Is it OK for DS school to finish at 1:15pm on last day of term & require me to pick him up?!

[ChemiseBleu]

I am so pissed off with DS's school. I thought that this year they would stop their nonsense of finishing just after lunch on the last day of each term and registering them in for the afternoon but requiring you to pick them up early.

In previous years they did this on the last day of every term and I assumed that the new "tightening" up of rules re taking DC out of school would mean they wouldn't dare do it this year...

They mention earlier in the year on the calendar a picnic at 12 noon that parents are welcome too and then start gradually drip feeding into the newsletters that you are welcome to take them home after the picnic and then BOOM today - dates for July:

Wednesday 23rd Picnic 12 noon BREAK UP 1:15pm

This means extra time off work for me.

--This from the school who wrote to me before the end of the first half term with a calculation of DS's attendance after he had had 3 days off with a bug (M-W) and then been sent home at lunch time on a F after being sick in his lunch. Considering the attendance was matched against 2 half weeks and about 4 full weeks then yes it did come out at

All the schools round here finish half day too, Just a bit different times to help with traffic and stop the catholic school fighting with the non dom across the road from it whats the big deal?

My dc's school always finishes at 1.30pm on the last day of every term, always has done.

The school my children went to always finished at 1.15 on the last day of the summer term.

Good job we have a half day on the last day as we have 16 teachers leaving. They better keep their speeches short, that's all I can say.

Its probably standard but its annoying.

Im currently trying to deal with the many many last minute events and invitations to go into school to see various performances, displays, take part in a picnic, bbq, sports day etc. (all of these happening for my DD in year R)

Its a bloody nightmare. Notice is about a week at most. GRRRRR

I've never heard of this before, certainly never happened at any schools I went to or ones that dc's have attended/still attend.

I don't see the reasoning behind it either really, plenty of fun end of term activities to be had in school.

DD's school after school club, btw (run on school premises but separate management) runs from early end of school to 5.45 pm at the end of the one ior two terms that end early. They run a special session with higher numbers so that children can be 'held' for the 70 minutes between 'early' and 'normal' times if needed. Will miss them! [DD off to secondary]

I don't know if the school based afterschool club runs that day - it's not a day DS usually attends. He normally goes to a football afterschool club that day util 4:30pm which can't be run by the outside provider as the DC won't be there...

We finish at 2 at the ends of terms. I disagree that its done for the school's convenience as I don't actually know why we do it and it makes no difference to me as a teacher. But I also don't see why it matters much. Half 3 is hardly convenient for working parents either so that's not really an argument.

When I was at school (Hampshire) we always broke up after lunch. I assumed it was standard. The dc's still finish early .

Maybe all those pesky Hampshire teachers want a head start on the M3 to Heathrow or A303 to the west country .

Perfectly normal in our school and the school communicates it at the beginning of the school year in September, 10 months to tell work that you need time off.

DinoSnores I would love school to finish at lunchtime every Friday. If they could just add half an hour onto each day Mon-Fri to make up for the Fri pm I would be even happier

Wellthen But I also don't see why it matters much. Half 3 is hardly convenient for working parents either so that's not really an argument.

If you only work school hours then it requires at least 2 hours off which might not seem like much but is annoying. If you normally use after school club then it means taking an extra half days holiday to cover several hours. It cannot be covered easily by childcare. Why should the school be allowed to register DC for one of the required 380 half day sessions yet only have a 15 minute session?

noramum DS's school - do not communicate it clearly at all - IMO they try to really minimise where they write this down - I assume to avoid getting into trouble.

Pretty much all schools do this around here but minus the picnic, what a lovely idea.
I think there would be an out cry if some did and others didn't as here many families dc attend different schools as there are lots of them in close proximity to each other.
It was also the same for my older 2 dc who left school several years ago.
I suppose the argument is school isn't childcare.

Those saying school isn't childcare - what about the requirement for 380 half day sessions to be delivered?

As a parent I have an expectation that this should be delivered.

I also do not as a parent have a right to even on 1 day take my DS out of school at 1:15pm for my "convenience" and have him registered as being present at school...or do I? Maybe I do as he would be registered in so not absent. This would be great for Friday when I want to visit my parents and beat the traffic. Why would this be different?

My DS's school also finishes at 1.30. I think local afterschool clubs will do pickup though to cover this

None of the primary schools round here finish early at the end of term and I've never come across one that does so not standard in all areas.

Picking up a couple of hours earlier is really inconvienent if you work around school days or need extra childminder time suddenly.

Sorry OP, I really don't see your problem.
If you can't pick him up early your OP suggests he can stay in school/picnic until you do.
I think they are giving you the option of leaving early when they suggest drifting off from the picnic.

There is a very big difference between you taking your child out whilst lessons are going on, so he misses things and a part afternoon on the very last day of the school year where nobody is in school and even if they were there's likely to be nothing of educational significance going on. The two situations are not at all comparable.

There is a point to be made about inconvenience for working parents having another half day of childcare to try and cover though.

morethanpotatoprints Sorry OP, I really don't see your problem.

There is a picnic at 12 noon which parents are invited to. After the teachers have called the afternoon register at 1pm and marked the DC as being present for the afternoon then ALL DC must be picked up at 1:15pm.

So if you are at the picnic you are already at school and then wait for them to be registered and take them home.

I am not going to the picnic. I will have to leave work at 1pm and go and pick DS up. I would normally work until 4:15pm and then go and pick him up from his afterschool football club. This is yet another half day added on to the school holidays. The school definitely try to hide this and then "reveal" it towards the end of term...

So my problem is that I have to take half a day off (all be it that I am freelance/flexible and can say oh I am not working that afternoon). Many working parents cannot just say that an have to take an extra half day's holiday just because their DC's school can't be bothered to provide the statutory amount of education.

Rafals- your statement about missing lessons assumed that all children do at school is lessons. In fact not only do they have half days off for the end of term, whole days off for strikes, but also lots of 'fun' days eg book day, sports day, day trips, residential trips etc. I am fully supportive of these activities as I think they are good for children.... Exactly as I think that family holidays are of educational value and good for children.
The problem here is the double standards going on. Either we are saying every moment in school is essential to Educational progress and cannot be lost or we are saying missing a modest amount of academic time to pursue alternative beneficial activities is a healthy thing for children. My view is the latter. If the governments view is the former then they need to sort out half days and fun days too. I hope they don't, and I hope they see sense on family holidays.

"I thought that this year they would stop their nonsense of finishing just after lunch on the last day of each term and registering them in for the afternoon but requiring you to pick them up early"

Why would you think they would stop it?

"I assumed that the new "tightening" up of rules re taking DC out of school would mean they wouldn't dare do it this year..."

The two issues are unrelated.

"There is a very big difference between you taking your child out whilst lessons are going on, so he misses things and a part afternoon on the very last day of the school year where nobody is in school and even if they were there's likely to be nothing of educational significance going on. The two situations are not at all comparable."

So why does the law say there must be at least 380 sessions? Why not round it down to 379 and wave all children nationally off at noon with a song in their hearts, if it's so utterly impossible that any school anywhere can deliver 380 sessions with any educational significance?

If there are supposed to be 380 sessions then there ought to be 380 sessions, and the figures shouldn't be manipulated by counting 15 minutes as a session.

(OP, to answer your question, I believe that if you were to take him out of school after afternoon registration it doesn't count as an absence. You still need the school to agree, obviously, but it doesn't count against their attendance figures)

We have this too. At this time of year it all gets ridiculous: today we were summoned for a class concert at 2.40, tomorrow sports day, next week nursery's class is closed fora day to allow another set of kids to go on a school trip, then my kid's on the trip the next day with an early pick-up, then the class is closed another day to allow new kids to visit. This term we got a week's notice that they were doing swimming once a week and we were asked to accompany our children - if we can't, we have to keep them out of school. And children only do half-days for the whole of their first term in reception.

Round here they absolutely assume there is a SAHP.

I've never heard of this in my life! DS's school - indeed all primaries in my area to my knowledge - finish at the usual time.