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.

Same at my dd’s allegedly Outstanding primary school. Nothing got done after SATS. Made it harder to keep up skills to start year 7.

We always have the last couple of weeks more relaxed as nothing goes in and they’ve worked hard all year.

We are still doing proper lessons as normal but they’re just not as intense.
Some years also have work experience, sports days or trips during these weeks.

I think it’s absolutely fine to have a fun, relaxed couple of weeks but I would be annoyed if my child was rehearsing the play all day everyday which meant just sitting their watching for most of the students.

I would expect the main parts to go down everyday and practice but the others only need to practice for an hour max everyday and then can get on with arts and crafts etc.

Same at DS’s school. Interventions stopped after SATs, last month is play rehearsing. lack of routine (has SEN) has meant he’s dysregulated and getting further behind on learning. Had I known in advance how little they do now I’d have booked a holiday while it’s term-time prices. It’s not a coincidence that lots of parents who had older kids go to the school did just that!

I agree op, unless the class all got top grades in their SATS they should be doing academic work. An hour or so on a play each day or a PE lesson is fine but films etc are just ridiculous. They are about to get 6 weeks off and then in September summer learning decay will be mentioned.

They could do a project or go over topics they found hard. Or if they did all fly through the SATS maybe some year 7 work.

The last few weeks of term always seem to be non academic and (not just for year 6). My year 5 has been doing rehearsals all day (not even daily maths). My year three has been told they are doing fun stuff all week next week. If they have run out of work to give them I’d prefer them to be sent home, I don’t like taking them out of school but a trip anywhere would be more educational!

I think it’s really poor and very bad prep for secondary
I know “all” ( nearly) state primaries do it but it doesn’t make it right, or good for the kids.
All of the subjects people have listed above should be taught throughout the year, not a massive focus on English and Maths from Sept to early May to the exclusion of everything else, then having that flipped on its head. It is poor practice, and commonality doesn’t stop that being the cade.

If you live in Edinburgh though it’s pretty rubbish going back to school in mid August when everyone descends on the city for the festival.

I often think the Year 6 teachers must take these years because they're the laziest teachers in the school. We have had the same experience.

When my DTs were in year 6 there was pretty much no timetable at this stage. They spent much of the time running a little business making krispy kakes and selling them to the senior school at break.
They researched recipes, walked to the local supermarket ( with teacher, in small groups) and priced up and purchased ingredients, took turns in groups making the cakes, selling them, balancing the books, clearing up..
They made a good profit for charity and learned a bit about running a small business. The classroom smelt of chocolate for weeks.
They also spent a week camping and learning to sail on the Isle of Wight, did survival courses in the pool and read a lot of books. A great time was had. This was a private school.

It’s very common and that’s what we did when I was in year 6. Just practicing for the school performance and a little bit of work (not much). I know some people think it doesn’t set you up for year 7 but to be fair we didn’t do any work in secondary school during the last week anyway.

@alexisccd
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?
We would spend some time with all children in the classroom practising songs, some time with all children in the hall rehearsing, and some time with just main cast in the hall rehearsing while other children made and painted props. We'd also have extended time outside for the children to decompress, and we would do some lessons e.g. PSHE and Topic. But the show would be the priority (my co-teacher, who is the Deputy Head, takes the show very seriously!).

@Wheredowe assume you are being sarcastic. School league tables are based on KS2 SATS. Wouldn’t want to be the teacher responsible for them

Really?

Ours is exactly the same OP, only without a residential. They've done the sum total of fuck all.

@fartfacenotfatface
"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!"
As an ex year 6 teacher, I do agree that nothing but play rehearsal is unacceptable. When I taught year 6, it was geography project, transition project, residential school trip, daily kwik cricket or similar, pizza making etc. Rehearsals were max 2 sessions a day.

They are wrapping up 7 years of primary school learning! Let them have some fun with their classmates who they have seen daily for all these years, before they all move on!

DD spent December in year 6 doing rehearsals for the Christmas play, it was at minimum all afternoon, sometimes more.
DD wasn’t in the play, and wasn’t going as it clashed with something else (the show was at night). So she had to sit about and occasionally sing with the choir. We’d had a repeat of this most years practicing for ‘shows’., at least 2 a year. Total and utter was of time usually, DD hated it.
I know if it hadn’t been for covid it would have been the same in June/July.
however I spoke to someone last night who works there and OFSTED were apparently quite critical of the head and the deputy, who is obsessed with these ‘shows’ and wants them on all the time to show the parents ‘what great work they do’. Hopefully it will reduce them now and get some balance.

This! ⬆️

I'm a yr6 teacher & following SATS we continued to teach normal curriculum for a good few weeks but then started to wind down a little & cover all the 'fun' learning that we don't have time for, pre-SATS.

We've done 'real world maths' (budgeting, explaining how bank accounts & loans work, etc), we've investigated different career options online & looked at what qualifications/skills they may need, we've done various sports events & a massive DT project which has culminated in their creation of some amazing motor powered mini fairground rides. Then there's the all important relationships & sex education lessons! We've also done some transition sessions, preparing them as far as possible for secondary school. Not to mention all the treats & fun activities we have planned for the last 2 days where they can really kick back - parties, ice creams, bouncy castles, etc.

And now, in these last 2-3 weeks, yes - it's all about the end of year performance. And yes - they're all involved in some way. And yes - they all practice as a year group. They're one big 'team' & it's a collaborative project. That in itself is a learning point.

We appreciate that it's not everyone's passion, but in life & their workplaces of the future, they'll have to be involved with things that don't necessarily fill them with joy but they have to be done. And they'll have to work with people they might not necessarily like all that much. It is what it is. That's how the world works.

We've got kids who are finding it tricky & we accommodate wherever we can by giving them props making jobs etc but we insist that they all sit stageside whether they have a speaking/on stage part or not (their choice) & they all have to stand & sing every song.

Believe me, from a staff point of view, the last term in yr6 is incredibly busy & stressful & there's certainly no 'slacking off' or 'going through the motions' whatsoever!!

What a bunch of miseries! Having kids in school til 2nd or 3rd week Julynis ridiculous anyway.
Let them enjoy the summer term, particularly the ones who’ve done SATs where they had to do months of nothing but English and Maths!
Now they’re doing creative subjects, plays, sports - all of which helps them become more rounded.

Your poor kid only aloud to study and not aloud to relax and have fun with their classmates bet ur a riot at home with your only study do not relax and have fun rule

And as for the kids who don’t have a big part in plays - they can read a book, help behind the scenes, or heaven forbid be bored for a bit.

MN love the ‘dealing with boredom’ line.

It is fine, sure, when they are at a loose end at home but shoved into a sweaty hall endlessly doing the same thing is really not a valuable life skill.

I’m in two minds. On the one hand the kids deserve a break. It’s a very good opportunity to put the hot housing of English and maths as abstracts to one side and do some more practical, possibly more relevant subjects. Relevant to both children and adults! But I have had occasion to notice this week that once again I sent my child back in at the beginning of the year having done some work over the summer to support his learning and once again he has either cruised or deteriorated throughout his time in these much vaunted so-called ‘professional’ education establishments. He is Sen, but I’d quite capable of learning when with a competent teacher, which seems to be a rarity in British schools. They appear to function ever more as neo-imperial classist social clubs. So from that point of view you’re not wrong op.

My year 6 daughter has had a mixture of structured learning, practising for the school play and activity days since the end of her sats.
She’s currently attending a week of secondary school for her settle in sessions so is being taught there. The remaining year 6’s not going to this school have a full week of fun activities in primary.
The school has had excellent SATS results so I’m happy with their approach to year six education.

My dd is currently at home today instead of being at school where she should be. I agree totally with some posters. The unstructured regime at the moment has lead to my dd who is autistic being totally thrown and unable to cope meaning she is so upset and confused.The behaviour in the class has gone to shit ,havent even seen her teacher who is using assistants and has been for weeks as she gets ready for septembers new starts,Its crap. Done nothing since sats and the ferel behaviour has been shocking. I am so angry at dealing with the tears and well frankly bollocks to school ,the play etc.Feel so let down. So shes home today and if I feel it right she will be home until she feels she can cope .Roll on year 7

When I was in year 6 (long time ago I admit) we did a project after SATs. On any topic, presented how we liked. So we were all given a new plain exercise book and access to all classroom resources as well as IT access and we did our own special interest project. Any down time when others were rehearsing we worked on our project. I was very into writing so wrote reams and reams but loads did a presentation, or draw most of theirs. This was standard at my school so there was never an excuse to not be doing something. And it was a topic we chose so we weren't allowed to say we were board of it.