Missing lessons to run errands for reception.

[christywhisty]

DS is now Year 8. In Year 8 the dcs help out the reception desk. DS has done this twice this term already. it's not just one period. it is for 3 periods at a time. Today he will miss the lesson before lunch and all afternoon.

I have no problem with the idea and of course DS thinks it's great fun, love the responsibility etc and gets to carry a walkie talkie
Just think twice in a half term is a bit much.
Any other schools do this

[LadyGlencoraPalliser]

Yes they do this at my DD's school but she is Year7 so I don't know how it works just yet. I can see the reasoning behind it, but the idea of missing lessons to run errands is still a bit for me.

[TheFallenMadonna]

Twice in one half term surely unnecessary. Is it a small school? How many year 8s are there?

[christywhisty]

180 year 8s so plenty to chose from!

[TheFallenMadonna]

Yep. Too often then.

[PrimulaVeris]

Oh that's a lot!

Dd does reception duty about once a year, twice tops. Duty shared between all years 7,8,9 I think.

[SofiaAmes]

I think it should be a required course for all children. It is appalling how many kids (at all levels of education and background) enter the working world without basic working skills. They don't know how to answer a telephone and take a message, fill out an application, deal with a client, write a check, do a shopping list....etc etc. It's just a pity for the other children that your ds is getting all the training and they aren't.

[ecoworrier]

Ours don't do it more than once a year, which seems reasonable.

[christywhisty]

DS has come home and said that they are only do it twice a year. Turns out they use the house captains first (which is why he did it first week) then it was his forms turn now. So it doesn't look like he will do PR again this year.

[roisin]

Our school do it in yr8: they do a full day but only have duty about once every 8 weeks. Only selected students get to do it (high attendance, behaviour, etc.)

At the beginning of each lesson they have to go to their class to see if their teacher can provide them with some written work to do if there are not many jobs to do. If at that point the lesson is essential/unmissable, then they don't have to do duty.

They don't answer phones, but they do run errands, put messages into register folders, stick address labels on envelopes, that sort of thing: very much 'office junior' duties.

They provide a useful service in school, and it generally works well in our place. It's not too frequent.

Congrats on your ds being house captain

[christywhisty]

Thanks Roisin

[janeite]

We do it with all of Yr 8 and 9. They do it for a whole day at a time but shouldn't do it more than twice in a year.

Twice in a half term does sound too much.

[SqueakyPop]

Can parents opt of this? I would not be happy if my child missed lessons to run errands.

[christywhisty]

Just been told they are supposed to go to the lessons to pick up work to do while they. It's like getting blood out of a stone sometimes trying to get the full story out of dc's

[christywhisty]

sorry that was supposed to say "while they are in reception"

[magentadreamer]

I'm probably going out on a limb here but I sincrely hope that DD's school doesn't do this. Yes I can see it gives children an insight into the boring mundane life of an office junior and inspire them into working hard to escape that fate post 16. But I would rather Dd concerntrated on her school work then stuff envelopes,put notes in registers and run errands and if she was to do it I'd hope it was for one lesson at a time and not for a whole day/morning/afternoon.

[janeite]

Ours have to pick up the work from each teacher and get as much done as possible, so they don't miss out on too much.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

You could ask for your child not to do it.