance productions, etc. Certainly not just people taking holidays or bunking off. My son has gone in for every single day towards the end of term, but some days he hasn't had a single one of his own teachers as they've all been busy doing other things.

Eg a field trip takes all the Geog teachers out for the day, so unless you're one of the year participating, your Geog lesson is going to be covered by a supply teacher. Multiply that by other subjects and you soon see why there are no proper lessons. The last couple of days, they've been doing silver DofE which has meant 8 teachers absent supervising the 30 pupils who've gone on it.

I'm amazed at how lax they appear to be in Scottish schools!

Why? It doesn’t affect you. Personally I’m amazed at the ridiculous system in England, uber strict uniform policies and isolation.

But I don’t care that much, because it’s not my kids affected by it.

as there are lots of scottish school peeps on here can i ask?

how common is it for a High School not to offer iCT in S2?

What’s ICT?

@soddingunicorns ICT is Information, Comptuers and Technilogy

Ah ok, it was called Computing in my day many moons ago. I don’t actually know the answer, sorry, DS1 is just starting S1 in August, hopefully someone else comes along with an answer for you!

I work in a school tho a special school and yes the last week is always quiet, staff never gave much for them to do as teachers are usually bogged down with their own paperwork to get sorted out and yes most staff talk about hopeful low numbers. Think it's quite common.

Ict was an opt in subject when mine were in S2 along with Art Music Hospitality

Speak to the Head.