School 'winding down' before hols and half terms

[MrsTruper]

My daughter's school seems to do a lot of winding down prior to every holiday and half term i.e. one week before each hol or h/t. In this time they do lots of colouring/"activity village" sheets etc and none of the usual numeracy/literacy classes. This is in addition to the usual mufti/sports/celebrate this and that days, which again are, as my daughter says 'just playing'. My dd says she wants to do more learning.

She has just completed year 2 at (state) school.

Are all schools like this? Is it just the state sector? Does it get less as they get to older primary.

Please do not tell me that "children learn from everything that they do blah blah" as I know that. She does lots of puzzzles, colouring etc at home - I expect her to be TAUGHT at school.

wellthen I'm sorry if I've offended you. I can assure you I greatly appreciate all the effort that teachers like you put in.

In my DC case I know that they didn't do their usual daily phonics or numeracy sessions for the last three and a half weeks. Their teachers were planning during this time and their 'choosing' sessions (their name for learning through play) were extended instead. PE was also cancelled, reading was only done with children who are in remedial reading classes.

I know this because I volunteer in the classroom 2 mornings a week and I asked the teacher about this when I got the impression that 'winding down' was in overdrive (classrooms were also stripped bare 3 weeks before end of term).

I've been pretty impressed with our school until this and am wondering about discussing my disappointment with the teacher (I felt it would be totally inappropriate to discuss my concerns during a session where I was helping out).

stripping the classrooms 3 weeks before the end of term seems a tad excessive - my DC did that the on the last but one day (last day was half day anyway, and the older ones had speech day in that time).

Good on you wantto for going in! (Not to critise people who cant go in for whatever reason, I just mean she hasnt moaned without actually having the full picture.)

I wasnt offended as such, just frustrated with the attitude that sports and celebration days are meaningless and not work. Need I remind parents that they are only children!?

But I understand your frustration at your situation and agree that teachers planning during lesson time is not really on and would lead me to worry about why they feel the need to do this. How high is their planning load and why?

Its a difficult situation because complaining about things you have seen whilst helping is...well its just a little tricky and can come across as spying (I know youre not). Im almost tempted to say could you speak to the deputy or someone else higher up. Not in a way that seems like 'telling' on their staff but about any changes that are going on next year that have meant the 'wind down' has to be bigger.

For example, I did a placement at a school many years ago where large amounts of building work were going on from the last week of term. All classrooms had to be gutted and the teachers would not be able to get in during the hols to plan or set up classrooms. This meant displays were being made early and plans were adapted for teachers who's classrooms would be only just habitable! Obviously if this was the case at your school you would already know about it but perhaps there are some more subtle changes going on - teachers or TAs changing year groups, trialing a new curriculum. Alternatively they may be lazy buggers. I do accept that, sadly, this is the case at some schools and am not trying to say we are all angels.

Our school does wind down the week before term ends, not that I've noticed at all at half terms. Both my kids are exhausted by this stage of term and for that reason alone I'm quite happy with it. I think the school keeps them almost too busy.

Are you happy with what she has learnt this year?

I expect her to be TAUGHT at school

I don't expect my children to be taught, I expect them to learn. Which isn't the same thing at all.

Thank you wellthen. You are right, I do find it awkward to voice my concerns when I am a helper- it feels like telling tales....

DS' teacher (reception) is head of EYFS which seems to involve a lot of planning and extra work. I believe this has been exacerbated by the introduction of changes to the curriculum next year. She also seemed to have a pile of statistics of some sort to compile.

I think she is a super teacher but she does spend a lot of time away from the class. They have a great TA, but when the teacher is not there the phonics and numeracy doesn't happen. I have seen how quickly the children learn and pick literacy up from a good teacher- it seems a real shame that nothing was done for over three weeks.

If the school has good results then I suppose it isn't a big deal. But when a school is Ofsted 'satisfactory' and gets average results, then to spend 6+ weeks of the school year doing not very much, then I think it is a problem.

We do not wind down before half terms, nor before the shorter holidays - even for Christmas, we have a Nativity service quite close to the beginning of December (for availability of venue reasons) and then go back to normal timetable until the day we break up, when we have christmas dinner followed by party games.

We have, however, had 2 'off timetable' weeks at the end of this term - though only tomorrow and Friday will be genuinely 'winding down'. We have had school trips, 2 days in the new classes (with proper lessons with the new teachers), a full day of practical Science, school trips, school plays, a concert, sports day... oh, and interviewed and appointed a new teacher.

I feel that 2 weeks out of the year is OK. More than that - either by having more weeks at the end of this term, or a week off timetable at the end of each term or half term - does seem a bit excessive....

I don't mind fun winding down activities, but our class teacher just shows DVDs or has them do colouring in. Really depressing and results in tired, cross, square-eyed children. Reading books haven't been changed, no homework, no maths. It seems mean to bother the head about it at the end of term, and don't we all worry about being seen as complainers? I feel there is a limit to the number of times I can communicate with the head each year, or is that me being silly?

lovebeing they are clearly confident and lucky children, I have lots of children who need time to readjust to help them cope.... Autistic, nervous, cared for etc etc. and we mix classes so there are approx 15 children they won't know very well. Also the leap from reception to KS1 is a big one and more dramatically different than going from year 1 to year 2. I appreciate older children may not need this as much.

We are still working, I have had an insane day...... Children still learning but they are shattered too! Children work so so hard and simply cannot keep it up for six hardcore, solid weeks. Maybe your children all go to bed happy at seven pm.... Mine don't. And we are an Outstanding school btw.

I do love that it gets called winding down, it implies that the last week of term is quiet and peaceful. Hmm. Anything but.

I think the problem here is that parents might not realise why things are done.

Reading books probably aren't getting changed because there is stock-taking and book ordering being done for next year. Not to mention how many books would never make it back to school again if they were given out in the last week of term...

The usual literacy and numeracy classes may not happen because books are being moderated and final teacher assessments being conducted. Or perhaps all areas of the curriculum have been covered so teachers are encouraging the development of other skills instead, like problem solving.

Sometimes staff members are not able to access the school building at all during holiday time, so the usual admin work and end-of-year classroom sorting must be conducted during school hours.

I've found there's very little point planning too much for the last week because it always gets thrown out of the window. Much better to spend your time planning fun activities for the children that keep their interest and challenge them in some way, but allow a degree of flexibility for their teacher.

Well I'm with you OP. Just when you want to be prepping at home and gearing up for the hols you have to be in school watching stuff and helping out with "enrichment". And the children are bored with crappy "activities" by the time the holiday starts.

"We have an Olympic themed week. We are doing lot's of 'fun' activities related to sport and healthy eating."

hmm

Is that a serious post, Accuracyrequired?

I've found most parents enjoy "watching stuff" and seeing the results of all the hard work their children have done over the previous year.

Yes, it really is watching a play/show is ok and a sports day is ok

anything else is too much i reckon

eg at first I thought this

"My dds have just had a school fair, a sports day, an Egyptian Day (dd1), a play/special Assembly (dd2), a Seaside Day (dd2), optional SATS (dd1), an awards evening, a Y6 evening show to watch, and endless other creative, social, interesting moments."

poster was being sarcastic but no!

"prepping at home and gearing up for the hold"

There's really not that much prepping and gearing up required. If any.

"And the children are bored with crappy "activities" by the time the holiday starts."

Well, that depends whether you aim to continue doing crappy activities with them doesn't it? Personally I prefer to do fun stuff but each to their own.

School is about so much more than the actual lessons, looking back it is the fun stuff that I especially remember. I don't know about private schools but they are already on holiday by the time the state schools are 'running down'.
It is the transition stage - they are looking forward to the new so keeping on with the old, completely as normal is virtually impossible.

"school is about so much more than the actual lessons"

yes that is very very clear

Not to a lot of people!

Accuracy- dont go to 'watch stuff' if it doesnt interest you, it isnt a rule. Surely you are honest with your children and tell them these performances they work hard on are crappy and meaningless.

They are not 'bored with crappy activities' they are tired. They are desperately looking forward to their holiday and yet they are still having to get up go to school, pretend to care. It happens to everyone at the end of things, isnt usually refered to as de-mobbing?

Do you have memories of school yourself? I am sure your main memories are chalk and talk teaching and working diligently at your desk. Those kind of things tend to stick in your mind.

I'm sure that some people think that DCs are robots and they are going to sit down and put their all into a lesson even though they know it is the last week with that teacher, in that class and possibly in that school! They are tired, they are ready for a holiday and are looking to the new. I love watching the performances even when I don't have a child in them!

I am intruiged as to what "prepping at home and gearing up for the hols" involves .

In our house it is the breathing of a collective sigh of relief, the temporary abandoning of all deadlines, and the freedom to stay in your jamas all day if that is what you want to do. It doesn't take a lot of preparation or "gearing up" for.

My 2 primary Dc are still doing maths and English every day as normal.My Y 12 though seems to have been on wind down since they went back from study leave in mid June.Every day there are so many kids off on university visits etc.