AIBU to think that children should still do something constructive in the last few weeks of term?

[NorhamGardens]

DD's teacher was saying a couple of weeks back they've done enough, no more work to do, so no homework or reading for the last 3 weeks of term or so. No reading books coming home etc. Teacher is planning her summer break and pleased it's all over. Thing is, it's not quite!

Only year one but AIBU in thinking that you could inspire them with great children's books or poetry? It shouldn't be all about colouring in as you've met the Govt's expectations?

In scottish senior schools, they start the following term's timetable in the last month of term, once exams etc are all over, so that the children's time is used productively. I think this is a great idea, but the dses aren't convinced!

i completely agree.. the school would moan if we take the kids out early, but mine do nothing worthwhile.. esp in the last week..

We carry on right up until the last day, DVDs etc are banned. We do play 'educational game' type activities in the last lesson though!

It is difficult if modules have been finished as if there is only a week or whathaveyou left there is no point starting the next module as all will have been forgotten when they get back. Not hard to do short modules or activities that are still productive though. (I'm English, don't know about other subjects.)

At my last school we too would start the next term's scheme of work at the half-term in summer for certain years once exams were over, this doesn't work for every year group or subject though I guess.

DD has already been finished school for a week, she did chuff all for the two weeks prior to that except take down displays for the teacher and bring home heart sinkingly huge folders full of work for me to see. I got a bit cross when I asked her what she'd been doing and she told me she'd picked all the gunk out of a drawer with a drawing pin.

I have been really impressed with my DS's new school. He has recently transfered to a SN school.

They are doing themed weeks for the last weeks of term. This week is arts. So they will be doing dancing and music etc.

So they get the run down to the summer holidays but still do something organised and contructive.

I suppose that may be something to do with the amount of children with ASD, ADHD and the like. Who really wants to spend three weeks in a classroom with them bouncing off the walls

YANBU. I do think if the children, and teachers, have been working especially hard because of exams or something then it is nice to ease off the pressure and do something a bit different for the last week or two. But this shouldn't just be "mucking about"

We hear enought complaints about the National Curriculum beong too restrictive, children being over-examined, teacher's not being given freedom to teach and so on. So where there is a bit of leeway at the end of the year for the teacher to go "off piste" then it seems a shame to waste that opportunity.

DD (Year 9) has had the first part of some GCSEs this year including Science. They have been working hard preparing for these so now they are over the teacher's have promised that every science lesson between now and the end of term they will get to do interesting hands-on experiments.

DS is in Year 1 and is doing lots of things still. These last three weeks all seem pretty busy