Would you let your child miss the last half day of school?

[Kardelen]

my sons last day of school is this Friday.
it’s a half day- he finishes 1:30.

they don’t do any breakfast clubs or afterschool clubs as it’s the last day, so I’m a bit stuck in ways I can send him to school.

has anyone’s child missed last day of school?

I feel a bit sad as I’m thinking he may have a lot of fun that day…. But I’m completely stuck.

Of course is fine, half a day makes zero difference.

Just make sure you haven't missed more than 4 other days in the last 10 weeks or you'll get a fine.

You don't need anyone to tell you it's okay or not. He's in reception. They'll be playing all day or watching movies. Obviously it's not an issue to miss that.

Why did you not sort something before now, surely you knew the last day was a half day, so you’ve had since September to arrange a day off, alternative childcare etc, unless you did and have been let down, you need to plan for this each year.

Blimey, the replies on here. It’s a few hours of reception. The child will not be traumatised or left behind all his peers if he misses it. Keep him off, they’ll be doing very little, if anything, anyway.

My children's school does this on the last day of term. I always have to take an extra day off work. Luckily i can and enjoy the half day to myself.

If you keep him home tell them the truth about why. They need to know this policy is affecting their attendance stats or they cant/wont do anything about it.

Our school has always been open a half day on the last day of term.

They've changed it this year.

It wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't because it caused so many problems for parents and for staff because there always parents who forgot.

My plan would be to not send them in each year. It's a good one, and would save no end of headache.

It's fine. Lots of children were off on the last day here. It's a half day and he's 5. He won't miss anything important.

My teacher friend missed the last week as did her two children, one in secondary and one in primary. They went on holiday. She works part time with a job share and was owed days. This is in Scotland. Her HT approved it so there's two teachers that thinks it's not an issue.

Dramatic

I think schools finishing at non standard time is an issue. The teachers will love it but parents find it difficult if both work. No breakfast club is also an issue for drop off. On balance is not bother. The school has moved the goal posts, not the op! They have caused the problem and I would tell them that. Other parents must be affected!

I would ask other parents if anyone can take him for a play date

@UnexpectedlysinglemumBefore school? Op cannot get him there as start is standard time and there’s no breakfast club.

Reading this thread from Scotland and reminded again how bonkers English education is again 🤣

Surely they haven’t just announced this half day with no wraparound care in place, yesterday?

It's fine, OP.
He might miss out on a little end of year present from his teacher. If he hasn't brought home his workbooks already, you might miss out on those (my son's Reception teachers did lovely books with photographs of all the things they'd done throughout the year stuck into them - I'd have wanted to make sure I got that.) And some schools will send eg artwork home on the last day. But our school is already sending books home early in the week so this might not be an issue (worth checking if it's important to you).
I agree that this is going to happen semi-regularly until (if!) you get a place in the local school and it's worth building connections with other parents to help facilitate this sort of thing. But for this once, it's fine.

@RedToothBrush off topic, but if the schools are closed on the 24th, your child will still get their ‘last day’, all that stuff will just be done the day before instead, surely?

Not quite the same way as they are all supposed to be doing certain things that day.

Eh? Scottish schools finish up early on the last day of term as well

No I mean all the batshit responses about the disastrous consequences of missing a half day.

Yeah, it's fine. Keep him home. The 'schools are not childcare' nonsense gets my goat sometimes. It's all very well, but then schools shouldn't actively get in the way of parents arranging alternative childcare for their kids.

I remember my neighbours having this nonsense during Covid. They sent their kids to stay with grandparents as they had to work, but the grandparents lived too far away to get the kids to school every day. Which was fine when lessons were online, but less so when the school said they wanted each year to come in for 2 hours a day. My neighbours just told the school no, their kids would come full-time or not at all.

Yes. They missed lots of last days.

Tbh the last day of school teachers and TAs doing all the boring stuff , tidying up , paperwork for other teachers and the children play together , some schools let them bring toys in or they empty their trays dump anything the child doesn’t want to keep , playtime usually lasts longer , short assembly and home prompt after lunch and the afternoon register ! That’s what he’ll miss !

Can you say why?

Oh god just do it.

I took my reception age child out of school for 4 days last month.

OP doesn’t need to say why.