Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

Leaving school 10 minutes early each week for swimming lesson

114 replies

PattyPower · 02/10/2021 15:05

Hi all

Just wondering if it’s unreasonable to ask headmistress if I can pick up my year 2 DC 10 mins early for a swim lesson every week? He is academically able but is very unsure in the water.

He has been having some 1-2-1s with a swim teacher he loves and is getting his confidence - it would be a shame to stop. Unfortunately she now only has availability at 3.30pm - which would mean DC pickup at 3.05. Normally DC finishes at 3.15 and is in playground for pickup.

Weekend lessons seem to be booked solid...

I think it wouldn’t be that unreasonable but really grateful for thoughts. Thanks!

OP posts:

Plotato · 02/10/2021 17:17

@cardibach

Swimming is a vital skill. It’s once a week and the last 5 mins at least of any lesson is likely to be recap and checking of knowledge play packing up (I teach secondary so May be different in primary). I would say take him.

Sorry but this made me chuckle just because I always think primary and secondary teachers have such different jobs. If school finishes at 3.30, there will be no recapping of knowledge at 3.20. Infant classes achieve very little after about 2.30pm - by 3pm it's assembly or storytime or getting bags and coats ready.

RaininSummer · 02/10/2021 17:18

It seems a bit daft for the swim teachers to start a class at 3pm if it's aimed at school aged children.

JoborPlay · 02/10/2021 17:18

DietrichandDiMaggio the OP asked about leaving 10mibs early, not about middle of the days slots.

ChrissyPlummer · 02/10/2021 17:20

@NotQuiteHere

Smartiepants79 It utterly undermines the importance of school

...which is highly overrated

Odd then how last year every parent was screaming about being a “key worker” and “their kids had missed enough school” 🤷‍♀️

BoredZelda · 02/10/2021 17:39

It's clearly outside the norm and you introduced it into the conversation, so I presumed it wasn't a state secret

It isn’t really outside “the norm”, it’s something that happens pretty regularly in schools for all sorts of reasons. If you can’t think of any reason why it might be required, maybe widen your horizons just a little bit.

It’s not a state secret but neither do I have to explain her reasons to anyone who asks.

BoredZelda · 02/10/2021 17:40

It seems a bit daft for the swim teachers to start a class at 3pm if it's aimed at school aged children.

Schools even within our local authority area, have different start and finish times.

blackteaplease · 02/10/2021 17:41

Surely it's no more disruptive than a music lesson. At secondary I used to leave class 5 minutes early to get my violin from the music block ensuring I wouldn't miss the bus. I also used to have a 30min lesson in class time.

OP al you can do is ask, if the head says no you know where you are and can then speak to the swim teacher about a shorter session

SionnachRua · 02/10/2021 17:47

I think it's a bit of a pain in the arse for the teacher to have your kid fully packed and ready to go just before she preps the rest to go (and would she have to bring him out? You couldn't come to the classroom where I am). The end of day is so busy when you teach young children and there's a thousand things to remember/do - I wouldn't add "little Bartholomew needs to go to swimming early" to my personal list.

I teach a much older age group so it's fine, they do all the time management and packing up themselves if they need to leave early - doesn't take up my time, I don't issue reminders or anything like that. Can't do that with small ones.

BoredZelda · 02/10/2021 17:50

Infant classes achieve very little after about 2.30pm - by 3pm it's assembly or storytime or getting bags and coats ready.

This is my experience. Any time we have late afternoon appointments and asked my daughter what she would miss, it was golden time or story time or some other “fun” activity.

SionnachRua · 02/10/2021 17:50

If anything, I'd rather you took him much earlier! So out at 2:30 or so. That would have been easier to manage (ime).

MrsMiddleMother · 02/10/2021 18:06

Yanbu and its definitely worth asking the school. If it's a yes then great, if it's a no then 20 minute swim will have to do

StinkyTinks · 02/10/2021 19:04

We have done this in the past, the school were absolutely fine with it. It was also for 1:1 lessons, swimming is such an important life skill I think most schools appreciate that and definitely outweighs missing 10 minutes at the end of the school day. I’m shocked at some of the responses on here that people think it is unreasonable.
It is definitely worth having a conversation with the school.

thefourgp · 02/10/2021 19:04

Yanbu, I did this a couple of years ago with my kids and it really was no big deal.

AtomHeartMotherOfGod · 02/10/2021 20:08

If it worked OK with the timetable and they had support staff to facilitate it they may agree - you could ask I suppose. In reality your DS's day would end at 3pm as they'd need time to pack up. One day a week couldn't hurt much but I do agree if everyone did it, it wouldn't be very fair.

DietrichandDiMaggio · 03/10/2021 00:02

@JoborPlay

DietrichandDiMaggio the OP asked about leaving 10mibs early, not about middle of the days slots.

I know, but in your previous post you said your school allowed parents to take their children out for all extra-curricular activities.

Silverstar2 · 03/10/2021 09:34

As a TA this would be a pain, as at that time I would be doing small group interventions and having to stop this for one child to go swimming would be unfair to the group.

Do not under estimate the complete faff and time taken in having to find coat, jumper, book bag, lunch box, water bottle, take them and wait in the office, hand over with parent, etc.

You can ask, but I'd be surprised if they said yes for this reason.

Good luck.

Ijustreallywantacat · 03/10/2021 09:44

Im a teacher. One my charges leaves 15 mins early for swimming and it doesn't bother at all. The office rings, I say "X get your stuff and go to the office." Job done.
I don't think I'd be happy for many reasons other than swimming. It's very important.

JoborPlay · 03/10/2021 10:30

DietrichandDiMaggio I was responding to the OP that our school let's kids out 10 minutes early for all activities, not just swimming.

modgepodge · 03/10/2021 11:54

I think what’s clear is that some schools would think it preposterous and would definitely say no, and others won’t bat an eyelid and wil say yes. Therefore it’s worth an ask!

BoredZelda · 03/10/2021 15:48

As a TA this would be a pain, as at that time I would be doing small group interventions and having to stop this for one child to go swimming would be unfair to the group.

Ten minutes before the end of class you’re not stopping and tidying up?

Are you the only assistant in the school?

Silverstar2 · 03/10/2021 16:35

TA's don't just 'tidy up' you know. We have many things to do, and some of them are done 10 minutes before the end of the day. To stop doing them so one child can go swimming would be disruptive.

I can only speak of course for my school, this thread has shown how things at other schools are different.

Quornflakegirl · 03/10/2021 16:39

I take my DC out of school 25 minutes early once a week for a music lesson. They’ve had this same music slot for 3.5 years and it isn’t possible to swap it as their teacher is fully booked. The head didn’t mind at all as it classed as educational activity. Not sure if swimming is the same, however.

Notdoingthis · 03/10/2021 16:51

You can't do that!

PawsNotClaws · 03/10/2021 16:54

@Silverstar2

As a TA this would be a pain, as at that time I would be doing small group interventions and having to stop this for one child to go swimming would be unfair to the group.

Do not under estimate the complete faff and time taken in having to find coat, jumper, book bag, lunch box, water bottle, take them and wait in the office, hand over with parent, etc.

You can ask, but I'd be surprised if they said yes for this reason.

Good luck.

I'm a TA too and this mirrors my experience.

A young child leaving 10 minutes early means that a TA will have to remember that and then start helping them find their things 5 - 10 minutes beforehand. Then they need to leave the rest of the class (who by now will also need help looking for their lost bags and unnamed jumpers and water bottles) to take them down to the school office to the parent. Meanwhile the teacher is left to deal with the remaining 29 children.

It's easier for an older child, who will generally be a lot more independent. For the younger ones, it's a pain.

Having said that, you won't know unless you ask. It may be that your school has an entirely different set-up and it's much more straightforward.

gogohm · 03/10/2021 17:12

No not reasonable. School is very important, swimming you can do as a family until you get a slot for lessons, why not try group lessons now he's had some 1 2 1's

Flip

1 2 3 4 5