Concerned about DD being a school office 'runner'

[NotMondayAgain]

Hi all, I just found out that later this week DD is going to be a runner for the school office for a whole day. She is in yr 8 and said all yr 8 children are made to do this for one day and they miss all lessons that day and instead do their homework or reading when they are not running errands.

I saw the headteachers last week at a school meeting and asked him about it. He admitted the reason is that they do not have enough staff to run messages around etc so they make the kids in yr 8bdonit onebday each.

I feel quite angry about my DD not learning anything for a day. Headteachers loads of schools do this and it is normal. Is he right?

Thanks

And the number of people who say schools don’t spend any time on life skills...

@Dodgeitornot ds and his friends were forever bucking the systems. The "getting their mates out of class for a game of football" game came after the "move the class round the school" game. So they'd walk round school looking for an empty class, then they'd go to the class that their form was in with a "message" saying that there was urgent maintenance to be done in that room and class was to go to the empty room that they had already sourced. Then they'd go to another class with the same message and get that class moved to the one they had just got the class to leave. Competition was to see how many classes they could move round the school in one lesson.

Don't see the problem really. My 5 year old is the class "bin man"

We used to do this (not for a whole day). We would read the ‘private’ notes (come on, if they were that private they should have put them in a sealed envelope) and get a sweetie from the headmaster if we had a message for him.

Haven't come across it yet in secondary as DD1 is only yr7 but last year in yr6 they had 'secretaries' and the kids absolutely loved it. It wasn't as structured as one day out of class etc but they were called on as and when to do tasks. Good experience I think.

It's great. Our school did it back in the 90's. Everyone wanted to do it - you're treated almost like a member of staff all day.

I think you're being terribly precious.

I remember doing this at secondary school! Am I the only one that enjoyed it? It was quite fun getting to walk round the school instead of being in lessons and feeling a bit important with messages on bits of paper/in envelopes. Let’s be honest there aren’t many other perks to being a year 8 😂

DD’s school did this and they’re not understaffed. It’s a fun day and teaches the kids all sorts of little skills - how to politely interrupt a room, how to use your initiative if you can’t find someone, let’s them know the whole of the school building & teachers not just their classes. All sorts of fun little ways. It also gives them an aspect of working a job where constant new tasks are thrown your way. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not life altering. But I think it’s a fun way for them to learn a little bit of life skills and all DD’s friends loved their day doing it.

Both my DC did this in yr 8 and enjoyed it, it makes a change, they get asked to do some quite responsible things and get to know the house office staff better, they take messages, deliver lots of forgotten packed lunches, pe kits, art folders and homeworks handed in by parents to pupils, my DD helped a disabled child and his mum look around the school on her day and later when he joined the school, he has become a friend. She also helped take delivery of various things (art stuff) and take them over to the right classroom. I’m quite happy about it, it was fun & helped integrate her better into the school.

My dc's school does this.

It's not a bad thing. They get to learn about taking messages, sorting out admin including using the photocopier and all sorts of things that get used in the real world. My girls enjoyed it, and I certainly wouldn't say it was useless.

Quite normal. I did at my school over 30 years ago, they do it at dd's school in year 8 and at other secondaries we visited when deciding on schools. At dd's school they do it in pairs and show round any potential new families who are visiting the school that day. I have no issue with it at all. Don't think it takes too long to catch up on missed work really.

They don't do this at my DC secondary - they have phones, e-mail and enough staff around to do this.

It did used to be done at my old secondary but it wasn't common practise - I never did it in fact I don't think anyone in the top stream did it always seem to be people from the lower streams though that was probably just my school.

Your children's school sounds very high-tech to have phones and email!

My ds is in Y8. They have a rota for this. It's called Student Reception. He does it with another pupil. They all love it. He's done it twice this year.

They greet people, take missing pe kits, run miscellaneous errands, take detention slips to various classes, etc etc. It's useful to the school of course, but it's like a form of work experience.

They are still learning when doing this though, as well as doing their homework, your child will be learning more on responsibility

Your children's school sounds very high-tech to have phones and email

The secondary is under 10 years old -the primary school is much older 1950s, and it has phones in the classrooms.

The receptionist rings down and or a passing member of staff is asked to get them. Fair bit of communication with schools is done via e-mail.

I’m in Wales were school aren’t well funded - but yes it's impressive they’ve manage to move on with technology in the 20+ years I was at school.

Never heard of this - a whole day sounds excessive to me!! Theyre meant to be learning, not working as an admin assistant

My children both did this in year 8. It was one day out of their entire time at high school. They enjoyed it and it's good for their confidence.

They did this at ds' old school too. He loved it, a day off lessons!

My dd school does this.
It’s one day, not a week, I don’t see the problem with it. Year 8 is a marmite year, Best year to do it. They will gain other skills from doing it.

We do this at my school. Kids love it. I'd say a large part of it is spent delivering items that parents bring in for their child. Forgotten sports kits, homework, forms. Reception has to take item, look up where child is, the runner then makes the delivery. Or parent phones in, needs to get a message to child (phones are off and away in our school), so runner delivers it.

We did this when I was at school. I think it's really good to be honest, I was quite shy so found it challenging, but I did learn a lot and it was a good chance to see another side to the school.

My school does this which from my point of view as a teacher is a right pain. The kids on reception that day appear at my door beginning of our lesson asking for work. I've not been pre warned who is on which days ( my year 8 class need a lot of differentiation so it's not a simple as do x, y, z) they then fall behind and I have to spend the next lesson catching them up,

I don't think it is great practice but lots of schools do it,

Pretty sure I’d have loved a day off lessons to do this when I was in year 8.

Yes it was a thing when I was at high school, 94-99. Two pupils got to do “reception” for a day. It was quite an enjoyable experience to be honest; made us feel important, and it shows some trust too which is nice.