Missing induction day

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katel
Posts: 960
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:30 pm

Missing induction day

Post by katel »

My daughter and two of her class mates will miss the induction day at their new school because they are on a residential adventure holiday in Derbyshire (4 hours away) Is there anything we can do to help them noe be at a disadvantage because they've missed this day?
jah

Post by jah »

Assuming that Adventure holiday is organised by your primary school, it sounds like very bad planning on their part.

I wouldn't worry too much about missing induction day. We never used to have them. More to the point is to make sure that you don't miss any parents' meetings.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

If it is not organised by school this absence might not be authorised.

If it is organised by the Primary school ask the Secondary if they can attend on another day - I have known of this when a Primary did not note the Induction date.
Bexley
Posts: 128
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:13 pm

Post by Bexley »

One secondary school's induction day in our borough clashes with this year's YR6 residential trip too.

I suppose with the trips being booked so far ahead (and normally between end of SATS and end of term), and so many primary and secondary schools, this is bound to happen from timt to time.

I wouldn't think there would be any major disadvantage to not attending. The staff and pupils will not be able to get to know everyone during that one day, nor will they learn the total layout of the school. I think the induction days are a nice idea, but not a necessity. Give the school a ring to check you will not be missing any important paperwork that might be given out on that day etc, but other than that, I wouldn't worry.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

Y6 trips shouldn't clash because Induction day dates are set so far ahead - we already know the 2008 date!

It is poor planning - as a Secondary teacher I think Induction day is very important - they meet their tutor and get their timetable in many schools. It's a good way of practising catching the bus and finding bus stops etc.
Guest

Post by Guest »

Hello Guest55
Not all schools publish their induction dates that far in advance. I received notice of the date for my child's secondary last week, having previously checked the school's web site, prospectus etc without finding any reference to the date. Our year 6 residential trip was long since booked (and paid for). Luckily for us we do not have a clash. Wait to see about the primary school play.....
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

Dates are usually set by the LA to be the same for all schools -
solimum
Posts: 1420
Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:09 pm
Location: Solihull, West Midlands

induction day

Post by solimum »

Within a local area where the majority of children from a given primary go to the same secondary it should obviously be easy to coordinate important dates. However as others have said Yr 6 residential trips are organised months in advance, and at a busy time of year post-SATS it is almost inevitable that Yr 6 children moving on to schools further away, perhaps even in a different authority, could face such clashes - likewise the secondary school especially a grammar may very well have new pupils coming from dozens of primaries, all with their own calendar of trips, end-of-school plays, sports afternoons, music festivals etc. In my experience the Yr6 trip has usually clashed with a music exam!

If there are three girls with the same problem they could perhaps ask to make a short visit together on another day to meet their form teacher/ older pupil mentor or similar and collect any necessary papers.
Guest

Post by Guest »

Hello Guest55
That sounds like a good idea. It doesn't happen in Kent though, which is where Katel lives; I just checked the web sites of a few of our "local" schools and found 4 different dates amongst those schools which actually list the date. Given that most of the year 6 at our primary will be dispersing in ones and twos to a wide range of secondaries, you can see the problem. Guess it's similar for Katel's school.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

Perhaps someone should suggest it to Kent LA - all pupils effectively move up a year on that day on all schools - it's a great idea!!
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