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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

Early finish

52 replies

99withaflake · 15/07/2018 12:11

My child's school will finish at 12.30 on the last day of term.

They gave us notice of this about a month ago. Some bus companies are able to collect the children early but some can't. The children that can't go home will be supervised in the hall until the end of the day. I am going to collect my child in my lunch hour as she doesn't want to stay in the hall as all her friends are going home.

This is the second time they have done this (they did it at Christmas).

Are they allowed to do this?

OP posts:

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GuestWW · 16/07/2018 07:08

Our school finishes at 1pm. For a while we were not sure if the buses would take them home then or at 4:15 as usual and being in a school with no other transport options to the rural villages, she too would've been stuck. DD also Y7 would have happily amused herself for that time, hanging in the park, going to a more local friends house, wandering to the local shops....

One of the great things about secondary school is learning to stand on your own two feet.

MagicPorridgePot2 · 15/07/2018 23:52

you could encourage them to go to the library and do some private study
Yes, as you are annoyed they are missing out on lesson time do that.

Anasnake · 15/07/2018 22:15

School have offered to supervise those who can't get home (which is unusual), what's the issue ?
My school finishes at 1 and is like a ghost town by 10 past.

DamsonGin · 15/07/2018 22:10

DS's is an academy, finishing at midday.

leccybill · 15/07/2018 21:56

Jealous of all your early finishes! Academy here, in until end of day on the last day, it's 'normal lessons' and they do check. Ugh.

WowLookAtYou · 15/07/2018 21:42

And if you are worried about your year 7 child missing out on lesson time on the last afternoon of the year in July, then, as someone else has suggested, you could encourage them to go to the library and do some private study. Good luck with that.

WowLookAtYou · 15/07/2018 21:40

I don't suppose the school is finishing early because the teachers are having a party. It's more likely that they finish early and so they therefore have a party.

ElectricSeal · 15/07/2018 19:55

Year 7 was the first time my son had experienced this, now in year 10 their custom, set up in year 7, is to head to a local cafe for a milkshake and a slab of cake.

Our secondary closes early on open evening, last day of Christmas and summer terms.

My youngest is in year 7, he will be bringing his 2 mates home with him and I will be making amazing oreo milkshakes and providing a lovely slab of homemade triple chocolate cake.

This is your daughter's opportunity to set up some form of group whereby they will all go together to do something. Usually a nice cafe. You just have to be fast and organised so that loads of other children don't make it there before you. Or you go to someone's house.

I am a SAHM so will be collecting my youngest son and his 2 mates to bring them here.

MaureenMLove · 15/07/2018 19:42

Bell goes at 12.25pm on Friday at my school. By 12.45pm, the vast majority of teachers will be in the pub. I can't flippin wait!

For the next 4.5 days I will have the same conversation with students. 'Miss, it's our last lesson with you, so can it be a fun one?' and 'are we watching a DVD?' and 'can I sit with my best friend today, because it's our last lesson?' Trust me, dragging it out until usual end time is not fun what so ever. Even the hardiest of teachers, would struggle to keep them calm and working hard in this weather until the end of the day.

Last day of term, get them in, manage those conversations for just 3 lessons, and get the fuck out again!

MaisyPops · 15/07/2018 19:28

HopeClearwater
Plus in an average sized secondary school the logistics of getting all staff in for the leaving speeches takes the first part of after lunch.
My department alone is bigger than many primary school in terms of staffing. Factor in say 5 people leaving each year from the whole school and there's an hour which we get as part of directed time (by sending the children home early).

Our busses all come early but most students are in walking distance

Deadheadstickeronacadillac · 15/07/2018 19:18

Thank you @HopeClearwater I am, but fortunately at home recovering from hip replacement! Am only 39 so loads more end of terms ahead...am not envious of any teacher atm! xx

MsAwesomeDragon · 15/07/2018 19:05

We are the only secondary school in our area that doesn't finish early on the last day of term. We stay til 3:30 every day because the bus companies are busy elsewhere during the day and can't ever come early (except when the weather is bad and they tell us which routes need to go early in order to get them home before the weather affects them too much). With approx 75% of our pupils getting school transport we can't close unless the buses can collect.

RedSkyLastNight · 15/07/2018 18:58

TBH I'm surprised that OP's DD hasn't just organised something herself with friends (my Y7 DD has been planning end of term for quite some time). But then, she is going to school in a town with a scary park ...

OP - you might want to work on letting your DD have some independence over the summer holidays?

HopeClearwater · 15/07/2018 18:17

Deadheadstickeronacadillac

You sound as if you’re in the job. for yours!

MarchingFrogs · 15/07/2018 18:16

I don't want her hanging around a park in a town we don't live in so I will collect her or I will see if I she can go home with a friend.

Perhaps if you do take the time off to pick her up, you and she could investigate the alien environment where her school is located - perhaps then it wouldn't be such a scary place for you to allow her to spend a bit of free time in? Is there a public library or a nice cafe where she could wait?

It's a bit rubbish that some buses can't come.
Several of the contract buses in our area serve more than one of the Consortium grammar / bilateral schools, so have to fit in with the one(s) not finishing early. Also, the company may use the buses / drivers on other contracts during the school day?

Wolfiefan · 15/07/2018 18:09

Should be lesson time? They've said they will supervise until normal home time. So take them up on it and she can get some HW or revision done.

JamAtkins · 15/07/2018 17:33

It's a bit rubbish that some buses can't come. At our school all the buses come and all the dcs ignore their bus and try to cram on the ones that go to town so they can hang out.

If all her friends are going home can she not go with one of them?

KittyMcKitty · 15/07/2018 17:33

I don't want her hanging around a park in a town we don't live in so I will collect her or I will see if I she can go home with a friend.

What does she want to do? The going out with your friends after school has finished is massively important to all secondary children I know (year 7’s in particular).

Soursprout · 15/07/2018 17:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

99withaflake · 15/07/2018 17:26

The last Friday is a school day so should technically be lesson time. I am not asking for extra childcare.

It was a simple question as none of the primary schools do it (perhaps they don't need cleaning).

I don't want her hanging around a park in a town we don't live in so I will collect her or I will see if I she can go home with a friend.

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 15/07/2018 16:59

So you're cross at the school because your child is insisting on being picked up and that's difficult because of your job?
Tell your child no.
Problem sorted.

KittyMcKitty · 15/07/2018 16:59

Christmas and Summer holidays school always finishes at 1. All the busses come at 1.30 but pretty much all the children go into town with their friends and hang out in the park.

If your dd is secondary age she doesn’t need supervising - why doesn’t she go out with friends or to someone’s house?

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Deadheadstickeronacadillac · 15/07/2018 16:53

@HopeClearwater I would second your comments and good luck for your end of term!

HopeClearwater · 15/07/2018 16:50

They seem to want it both ways

No. We don’t. We want your kids in during lesson time, but we don’t want them in when we are wanting to finish the term, get classrooms ready for the deep clean and sort out all the detritus that teaching for 190 days brings. School is not subsidised childcare. You need to arrange YOUR life around YOUR children.

MarchingFrogs · 15/07/2018 16:44

Ours always finishes at the start of lunch at Christmas, End Summer and also the day of the Open evening.

Ditto - it's more or less the norm around here and our kids feel sorry for those at one of the two boys' grammars which always seems to make them stay until the bitter end. It's the grammar schools here where some students may have difficulty getting home under their own steam, as some of the contract buses serve places not easily accessible by public transport, but parents choose to send their DC here from there and all of the schools are within walking / public transport distance of places they can go to get some lunch and hang out for a couple of hours until the contract bus comes. Ours just make their own way home as usual, or, at the end of term, we meet up at the local Wetherspoons for lunch.

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