AIBU the school should allow a later start time

[Ihateelves]

DC school are having a musical production which is a whole class participation. ( 2 classes doing 2 separate shows )
they have been focusing on this for weeks in class and everyone is involved. They are year 4 and 5 students.
it is going to be performed at a different location from the school with other schools also performing musicals.
the children attended school by the usual 8.40 this morning for normal lessons they then left school just before lunch to head to Venue and did rehearsals for the rest of the day. The show then starts at 7pm and most children won’t get home until around 11pm.
we received an email today to remind us that they expect all year 4 and 5 students to be at school on time tomorrow.
I know every 8/9 year old is different but I can’t imagine the classroom will be fun for anyone tomorrow including the teacher !
I would have expected a later start time at least ?

So the show is 3 hours long PLUS the venue is an hour away?

Surprising...

My school has a trip that doesn’t arrive back until 3am (sometimes later) they expect all staff and students to still be in on time.
Most of the students aren’t though.

Opening later would mess up parents who need to go ti work, so many people would forget and turn up anyway and they can’t stay open later because the staff have to get their own kids.

It would be too much hassle.
It’s better to keep it the same and just have tired kids and staff for one day.

I think it's a bit of a late start time for a children's performance, but I get that they need to time it around availability of an audience being present (presumably adults who work) and giving children time to eat dinner first before performing.

But I think the normal start time is fine. If yours are feeling unwell, you can always just say they're not feeling well and you need to bring them in later or keep them off for the day, if you need to. I have a 10 year old, but she's been to an evening cinema showing for a special performance and didn't get home until 11pm before, had a quick shower, and was up and off to school as normal the next day, and was fine. It was a one off and she went to bed early the next night.

We used to have this every year with the CHristmas show at school, they would keep them ridiculously late and then expect them in at normal time.

Hell mend them, they insist on late nights, they deal with the consequences of children being tired little ratbags.

As a one off I think most children could manage this. The brilliant memories (including the excitement of a late night coach) will last longer than the detriment of a single late night might have on them.

But... its totally unnecessary. Its perfectly possible/easy to do it earlier, with no compromise required, so why don't they?

Not only is it late for the kids but think of the staff, im sure precisely none of them want to work late into their evening.

I get that they need to time it around availability of an audience being present (presumably adults who work) and giving children time to eat dinner first before performing.

If its "just a one off" parents can manage to get there earlier. And children that age can easily cope with eating a meal at 5 - most that I know do regularly.

Our school nativity is at 2.30pm in the afternoon and yet the tickets are sold out and the vast majority of parents at school work full time, so it's perfectly possible to schedule a children's performance a bit earlier.

They probably don't have to autonomy to say they will not mark them late. It's good that they are open for those who need to drop off at normal time. I suspect they have a statutory obligation to be open in their normal hours too.

Take your child in late and take the late mark on the chin. I expect they'll be very understanding.

I remember seeing a parenting 'hack' discussed which was putting kids to bed in their school uniform for the next day at school. It came in for much condemnation but might be handy here - just put them to bed in school uniform and bundle them into the car and out into school half-asleep and let the teachers make what they will of them 😂.

We've had this at our school with Young Voices when DD was in Y3 and they had to be in at normal time. I thought it was fine! The school day is busy and they do a lot of work before 10am - too disruptive to come late or to reorganise the week. It's a late night so the parents' call if their kids could cope with it or not - all this info was available when they signed up to it.

It's 1 day. and what about working parents? not everyone can WFH. How is that supposed to work?

That’s what my kids’ school did too, which I think sounds reasonable.

It’s one day. They’ll have weighed up the potential benefit (less tired children for one day) with the potential cons of parents being stuck for childcare

YABU a late start would be a nightmare for working parents.

It’s one late evening, I’m sure your DC will be able to cope. They are not babies

Our school allows a late start in instances like this. The younger years are allowed to go in at 9 and they strike the first lesson for the older kids (Yr5&6) so they can go in at 8:00 (normal start is 720). We are asked to WhatsApp the teacher if they're going in at normal time so they know how many kids to expect.

My eldest (8) would be absolutely hideous in school the following day. But he wakes up at 5.30am regardless of his bedtime so a late school start really wouldn't help him!

They need to learn resilience. Don't mollycoddle them. Sometimes you just have to keep going when you are tired.

If it doesn’t cause you a problem to keep them at home, let them sleep in & take them when they wake up. That’s what I’d do. School will have to be open for the children who’s parents have to be at work & can’t keep them off. My boys would’ve been miserable and unbearable all day after an 11pm bedtime at that age!!

Resilience to staying up late at 9?? What nonsense! Hardly molly coddling to have children with a routine!!

YABU. Most people can't just start work later or miss work because their child had a late night. It's one day. They'll be fine.

Because - in our case - it was a theatre festival in a proper stage, parents and family work, not everyone could take time off for a 2pm performance. so 6h30 pm it was - three schools, three plays and yes we were home by 10h30 or 11pm...

9/10 year olds should be able to stay up until then once in a while

I can see why you’d suggest that. My eldest is in a youth theatre and shows all week have finished at 10pm. Myself and the youngest in tow pick her up (single parent). We are all knackered. But I’ve still had work and they’ve still got school. Their school shows at the secondary school can be similar over a few nights. They’re older but younger siblings still being dragged out for pick up. I’m also a teacher. Schools need to be open and expect to have children dropped off at the usual time as their parents will mostly have to also get to school. Teacher parents can’t take flexi and come in late!!

Is this young voices? My DD's class did that last year and they were not getting back to school till around 10pm with parents then collecting them so the headteacher said the kids could go in later the next day.

The school would have to mark children as late and then would be criticised for poor attendance, given that recording attendance is not with discretion.

I do a lot of various drama type stuff and kids do generally cope and bounce back fine. 11pm is the latest permitted time of performance/rehearsal for any child over 5, so its expected that the vast majority of kids should be able to cope fine with it as a finish time.

I'd maybe have a vague problem with the length of time they're being expected to 'work' in a single day. It's meant to be no more than 9.5 hours over age 9, with no more than 5 in rehearsal or performance, and there's solid reasons for that.

That said, it's a one off and thousands of kids do it every year without melting. The adrenaline and excitement of the event will get them through.

If I were planning it, I'd have offered for the children to come in late on the day of the show itself (with a plan for those who can't to sit and relax watching videos etc), as much to keep them fresh for the show as anything.

Then, back to normal the following morning to help with the 'come down', and with a loose hand to any slightly challenging behaviour that's atypical.

Barring individual needs (neurodiversity etc) they'll be fine.
Getting in to school to talk about the night before with your mates, look at some photos/videos, talk about who still has glitter in their hair or face paint on their ear... it's all part of them building up culture/community.
Of course they'll be tired but their teachers will manage it. Just like if they went to camp and stayed up late whispering in bed, they'll still be up and into things the next day.
I would just prepare for the next evening to be a very easy dinner, shower, relax, bed.