To think the school shouldn’t have to close for the afternoon

[Autumncold]

Open evening 5-7, school closes at 12. So students miss two lessons. How would you feel about this?

So would I @Piggywaspushed but if we have to have them, come round, look at work, talk to staff. These ridiculous performances don’t benefit anybody.

No, but you need to rest!! It's actually the law.

Is your school actually trying to avoid 'trapped time'?

In that case you need to pay for marketing departments in schools!

I’m a secondary school teacher. I’ve never heard of closing to prepare for open evening. It’s always been a mad rush but not worth closing the school for

You really need to visit the other areas of the school to see what is going on and what other subjects actually do.

As it sounds like you have very little idea beyond your own department.

@Piggywaspushed i know, but the problem is that closing early actually creates more work, since the curriculum will have to be taught somewhere and there’s pressure to create these ridiculously elaborate activities when I really don’t see them as particularly helpful or conducive. I’d far, far rather have an hour to set up, hour for food, open evening, all done for another year!

I have three kids, aged 30, 22 & 15 - all three of their secondary schools closed early for Open Evening.

To be honest Fripp I think you’re the one who is thinking narrowly. We managed every year until this point without spending three hours to set up.

I think we can see some schools do and some don’t.

Your evening starts quite late OP!

I do think if you close at lunch you should be starting around 4.

As I whined said upthread, we close at 3.10 and reopen by 4.30. This is madness.

I disagree with most of this other than the 11 year olds. Many people are expected to do marketing involving a lot of people outside of their normal working hours.

For example, a corporate lawyer may put on a conference to advertise their expertise. This would be a three line whip for all employees and either a breakfast event or an evening one, because otherwise clients may struggle to attend.

As a parent, closing early seems like an absolute farce.

Surely, families need to see what a school is really like? Not one that has been closed early to spend hours deep cleaning and putting on elaborate activities.

I only saw open days when viewing schools: parents showed round by pupils when the school was in session. Seeing the pupils and how they learn is the most informative. Not a contrived circus.

Good for you.

Fortunately the school where I (and others) work has more respect for teachers.

You don't seem to want to understand what goes on in other departments so you are the one that is narrowminded.

And you keep mentioning ridiculously elaborate activities without saying what they are.

I agree with you @BelleMarionette - Fripp, that does not mean I don’t respect teachers <sigh> it’s precisely because I do respect teachers I don’t think we should be forced into ridiculous performances all evening. I also have respect for the learning of my students.

@Piggywaspushed , commiserations it is a long day, all right!

Fripp, it is fairly obvious that if it’s taking five plus hours to set up it’s going to be pretty elaborate, isn’t it? As I have already said to another poster, I have no interest in snide, acerbic arguments. I think it is sending a dreadful message to students, exam classes in particular. You clearly don’t agree. Let’s leave it at that.

I've never know this in all the years my daughter has been going to school. So strange! They just arrange the open day around it. I'd be quite annoyed if they closed tbh xx

Ours don't. I've never heard of any closing early. How odd.

Autumncold

You can sigh all you like it doesn't make your point anymore valid. Our pupils enjoy the experience of showing the prospective parents around the school and its different department, those in the departments enjoy showing what the departments can do.

I'm not sure what sort of "performance" you are putting on, all we do is talk the parents through the curriculum.

Some departments need the time to set out what they have been doing, I am glad that I don't have to run around, and can actually have a break before the parents come round.

BelleMarionette

We also do school tours during the normal school hours, but obviously not every parent can come during the day.

Fripp, and you can speak to me pompously all you like. Not all schools close early for open evenings. It is not somehow needed unless you are spending hours and hours preparing things that are way over the top. I am pleased that you are happy with things as they are. My sighing over it is because the ones who lose here are the ones who have already lost half the year to lockdowns in year 8/9 and 10/11 and a good chunk of disruption in years 10 and 12.

But this must be far more disruptive. Having pupils show hundreds of parents round will mean pupils are missing lots more lesson time.

If it’s year 7s, that’s not as pressured as exam classes, though, so I can see this, especially if it’s a rota system.

Year 7s are currently 3 weeks into high school.

Autumncold

You have berated others for name calling yet you feel free to do it to others,

Yes we have a difference of opinion, but non of that should mean that you can resort to name calling. It is just loosing you any high ground that you may think that you have.

As for the evening we out on a good show the parents get to see all aspects of the school and can come back for another visit in the day if they want to.

Is setting up trampolines in a sports hall for the PE department over the top? What about setting the 3D printer up and a simple marshmallow/spaghetti construction task for DT? Next you'll be saying having books set out with drinks and cookies (baked by food tech) in the library is over the top.