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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to just march into the classroom and take my kids ?

398 replies

princessparty · 02/02/2010 17:07

I am SO fed up of them being late out of school when we have to rush off to afterschool clubs.They are supposed to come out at 3.30 and we can just make the 4-6 yo gymnastics session if we leave at 3.30 on the dot.
So today i just walked into each of their classrooms and said 'excuse me Mr X I need to take Y now.' in a pleasant way.I think I'm going to do it every week now
I mean we get them to school on time,they should get them ou on time.

OP posts:
ToccataAndFudge · 03/02/2010 10:49

"Once mine were in the Juniors, they were dismissed from their classrooms by the teachers and made their own way out of the building - and this could take my boys ages - partly due to the sheer number of children trying to get out of a small number of doors, and partly because they dawdled, even when they knew we had something to go to after school."

oh yes - tell me about it . Thankfully DS1 now walks himself down the road - it's literally 2/3 minutes walk, but if he's home before 3.35 it's an absolute miracle

SpringHeeledJack · 03/02/2010 10:54

yeah, I get your point, SDTG- but the op does say they're supposed to come out at 3.30, so presumably the school are clear on that?

BigTillyMint · 03/02/2010 10:54

DC do 8.55 - 3.20 at KS2, 8.55 - 3.15 at KS1 in their school.

All schools vary - there's a minimum number of hours for each age-group, but it's up to the school how they organise the day.

OrmRenewed · 03/02/2010 10:58

Oh FGS! I officially leave work at 5. I never leave the office at 5 - I switch off my laptop, unplug it, pack it away, take my cup back to the kitchen, put on my coat etc etc. That is normal. All our school-based after-school clubs start at 3.15 for that very reason. You need to reschedule your stuff, rather than expect the teacher to cut into the classes teaching time in order to do the going-home stuff in time for you.

MrsC2010 · 03/02/2010 10:58

But are they really meant to 'come out' at 330...or is it that they finish at 330? I know at my school school finishes at 3pm, but the kids won't be hitting the gate till probably gone 310, 315. 3pm is when the bell goes and the teacher finishes teaching. They then have to pack up etc etc.

If a parent did this in our secondary the head would be having serious words with them, if a behaviour mentor were nearby they would certainly be called as all visitors have to go through reception and be escorted by a member of staff for security reasons. This would not be tolerated.

chegirlsgotheartburn · 03/02/2010 11:04

A bit off topic but... regarding the comment about the bell being a signal for the teacher NOT the pupils (how many times did I hear that at school )

I remember being really shocked when US tv started being shown over here. In the shows about school (most of them) as soon as the bell went the kids would all get their books and get up regardless of what the teacher was doing.

My 12 year old soul was shocked to the core How rude!

I always stand at the back of the queue when picking up from Primary. I HATE all that pushing and hovering at the door. Some parents have their flipping noses pressed to the glass. Their kids might not even be ready to go but they are blocking the door and the teacher cant see the other parents to let their kids go.

They are all going to get out at some point!

MrsC2010 · 03/02/2010 11:11

You'd be surprised Chegirl, I've had classes where the kids start doing exactly that 5 minutes before the bell is even due to go! That normally makes me even more determined to continue right through until the bell, it is very rude.

SpringHeeledJack · 03/02/2010 11:15

Orm- when I was working, if I had to leave at 6.30 I would have my coat on by 6.15, my bag on the desk and be twizzling round in my chair making a last personal phone call

SpringHeeledJack · 03/02/2010 11:19

this would be my personal teaching mo

MissM · 03/02/2010 11:22

I've not read the whole thread, but OP have you considered that perhaps the kids are doing something that they are really enjoying and don't want it to end? When I read Harry Potter to my then year 6s at the end of each day (this was way back in 1998)and we got to 3.30 they would absolutely beg me not to stop. Sometimes I did keep going to the end of the chapter because they were so captivated and believe me, that rarely happens with 30 10 year-olds.

Also, when you're a teacher you are longing for 3.30 too. You're not keeping the kids for an extra five minutes for fun (hmm, just contradicted myself there with the first bit but hey). Often you're desperate for them to get out so you can go to the loo, grab a cup of tea, tidy up and breathe for 10 seconds before going to a staff meeting until 5pm. Give your child's poor teacher a break!

sarah293 · 03/02/2010 13:04

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StewieGriffinsMom · 03/02/2010 13:58

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Kewcumber · 03/02/2010 14:09

but how late are they?

5 mins? 20 minutes? 50 mins

I need to know to understand how unreasonable you are being.

gorionine · 03/02/2010 14:17

ROFL! thanks SpringHeeldJack!

Fibilou · 03/02/2010 14:32

I wonder how OP would feel if her DC asked the teacher to explain something they didn't understand and said teacher said "it's 3.30, time to go home so I'm not going to explain it" ? Or if she would expect teacher to stay 5 minutes later to explain it ?

Original poster
princessparty · 03/02/2010 15:55

I wouldn't expect a teacher with a grain of common sense to actually still be teaching at 3.30.
A lot of people say that it is rude to the teacher to withdraw my kids at 3.30 , but isn't it rude and disruptive to the gymnastics coach and fellow gymnasts to be late ?
Apart from that they need to do a thorough warm proper warm up and missing 10 minutes of it isn't good.

To be fair the reception children are usually in outdoor coats & shoes, all milling about in the classroom (maybe looking for their water bottles, reading folders etc )They have to come out of a conservatory type of classroom extension so on most occasions the teacher can see me approaching and send DD2 out to me.
But but DD1's teacher( who incidentally has only recently transferred to teaching from a profession well known for its bullsh*tting) is always yapping on and on.

OP posts:
LIZS · 03/02/2010 15:59

But you are choosing to send your dd2 to a gym class you know it will be tight for her to get to on time. The stress to do so and its repercussions are of your own making not the teacher's.

pagwatch · 03/02/2010 15:59
FabIsGoingToBeFabIn2010 · 03/02/2010 16:00

You clearly have a problem with the teacher and the school. Why not address that instead of making a grand rude gesture?

OrmRenewed · 03/02/2010 16:02

Would you object if the gym class went on longer than arranged?

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 03/02/2010 16:09

"yapping on" you really are extremely rude! I hope your children treat the teachers with a little more respect than you display .

Jamieandhismagictorch · 03/02/2010 16:11

Sorry, may have missed it, but have you tried approaching this in a way other than getting shirty (have a quiet, apologetic word, to say that you have rather a rush to get to the gym class that day, and, assuming you are there first and don't push in, can the teacher hand over DD first) ?

Littlefish · 03/02/2010 16:16

Ha ha ha. You are unbelievable op.

Unbelievably rude.

"isn't it rude and disruptive to the gymnastics coach and fellow gymnasts to be late?" - You've chosen to send them to that particular club. It's your problem, not the school's. You presumably knew how long it takes your children to come out of the school when you booked the club.

Find another club.

Original poster
princessparty · 03/02/2010 16:18

Jamie I wan't shirty if you read my op I said that I spoke politely an pleasantly

Hobnob -I don't think posting here on mumsnet that an anonymous teacher 'yaps on' really constitutes rudeness to him!

LizS the 4-6 yo gymclasses only run from 4 oclock if there was another class I would chose it !

OP posts:
Jamieandhismagictorch · 03/02/2010 16:20

Believe me, if you are the only parent walking into a classroom every week (as you suggest you might do in your OP), you will be perceived as shirty, no matter how pleasant your tone.

Have you tried approaching the teacher in the way I suggested ?