To expect my year 6 child to be taught until the end of term

[fartfacenotfatface]

DC3 is in year 6. With the exception of a couple of days a few weeks ago when Ofsted were in, they have done precisely no academic work since half term (and actually probably a bit before that, once SATs had finished).
Literally every day has revolved around practicing for the end of year production and / or going outside to play (unstructured) sport (although they had a residential trip a couple of weeks ago).
DC is not really into drama so has a very minor part in the school play (I'm fine with this but I am not fine with them having to sit quietly in the hall for the vast majority of each day watching the key performers practice their parts all day everyday with nothing else to do).
They are completely and utterly bored. Is this normal for year 6 children once the SATs are out the way? My elder DC didn't do SATs (DC1 was not at state school in England and DC2 was in a covid year) and so were taught until almost the last week of term.
I am tempted to take DC out to be honest. Their behaviour is getting bad as they're so frustrated at doing nothing all day everyday.

We’d be crucified if this happened in our school( not UK) by both parents and principal. Our program goes right up to the last day. It makes it so much easier to keep a tight ship too.

@Hereinthismoment you'd get my vote too - very little skin in the game now as DD17 is in yr12 but we largely get better weather in late June & July and only commented last week that this would be a better time to have the long holiday!

OP I feel for you, I remember after SATs not being particularly academic but they did outside things, went on a residential, cycling proficiency, taster days at their next school etc

We are still on full timetable. We have a lot of different transition days as our children go to a lot of different secondaries but if they are in school they are working. Next week they are off timetable doing enterprise activities but I was in there today and the were doing American history. Behaviour would be out of control if we lost the structure

Would you really have all year 6 kids in the rehearsal room for the whole day bar lunch time for three weeks? Even if that child (well bulk of kids) had v limited involvement in the production?

That is what is happening in OPs DC school - not what I think is more the norm which is a mix of different less academic learning or fun activities and a celebration of school life as they move on from the school.

Thank you. I wouldn't mind the endless play rehearsals if there was something for DC to do besides sit. If they could help paint sets, organise costumes or even sit quietly and do some worksheets, that would be ok. But they are sat doing nothing and watching the others for 90% of the very long day in the hall, for THREE FUCKING WEEKS!

Yep my son is in Yr6 and they've pretty much done drama, PE and art since SATs.

I'm not bothered though.

Interestingly, his secondary school have already mentioned that after SATs they have a lot of free time so they have sent reading lists for over the summer.

Exactly
My DD is 18 and still speaks fondly of the last few weeks of Y6

Another vote for Hereinthismoment. I'm in secondary as well. A lot of bad moods, staff and students. A lot of detentions and even the odd exclusion. End of term can't come soon enough.

But that isn't what is happening in the OP DC's school....

Teachers the school hall, teaching assistants outside. Easy.

They have to finish the Circulum by SATs. After that, it's up to the teachers. But what is the point in formal teaching at that point when they could do life skills stuff. The fact one child finds it boring isn't a measure. It could be life changing for other kids - especially the less academic ones. Learning to suck up 'boring situations' is a life skill in itself.

I'm sure if yr6s were doing on full on grammar and algebra until the end of term there'd be far more complaints.

Ours haven’t done homework since Sats but have definately had normal lessons. They have done so much other stuff aswell - residential, school trips, sports day etc. I do think they want to give the kids a break after all the hard work towards Sats (ours had alot of extra homework before the exams).

I do think thats unusual to be in the drama hall all day so I would speak to the teacher about that. Never heard of that from any friends with kids in primary school and surely kids need the days broken up into different activities?

Summer term in Northern Ireland begins after the Easter break (so usually mid to late April) and finishes the last week in June. Then it’s summer holidays from first week in July until last week in august / first week in September

Agree-no school should put that much emphasis on a school play. Perhaps a few afternoons but the days need to be broken up into lots of different activities for all the kids. Its been sunny for weeks so plenty of opportunity for school trips, sports, walks etc. Ours have been outdoors so much.

I'm surprised by all the responses TBH! Ours seem to be trying to cram in loads of the stuff they don't have time for earlier in the year because they're spending so much time on pointless bloody SATS.

So yes, there are play rehearsals, one PE lesson is learning the group dances for the play, Art and DT are prop and set making. But they've done full new units in history and geography, extra computing stuff, PHSE stuff, a spot of science here and there.

They should be spending these weeks catching up on drama, art, d&t that sats inevitably kills

My DS is in Year 6 and hasn't had any new learning to do but he deserves a mental break as the lead up to SATs is hard-core. Doing nothing at points is what he needs.

I have a year 6 daughter and im glad she’s been able to spend a few weeks just having some fun.

I think if they were spending lots of time on art, crafts, PE and music that’s a bit different, but I can see how the endless rehearsals are exhausting and depressing. I have memories of that myself from primary school - tedious as hell. Not forever though.

We knew our school would do nothing after STATS, so we booked a holiday. Unfortunately covid happened and put an end to that.
Unfortunately school didn’t think they had to provide any work then either as they were ‘finishing anyway’.

I'm with you OP, and like the school where they do life skills, PE etc that are not about passing an exam (crafts etc).

Unnecessary.

These are valid concerns, I'd be raging.

YABU

@GoodChat

"Teachers the school hall, teaching assistants outside. Easy."

Huge presumption there ...

YANBU. My DD was completely bored post SATS. The teachers seemed happy just to bimble along, there was a lot of watching movies and other nonsense. I don’t necessarily think they should have been hitting the books hard but the balance was off.

But I also fundamentally disagree with SATS and all that nonsense.