Breaking up for the holidays

[Crocsforlife]

Just wondering with fines and stuff what happens at end of term. We finish up today for Easter, eldest is going in for reg then going with her pals for a McDonald's breakfast. Youngest isn't even bothering.

This is normal at summer and Christmas also very rarely go in last few days. Schools are a ghost town with very few pupils in and I think the teachers like the down time.
Both in high school. In Scotland so don't get fined for time off. Do the kids elsewhere do this, is it just a west of Scotland thing?

Dd was doing assessments on the last day of the most recent term. Seems a real waste of learning time. I understand the last day of the school year could be more relaxed, but they do full on learning the rest of the time here.

It wouldn’t go down well at my ds school! They break up at midday for any of the big holidays - Christmas, Easter, Summer, they still expected to attend school in the morning.

I think some kids do it in England but it is very much a minority. In high school kids can have assesments on the last day, they are still learning the curriculum in most subjects and that's the day they get important information for next term

Well no, my DC and all kids at their school don’t just wander in and out when they feel like it. They attend school when expected and go for McDonald’s breakfast when school has actually broken up.

I don't think it's very common in England. It's still a normal school day for most especially at secondary school. I'm surprised schools in Scotland would be so deserted for several days before each holiday that must add up to a large chunk of days missed per year?

What?! This is not at all what happens here.

They do have non-uniform & chocolate themed activities at break. But other than that it’s a normal learning day!

Also OP how are they going to register then immediately going to McDonald's? Here you need to have written permission, eg doctors note, appointment to leave and even then you need a parent to collect them. That was right up to yeR 11. They will only be buzzed out the gate if these things happen

I’m actually quite shocked that any school allows kids to walk in, register, then just stroll out again. What kind of school is it? No way could my DC just walk out of school unchallenged. And you condone it?

We’re Scotland, they always went in on the last day (mostly under protest but they went).

I think OP thinks they are at school in the 80s🤣

Every day you learn something new. Today I learned that attendance is not enforced as much in Scotland, thanks to this thread. I looked up the attendance data for Scotland - yep, big difference to England.

Is your children's school called Grange Hill? How can they just stroll out of school after registration, sounds unlikely to me.

School usually finishes at lunchtime on the last day of each full term, they then generally head to McDonald’s to terrorise the staff (actually most the kids are lovely) or by year 10 they seem flush with cash and head to the Lounge, or one of the many other establishments serving food at £15 + a head. They certainly can’t leave after registering

If there were fines they'd be in school. That's the difference really.

Even if your child could escape after register, which is impossible as they physically cannot leave the school grounds without permission. Register is taken in every class now and if the child doesn't turn up to lesson someone finds them in the toilets etc. Registering then waking out dosent happen anymore because schools haven't been run this way for a very long time. Decades.

I teach in a secondary in England and what you describe is not normal at all.

A child wouldn't be able to come in for registration and then just go off with friends- we don't allow pupils to just leave site and the site is fully secure.

We finished last Friday and it was a normal day apart from finishing at lunch.

I taught normal lessons, we had our termly awards assembly and Y7 were on a visit to local places of worship as part of the RS curriculum.

Just before Christmas, we had Y9 doing assessments, Y10 prepping for theirs in the January etc.

It honestly never stops!

My DS usually does this. DD never.

also Scotland

East of Scotland here and ds only in S1 but he’s gone in totally as normal full uniform and expecting a full timetable.
However they are not locked in, it’s a school not a prison. I would get a text if they were marked absent for any individual period though.

Why does everyone think it’s physically impossible to leave school without being buzzed? I don’t get it? I’m also in Scotland and the high school doors are just like any normal doors? At a certain time you need buzzed in but can just push the bar (anlmost like a fire door) and leave when you want? No one has to buzz you out? Obviously your told not to but it’s not physically impossible?

We don’t have gates on schools in Scotland. They are schools not prisons.

Wow. No not normal in England. Kids in school until they are dismissed for mine. Obvs there’s a few kids who may not go in but generally it’s a normal day. Sometimes some fun stuff for Christmas etc but normal day. They’ve got two weeks off!! Adding more time is lost education and surely costs you more in McDonalds!!

In England it was changed to being buzzed in after Dunblane. It's horrendous scottish schools haven't done the same .

Definitely not a prison gates are open. Kids tend to leave at break to go to shops on a normal day. Today there is a concert on once they have been at reg teachers won't know if they are there or not.

Primary schools are different gates are locked to the playground within school hours.

Never at Easter in Scotland. It's always a full day. The last day of school for S6 is usually full of nonsense. SMT hold a pizza party for them in an attempt to curb their exuberance. All other pupils are expected to attend for the day and lessons continue. Usually junior classes have easter based activities. There might be catch up assessments for those who missed or failed the first go