Are your children expected to man reception in school?

[OrmRenewed]

Whenever I've been into school there have been pupils sitting in the reception area. The children answer inquiries, take you where you need to go, and if neccessary pas you over to the office staff for more help. It frees the office staff to get on with other things I suppose. And I've always thought it was a good thing. But it was DS#1's turn yesterday. He and 2 other pupils spent all day in reception doing this.

Now I don't know how I feel. He's missed a day's lessons and been bored stupid. But he's been taking responsibility and learning how to deal with adult strangers (I hope) politely and efficiently.

He's only in Yr8 so not a significant year maybe.

Anyone else familiar with this?

Yes he is fine now, he had a febrile convulsion caused by pneumonia poor devil, He was taken away by ambulance still unconscious. I was glad he was there when it happened as the adults were shocked enough, I don't know how the children would have taken it if it had happened in class.
It was last year and he has had a couple of EEGs and he doesn't have epilepsy thankfully. He just has a condition that means he hasn't grown out of febrile convulsions.

DS liked helping out in reception because he got to have a walkie talkie for the day, small things and all that

I've never heard of it before,
How many visitors can a school have in one day?

Our school have a reception system. They do one day a year in years 7, 8 and 9. But if they have an important test, you are allowed to insist they do the lesson. They are also supposed to come and ask for some work but unless I have a worksheet to hand, I'm unlikely to have anything to give them at 2 seconds notice!

I can't say that it hurts them academically and they all seem to like doing it.

All day seems a bit much given the fuss school's make if you want to take a child out for a day in term time.

We did it when I was at school - must have been 13 or 14 I think? I remember you could take a book (I read Bad, about Michael Jackson, which dates me nicely!) - I can't remember if we had to do work as well.

I just asked DS he had to bring his work with him.

It is less about greeting visitorsd and more about delivering things around the school such as lunches and packed lunches and lost property.

ds1 is on a rota to do this sort of thing. He's done it at least twice this year (yr8), maybe even 3 times. He usually manages to swap with mates/wangle it so that he has a day when he does miss PE and doesn't miss History, so he's happy.

They only let students do it who are very much on target for all their subjects and it is done on a voluntary basis. But it's also one of the pre-requisited for applying to be a "lower school leader" next year, so there's a motivating factor too.

My children's school do this. My daughter did this recently. I saw her as I happened to have to go in to school that day. She did not know in advance she would be the person chosen. She was sitting at a desk and was the first person any visitor to the school saw. There was a sign on the desk saying "Student Ambassador". She had work set from all the teachers whose lessons she would have attended that day and was expected to do as much as possible. She was kept fairly busy running errands and enjoyed it.

As Roisin said, she is one of the students who is very much on target in Y8 so was allowed to do this if she wanted. My son who definitely was not on target when he was in Y8 did not have a chance to do this. He would have seen it as an easy day, which is exactly the reason it was right that he did not do it!

"They only let students do it who are very much on target for all their subjects "

really?

One school I regularly vist has 'runners' who do errands around the school and take visitors to meetings etc.

I'd be fine with that. Nice for them to have a change.

I remember doing this once at school, it felt good having some responsibility.

"They only let students do it who are very much on target for all their subjects "

Well, yes, pretty much the case at our school. They also have to have excellent overall attendance.

We do it at our school as part of the preparation for working life - building up from 2 days in reception in Year 8 to a full week of work experience in Year 10. The children get some basic training in how to deal with the public and work in a pair, so the first day you are learning and the following day helping the 'new' student. The kids adore it and see it as a great honour. Obviously they are not really manning reception - there is a member of staff there at all times - but they greet visitors, show them around, run errands, do some basic office tasks etc. They are also expected to collect any missed work from their teachers so they shouldn't be sitting doing nothing.

The really marvellous thing is that students who are often in trouble in lessons do really well on reception - which means they get lots of praise and a bit of a boost to their self-esteem. All the students get to see a different side to school life and get an insight into how the school works.

ROFL at 'exploitation' the poor little Daaarlings!

It's done in the school I teach in. Two days in a row, in year 8. There are always two, and they also deliver messages around the school.

I hope they don't do it at our school. DS never tells me anything! It is lovely at evening events to see pupils helping out in that wat, representing the school and guiding visitors, etc. But it is a bit alienating to think of them compulsorily missing lessons for it. Constructive for some children, dull and useless for others.

Thinking about it, ours only do 1/2 day per year, in years 7, 8 and 9. All pupils do it, even the troublesome ones. If they cause any hassle though, they are straight back to lessons.

They do this at the secondary school where I teach. It is year 8 pupils and they are on a rota, for 2/3 hours I think at a time.
I think it is valuable and, frankly, children are out of my lessons ALL THE TIME for:
sports fixtures
interhouse sports tournaments
interhouse quiz
school council
year council
student voice
enterprise this that and the other
trips to all over, DofE, etcetc
geography field trips
French/German/Spanish/Chinese exchange
sports bloody day (my favourite)
cross curricular blabla

I wouldn't worry about it

It's not standard across the board though harpsichord, of the 3 schools i've worked in, 1 did it, of another 4 i know well enough to comment 1 does it.
Don't see anything particularly wrong in it, but those schools who don't do it seem to manage just fine

IMO, this seems to be a great opportunity for informal learning.

no, I wasn't suggesting it was standard but I think it has obvious benefits.

Eleisen, doesn't "constructive for some children, dull and useless for others" summarise pretty much all aspects of the school experience ?