To think schools should get with the times re working parents.

Good for you? When I look around our school playground it's around 80% women and 20% men doing drop-off / pick-up. I doubt our school is the only one like this.

I think state run wrap around care is the way forward. I don't think this needs to be run by teachers, but school buildings are the sensible place to have them. The buildings are publicly owned and the children are already there!

If you look at the Scandinavian way of being, there is less “school” and much more subsidized/free childcare. (Also better sick leave/personal/parental leave options for both parents.) Why are we continuing to allow billionaires and companies to avoid paying taxes that could very easily fund this kind of thing & improve the healthcare system? Why are we not demanding a better standard of living from our taxes instead of paying politicians extraordinary pensions and making rich people richer and costs for goods and services higher? We live in an upside down world.

We don’t have enough teachers/TAs to cover the current school hours never mind extending them. Also, schools are there to educate. Not to babysit your children.

I don't know why everyone is saying wraparound care is easily available. It is absolutely not where I am. There were no places for after-school club in Reception. I've waited a year, and they could only offer me one afternoon - and I'm 15th in the queue for one of the days I need.

Thankfully I managed to get a childminder, but I know there are only two who pick up from our school (two-form entry) and they're obviously funny booked.

Why not just make them all boarding schools?

She worked 5.30pm-9.30pm, a 20 hour week.

@working8til4 perhaps schools should send buses around all the streets at 7.30am to collect all the children and then return them to their parents via the same buses at 7.30pm too????? that should cover most working days! are you for real?

Good point!💯
And who will pay for the teacher's children who would be in care for longer hours than 6 p.m.? Who would pay for that care?

It’s strange as our secondary school is open 7.30 til 6 when my kids don’t need before and after school care anymore but I guess that’s not structured care it’s just open

How exhausting that would be for them!
That would mean kids would only have 2 hours awake time at home with their parents, how sad.

@Dweetfidilove now they must work longer hours because fathers are too busy and important to help juggle childcare 🤦🏾‍♀️.
Whilst reading your comment I experienced the sensations and emotions associated with anger. I didn't "get", "become", or allow it to "make me" angry, I just experienced it. Those feelings have now passed, and I'll respond - rather than react - to your comment.

Lots of us are or have been single fathers, have cared, nurtured, raised and provided for our children when their mothers are unfit to do so and/or abandon them - and we just get on and do it because they're our kids, just the same as women do in the same situation. We juggle full time jobs, careers, childcare, just the same.

Lots of us move on from there to take responsibility for more kids too. Some of us carry that responsibility to the point of adoption. Other's don't, but that's fine too. Women do just the same.

Some of us even go on to become foster parents, or rather foster families - and not like the shitholes I grew up in way back when - and we do it because we care, just the same as women do.

The vast majority of us though, we're just regular parents same as everyone else, trying to get through life doing the best job of it we can, even if we do fcuk it up once in a while.. just the same as women.

I'm truly sorry for whatever it is life's thrown at you to leave you thinking this way, I know as well as anyone that some people can be.. I'll say "not very nice", but I'm sure you know what I actually mean (use your imagination, be creative). Please do try to remember though, it's people that can be cun "not nice", not just one gender, race, nationality, orientation, religion or however else we pigeon-hole them, ok?

Frogpole out.

all school staff are the most hardest darned werkers that walked the planet, everrrr

No they don't.

most schools and staff think (at least on MN) that parents and their 'spawn of the devil' dc should just get in a jolly line dance singing the praises and dancing to the school timetable tune

Never seen that sentiment expressed.

Nice try OP. Unfortunately, most schools and staff think (at least on MN) that parents and their 'spawn of the devil' dc should just get in a jolly line dance singing the praises and dancing to the school timetable tune.

It matters not a jot that nothing and nobody else operates and works to the school timetables, except those businesses creaming it as a by-product.

One can only wish that some sensibility might prevail as a wish is all it will ever be. And gosh darnnit, you got to remember that all school staff are the most hardest darned werkers that walked the planet, everrrr.

As they often tell us in great detail. Yawn......

Absolutely.
I don’t think the younger years could cope with such long days but that doesn’t mean art, drama, sports or similar couldn't take place later in the day on the school grounds but club based. Many children miss out on extra curricular activities because their parents work long hours or they don’t have the funds.

Older years certainly could be longer. My kids finished school at 6/6:30pm in their senior years 13+

It would mean a massive investment and additional staff, of course.

A lot of other countries have much shorter school days. I used to live in an EU country and my DS finished school at 1.30pm every day. There were no breakfast clubs or after school clubs and the school holidays were much longer than they are in the UK.

Live in Canada and before and after school care is offered from 6.30am until 6pm.

Dunno how they can do it here but not in the UK

I think they should be more flexible with parent evening and other activities they expect parents to be at.

If your child does after school club or breakfast club they are st school for those hours anyway. I’m guessing you want free childcare - I would love that too!

This. The purpose of schools is to educate children, they were not created to provide childcare for working parents. Therefore, the school hours are based around children’s educational needs. Obviously, parents use the hours that children are at school to work but then if they need additional hours, they can arrange wrap around care. I work in a school and I am involved in wrap around care. Children do get very tired and that is why after school clubs are not teaching children anything but providing them with play time, crafting experiences etc.

We have a child care option after school each night, a local nursery collects from school and runs it at their premises until 6 every night. On Fridays, with a school of 250 pupils, they have ONE child attending, the most they ever have is 7. It would be financially unviable to run it at the school, the demand simply isn't there. In effect, the babies at the nursery are subsidising the ASC.

I agree but the care is done by care staff not education staff. The purpose of school is education. Afterschool etc is childcare.

I get you. Before I had the option to work from home we did have that set up (in the city) 8am breakfast club and after school club until 6:30pm. I've since moved somewhere a bit out of the way and we have breakfast club but after school is 5pm on the dot. Not ideal for working parents. No wrap around care. On the odd days I need to be in the office or farther afield for meetings/training, my OH has to take a half day to do pick ups. Its a pain but it is what it is..

Again, if you choose to have children you should know what the school holidays are like and have options in place.

It’s not the day length, it’s the holiday lengths for me. Especially when most working people get 20 days holiday a year which doesn’t cover it. Unless you have grandparents to help then you have to use clubs which are extortionate. Also unlikely you can have both parents off work at the same time as it’s a juggling act.

Honestly what a ridiculous thread completely unreasonable. Your school does not have available wrap round care therefore the whole education system needs to change? Yes you aren’t asking for teachers to do it, I hear you, however there are plenty of schools who do provide it not to mention child minders, external after school clubs Who collect the children from the school office. Where is this money coming from? The wages to keep a school open longer hours, the money councils pay for PVG checks, presumably some kind of snack would need to be provided.
This is the issue with so many, oh let’s have a baby but not think of the consequences or the what ifs. If you decide to have children, unexpected or not, you need to cover every eventuality - from snow days to sickness.
Your mortgage has risen, as it has for many, if you can’t afford it you move to somewhere more affordable. Your working hours do not suit your lifestyle if you can’t afford to pay for childcare or be available to do it yourself. Is it great, no it’s not but unfortunately that’s life and people need to stop expecting to be bailed out by others.