Long school day in Spain?

[photocop]

Yikes, one of the international schools we are considering in Spain has a school day lasting from 9am till 5pm with only one hour for lunch. This seems so long to me!

Am I being precious about my reception and year two children doing that kind of day? My son has been doing 3 hour mornings at nursery till now so to go to 8 hours seems incredible.

Does anyone have experience of going from UK to a country with a much longer school day and how did your children adapt?

[butterfliesinmytummy]

It's a funny time too, 9am is a late start and 5pm leaves no time for extra curricular stuff like sports.... It's like an office day ... Is this to coincide with working parents' schedules?

My dds have always done 8.30 to 3.30 from nursery onwards in international schools in Asia and now USA. It's an hour shorter than your day but the little ones get lunch break and morning / afternoon play too. At the beginning of the year, some of them slept on the school bus home, now they're all bigger!

Is there any chance of half days or a mixture if half and full days?

[casperthefriendlyghost]

Wow, that is long! Do check what this consists of - maybe they include after school activities in this time frame? Does this include the reception age children or do they get a shorter day?

My DD was due to go to nursery in UK last Sept and do the 3 hour sessions 5 days a week. But we ended up overseas and the nursery at our international school here runs a normal school day for them - so 7.45am to 2.15pm, 5 days a week. I felt this was too much so she does this on a 4 day a week basis with a day off in the middle. I feel for us she has adapted okay, not brilliantly but not terribly. She definitely needs the day out though and I do fear for this Sept when she will go to a 5 day week... But, it all depends on your children. I have 3, she is the youngest and is like my DS1 so I think she will suffer for a while adjusting. However, my DS2 had no such problems when moving from part time to full time.

If work isn't an issue for you and they don't have to be at school then could you consider taking them out earlier anyway? I would be less worried about the year 2 than the reception child...

[FiveLittlePeas]

Only ONE hour for lunch? that's really unusual. Normally it's about 2,5 hours for lunch (too long, if you ask me). And yes, there is time for sports after... This is Spain! No child goes to bed before 10 pm!

[DragonRojo]

totally normal in Spain, even when I was growing up there. For a child who will not know any different, it becomes normal very quickly. Extra curricular activities can happen afterwards. They normally start at around 7pm anyway

[FiveLittlePeas]

You mean, around 5pm, surely?? I've never heard of after school activities for kids starting after 5-5.30, In any case, kids here never go to bed at 7 like they are supposed to do in UK (I find it hard to believe that they actually do that!! I have to almost threaten mine to get them into bed at 10 pm!).

[DragonRojo]

no. I mean 7 pm. It is not unusual to go to your dancing lessons or sports at 19:00

[DragonRojo]

www.botanicespaidedansa.com/index.php/noticias/260-taller-de-movimiento-expresivo-ninas-os-5-a-7-anos

this is just an example.

IME the fact that UK children go to bed at 7 is a widespread myth. True for babies, but not so many after they start school.