End of term, any chance of getting some work done?

[BerylStreep]

Honestly, it is so frustrating. Term finishes at the end of June, and we have to endure a whole month of half days, events and days off.

In our house, with 2 dc at different schools it has meant in June there are:

2 days off due to bank holidays
2 sports days, which due to weather cancellations, has actually meant taking time off work for 5 sports days.
2 different prize days
1 half day to accommodate parent consultations
1 morning for a school play
1 early finish for the school fete
1 exceptional closure day
Early finish for End of term party
1/2 day on last day of term x 2

This means that in June I will only have managed 9 full days at work.

These are all events which I really want to be there for my DC, but there doesn't seem to be any thought on the part of one of the schools on how to accommodate working parents.

One of the schools is really well run, and manages most of the activities without having to close the whole school. School plays take place in the evening, sports day runs over lunchtime, consultations take place over a 10 minute slot, without the whole school closing.

The other school, just down the road, seems to think that parents can take time off work at the drop of a hat - the whole school is closing at 12, so that parent consultations are in the afternoon. Sports day is at 10.00, and school finishes at 12.00 once sports day is finished. The whole school finishes early to accommodate the school fete, etc.

Anyone else having similar experiences?

Hi, I suppose I'm lucky both my DS and DD are in the same school, but I find after the June school holidays, both of them seem to have more non-working days which I should attend, but as I explain to them, I need to keep my holidays for their school holidays so that I can have quality time with both of them. I do attend sports day and usually try to find a couple of hours off work to attend school fete's, but as us parents know, its hard to juggle our time.
What I find annoying is that they hardly do any work leading up to the six week break, so I spend a bit more time doing homework with them.
I do agree, schools must understand that usually both parents work and I only wish they could accomodate us more!

Our school is not bad, at the beginning of each term we get a detailed list so we now which days are special.

Also at the beginning of the school year we get all the staff development days for the whole year.

But I found that I need at least one week of holiday to cover all bits and pieces, 3x class assembly, 3x end of term services, 1x harvest festival, 1x sports day, 1x school fete, 1x Christmas play, 3x parent evening (well, 4-6pm), 3x early closure at the end of each term, 2x school disco. Luckily for me, most things are on a Friday when I don't work.

DD also has all kind of special weeks since the half term. They have Art week this week, Olympic week beginning of July, open day for the parents and an afternoon tea the week later.

So no "normal" school work but they still do a lot and DD loves it.