Afternoon length

[Littlemiss87]

How long is your afternoon session? Is there a break? I teach year 2 and there is no break meaning it is 2 hour 20 minutes. Do teachers with no afternoon break schedule one in? I am thinking of doing this.

[hollytom]

We have a break for 10 minutes I think it's too long for ks1 otherwise.

[SandLand]

My kids get 3*40 mins lessons, stupidly early lunch, three more 40 min lessons, snack, 2 lessons. Primary.
Secondary, I think (same site) get 4/2/2.

[Littlemiss87]

Hollytom, I have just found with my new class that towards the end of the afternoon they seem to be losing focus a little and was thinking a 5 minute break may help.

[showergel1]

Didn't have a break in year 1 (2 hours 15 mins) desperately needed one so built it in.
Do have a break in Y2 (2 hours 15 mins) often interrupts the flow of learning. Not always needed so don't always take it.

If they need it, build it in.

[Hulababy]

I work in an infant school.

Our Key Stage 1 sessions are:

8:50am - 10:20am
15 min break
10:35am - 12:00pm
1hr10min break
1:10pm - 2:15pm
15 min break
2:30pm - 3:20pm
home time

Teaching staff get an official 15 min break in a morning and a minimum of 30 minutes at lunch (unpaid for TAs) but not in the afternoon.

EYFS have different morning and afternoon breaks at this point in the year, plus additional time during the other sessions for outdoor time.

The junior school next door don't have an official afternoon break but pretty much all go out at some point for 10-15 minutes. The teachers can decide at what point and for how long.

[hollytom]

I agree that sometimes it disrupts the flow if you are in the middle of a lesson such as science so you are lucky if you can be flexible when you want to take it.

[JennyBlueWren]

We have staggered lunch which means P1, P6 and P7 have just ove 2 hours in the afternoon. It is long but you break it up with some aspect of physical activity/movement preferably outdoors.

[Littlemiss87]

Holly Tom

To be honest in 6 years I have never given any class a break during the afternoon, but this class don't seem to have the attention span to go for 2 hours 20 mins.

[Witchend]

Between the DC's school it has been.
1hr 50 (infants)
2 hrs 25 (juniors years 3-4)
1hr 55 (juniors years 5-6)
1hour 5 (secondary)

No afternoon break for any of these.

[DonkeyOaty]

What were you thinking they could do in their break?

[redcaryellowcar]

You are experienced and know what they need. Could you do a bit more outdoor learning, so a bit more of a fresh air approach, or have a few songs/ games to get the up and moving about and a drink afterwards to refresh them?

[Hulababy]

3 days a week we have a KS1 assembly straight after break, for about 25-30 minutes, and once a week out Y2 assembly. So we wouldn't have a full afternoon anyway. Our Y1 and Y2 children really need the break to stretch their legs and let off steam. After the assemblies they have a bit of time to listen to a story, share news, watch something online linked to our topic, etc.

As someone who covers for PPA etc I like the broken afternoon - most of the time I use the first session for our computing lesson in theICT suite and then the one afternoon a week we don't have assembly, I use it for Circle Time for the class I have that day.

[Littlemiss87]

Donkeyoaty

Just relax and take a breather.

[DonkeyOaty]

Ah I see. Thank you.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

2 hours. Y5 here but they still need a break. We do a wake and shake an hour in.

[dementedpixie]

our primary school doesnt have an afternoon break but the afternoon is only 2 hours (1-3pm)

[Appuskidu]

The session after lunch is 2 hours and we have a 10 minute afternoon play. My old school scrapped afternoon play-it was awful!

[ProfessorCat]

Our KS1 have a break but KS2 don't.

I tend to either let them have a run around for 10 minutes or use Go Noodle if it's raining. Sometimes we'll do 5-10 minutes of meditation.