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Secondary education

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Original poster

School has nothing for my son in last week of term can I remove him?

29 replies

spababe · 31/03/2017 07:38

The last week of the Summer term is earmarked for work experience. However my son has secured a work experience place at a prestigious company in the previous week which is the only week this company run their work experience programme. Thus he has nothing to do in the last week of term. There are no lessons. His classmates are out doing work experience. Other school years are on activities.
I have asked if I can home educate him for the last week only and take him on some trips eg to the science museum in London but the school has said no and that he has to do a second week of work experience somewhere which obviously we have not got set up.
Any advice? wwyd?

OP posts:
RedSkyAtNight · 31/03/2017 07:50

Can he do the whatever it was he missed in the 2nd last week by self study at school? I can see why school don't want you to take him out.

WateryTart · 31/03/2017 07:50

Tell them he will be "educated elsewhere" for that week.

PotteringAlong · 31/03/2017 07:52

Just set up another week of work experience somewhere else?

soapboxqueen · 31/03/2017 07:53

I'd ask the school to arrange something else for that week. They are responsible for his education in that time. Whether it is another work experience or something within school.

sunlitmeadow · 31/03/2017 07:53

How silly of them. I'd probably smile and agree and then let him be "ill."

meditrina · 31/03/2017 07:55

"Tell them he will be "educated elsewhere" for that week."

That won't work, as the school has to approve the provider of alternative education if they want to use that register code

lljkk · 31/03/2017 08:02

Why not a 2nd week of WE, or even just 2-3 days (sometimes all our local kids seem to do).

I'm amazed they allowed the week of WE when they normally have lessons. Will he miss any GCSE material?. You are lucky they are that tolerant.

SoulAccount · 31/03/2017 08:02

Set up another week of work experience: 'domestic work' Wink

Unless they do a placement visit.

VikingVolva · 31/03/2017 08:03

So he's got an additional week off. It doesn't matter if activity is prestigious or mundane, it doesn't let him off the hook for doing exactly what his classmates are doing every other week of the school year.

VikingVolva · 31/03/2017 08:04

By which I mean arrange WE in the designated WE week. Yes, your DS will be doing more, and hopefully he'll gain a great deal from both.

AnguaResurgam · 31/03/2017 08:05

Last week of term will be July. It's only March. Plenty of time to come up with something.

sunlitmeadow · 31/03/2017 08:07

The problem with insisting he does a second week of WE is that in effect it punishes him (and I know WE isn't a punishment but let's face it, some of them are; mine was awful) for having the initiative to organise his own.

apotheke · 31/03/2017 08:09

I would say he is doing work experience as a SAHP. Totally valid experience IMO. And make him actually do all the chores, admin etc Smile

Seriously though, he will be bored senseless in school if there are no other students there. Ask them what exactly he will be doing in school? Can he help them in the office? Their hands may be tied in not being allowed to authorise what you're requesting even though they may agree with you in principle. Might save hassle all round if you just phone him in sick (so long as rest of attendance ok?)

Original poster
spababe · 31/03/2017 08:14

I can't phone him in sick as a) I don't want to lie and b) they want forms etc filled in by the employer he is doing WE with for the 2nd week so I have to produce those in advance.
Yes he will miss GCSE classes for the first WE and he will have to catch up but it will be worth it as the first WE is well structured and very well thought of.

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 31/03/2017 08:19

What did the school say about him doing his work experience on a different week in the first place?

BertrandRussell · 31/03/2017 08:22

And might it be a good experience to go somewhere a bit less "prestigious" for a week? I found that a week humping massive rolls and boxes of paper around concentrated my ds's mind wonderfully on his revision!

muttrat · 31/03/2017 08:24

Just find him work experience somewhere else. Better for him to have two different experiences anyway.

muttrat · 31/03/2017 08:24

Lol yes Bertrand good point

pleasecomesoonspring · 31/03/2017 08:30

Can't he have the weeks work he is missing and do that at home- email it to the teacher every evening?

Original poster
spababe · 31/03/2017 08:30

Yes I like your thinking bertrand!

OP posts:
Witchend · 31/03/2017 09:03

I would suspect if you say that though they may well say that they won't authorise the work experience the previous week-which might well mean the place won't take him. Certainly some places will check that.

After all I think most children would prefer to have work experience when everyone else is in school and then start their summer holiday a week earlier. So once he's told all his friends he's doing that then others may well follow.

SoulAccount · 31/03/2017 09:34

Lots of the Charity Shops are well set up for short term volunteering/ WE. Cancer Research, for e.g does the whole training rigmarole for DoE , which is an hour a week for 12 weeks, so they might do a whole working week.

Original poster
spababe · 31/03/2017 11:08

yes good point witchend thanks

OP posts:
FinallyHere · 31/03/2017 11:44

What paperwork is the WE employer required to provide? Anything that you could knock out on a word processor? And then implement the programme visiting museums of your choice?

LockedOutOfMN · 31/03/2017 22:44

Agree with Bertrand and Soul.