Change to timing of school day - anyone experienced this?

MrsMaurin, it's not a moral insult unless you are suggesting that any other lifestyle choice in unacceptable/undesirable. And that is how your posting reads.

There is nothing wrong with being a SAHM, I work but I completely accept that is a choice others make differently. Stop making it quite so personal and stop being so grumpy!

Many countries have longer school days than the UK. This plan is not exceptional - especially as it includes time to help children do homework and extra curricular stuff rather than formal lessons. I think we need to remember that not all dc are raised in homes where they can easily do homework comfortably and consistently. Extra support for those children - without singling them out - is surely to be welcomed?

No I don't have a chip on my shoulder but crikey 5madthings certainly does. I didn't realise that suggesting a capable adult might enjoy paid work outside the home was a mortal insult. One of the ways around a situation when one partner works so much they don't see the family is for both partners to work but doing less hours. I have many friends who have BOTH gone part time (ish) for this reason.

I have also repeatedly pointed out that it may not be possible for the school in question to enforce this. An issue nobody seems bothered about but it is of course key.

I agree, it's horrible. I think the only teachers that will be employed by some of these academies will be young and/or cheap, not yet old enough to have become disillusioned or worn out. There's a danger we will lose experienced/ dedicated teachers, which I think we already are with GOve's reforms.

I really don't like the whole picture that is emerging.

what the new norm for children to have breakdowns from pressure and exhaustion - yes probably

Won't it just become the new "norm" though? So that younger parents may go with it, and then new parents who have been through it themselves will accept it as normal etc. And as above many working parents may go with it etc.

I'd potentially be interested in home schooling but I always said I'd school for secondary as I want the subject passion and experience.

I really do think that homeschooling will increase in numbers with the way that schooling in general is going. Longer hours busier days and a general dictatorship by the schools and education departments of what you can and can't do will result in children suffering and the only option will be to take children out of mainstream school and educate them at home.

I have one year and two weeks left to go till we are out of this system

dontput we home schooled our eldest two children until they were nine and six, it was what was best for them, many primary academies are enforcing longer days, my younger kids primary is looking likely to become an academy, if they tried to enforce the longer school day for my primary kids then we will be looking at our options including home schooling again, thankfully the county we are in had a good home ed network with lots of support etc and we are in the position to consider it, not all families are that lucky.

davidwolfe.org.uk/wordpress this makes interesting reading.

ivykaty it's not either or with regards to the sport or hoovering though, mine do sport and clubs etc on some days, but they are home by 4:30 ish. On others they are home earlier and do some stuff around the house, see friends, follow their own interests, ds1 is into programming and making animations and java script and other techs stuff, ds2 likes to make YouTube videos or go to the park and play football or go to the skate/scooter ramps or they go town if they have money they want to spend or dp takes them out or we do family stuff. The point is in having a choice to structure our And their free time as we as a family see fit!

Seriously if kids are going to be out from 7;40-6pm five days a week what next compulsory boarding schools. It's essentially telling us as parents we aren't fit to organise our family life and extra curricular activities. We like the majority of families are perfectly capable of doing this ourselves. Offer the option yes, but it shouldn't be compulsory.

And many studies show that it isn't beneficial, doesn't change outcomes and actually isn't worthwhile for students or staff.

If you want to improve education have smaller class sizes, make sure teachers are properly supported by ta's and children with special needs have the support they need... Only academies like private schools can get away with not supporting children with special needs and there is no accountability for this.. Great system, not.

5madthings very well said .

MrsMaturin you are coming across as very much having a chip on your shoulder and assuming that 5madthings should get a job and assuming that this is a good thing for every family. Not every family needs or wants childcare until 5. I would be homeschooling if this happened.

I've just foudn the thread, thanks. If some schools start doing it, it will soon become the "norm" wont it :(

my dd2 school looked at altering the school day so that they started 15 minutes earlier and left 15 minutes later and had friday afternoon off school or stayed for sport. It was stopped by many parents complaining

sadly dd and her year would have loved this set up and were very disappointed as they wanted to be doing sport on a friday afternoon.

It would have meant for us a tight fit for evening sports sessions which are tight anyway - but in the long run having the afternoon on a friday to go and do something else would have been excellent.

Not sure that dd would like to be doing hoovering though after school I think she would rather a longer school day than chores at home

The link to my thread is on p1 of this thread.

Nor do I giraffe,I have a threAd in 'the staffroom' about it as well.

Its not good, it is the privatisation if the education system and academies lack of accountability is very worrying :(

I clicked on this as the school near me (different area) is an academy and is about to go to 4.30 several days a week. It's not for enrichment though - its so they can fit in extra 1-1 english/maths or an extra gcse.

I really don't like where its going :(

The longer days and transport issues mean they mean kids can't go to scouts, cadets, st John's ambulance, other clubs etc.

What about organisations that provide after school clubs and care and childminders.. All out of a job because schools insist on longer days and just use the teachers to provide this care... The teachers who btw are NOT being paid any more despite the increase in hours and paperwork and responsibility.

Even if I did work I wouldn't want my teenagers in what is effectively 'childcare' after school hours, some days they choose to do clubs etc bit others they are home by 3:45ish and I am often out with the younger three, thru use the time to get changed, chill out, see friends, start on homework or cooking dinner. I sometimes leave a list of jobs they need to do, sorting their laundry, hooveirng etc and they will do those. But having that responsibility of being home alone is good for them!

Even ofi

I take it you don't work atm? Why not get a job as well. Might change your perspective

Why should she? . She has already said that this is the lifestyle she has chosen.

Why so agressive?

I don't have a job as my youngsters still a toddler, five children and a partner that does shift work including nights, eve and weekends etc isn't conducive to both parents working.

I will prob start an MA once my daughter starts school. I already volunteer and help out etc, I will go back to work between then it will be part time to fit around school etc.

You talk about schools catering for the majority like it's a good thing, children and families are not automatons, hence why flexibility ie not making the longer day compulsory would be logical.

You haven't said when you think teachers should do their planning and marking? Funny I know many teachers and not one thinks having these after school activities run by teachers is a good thing. But then sadly the changes Gove is making mean trained teachers will not have to be employed. He wants the longer day similar to private schools for all,but they get longer holidays to compensate, they also have different staff to run the after school sessions so teachers aren't over worked and of course much smaller class sizes. We actually looked at private education and it was the longer days and in some cases Saturday classes which put us off.

I take it you get weekends off? And bank holidays? How about I enforce childcare for all your days off so you barely see your children, that is what the result of this will be for my partner. It's not good for children to not see their father Ffs.

When we signed up to state education and chose this school it had a regular 8:40-3/3:15 school day, it's not wrong to want them to stick to that, or at least consult with parents and offer flexibility.

Normal lessons will all be on usual school hours, this is 'emrichment' activities and I could do most if them myself or if it was something they really liked we would pay for them to do it at a club/group with the proper training and expertise, not at a club run half heartedly with a teacher who doesn't want to be there.

Oh and get list with your assumption that I sit at home pining for my kids to get in, we are a busy family of seven with all of them doing a variety of activities on various days and going to friends or having friends over etc just like most families but x5 as we have five children. But yrs we like to do things as a family when we can and all the kids like to as well even the teenagers, some teens do like to spend time with their family as well as their friends, funny that. Or maybe they just appreciate the time they get to spend with their dad as he often works 36hr shifts and works unsocial hours.

And no changing schools is not an option given local schools, plus they are all turning into academies in our county there is a massive push towards this. Though one local school us going to the high court soon to fight the process, and maybe Gove will be out of a job at the next election. We can hope anyway.

Btw I used a nursery whilst I finished my degree, I have used some after school clubs(paid for and run by private staff not teachers) my kids regularly go to things like this and even holiday clubs etc I have no problem with them being away from me and doing activities as you insinuate, we just choose ones that fit into our needs, just like you do with your childcare!!

Well unfortunately for you schools are always going to make arrangements which suit the majority and I suspect this arrangement will suit the majority. I take it you don't work atm? Why not get a job as well. Might change your perspective. I can assure you that your family will still function fine and you might not feel as bad about this change in time with the children if you did something else with it. Obviously waiting at home for them to return two hours later every day will be a bit dreary. The other options are change school or as I said in my earlier post see how enforceable this is - because I suspect you'll find it IS NOT enforceable - and then you don't need to worry anymore. At least until your kids demand to stay with their friends - which is a possibility.

Why should I have to adjust my lifestyle to fit in with wworking parents with 9-5 jobs, thousands of parents don't have 9-5 jobs or weekend's off etc.

As I said I am happy for the school to offer aafter school clubs and wrap around care, bit why should it be compulsory?

We have aarranged our lifestyle around my partners job, which he can't change and even if he could then any job in the same area would still be shift work.

I will essentially have two hours with the kids before bed, this might work for you bit doesn't work for us, the 9-5 model doesn't work for many jobs, particularly in the care system and as more jobs are done online and globally etc.

Of you wamt wrap around care then use it, but why should it be forced on families that don't need it?

Well it sounds like the school is pretty committed to this change so I think you need to think about how it can be made to work for your family and what you could do differently. I don't know what the legal position is if you choose to insist your child leaves at the previous time but I suspect that may indeed also be an option as long as they have had the legally mandated amount of education time in that week. I think that you need to recognise though that for the majority of families, with parents working 9-5 ish this could be a really positive change that will improve their family lives as parents and children arrive home together, home work etc already done.

That's great if it works for you, we have chosen as a family not to use after school care. We don't need it and we don't want it.

As I said my partner does shift work and works weekends, so doesn't ser the children at weekend's but is around in the week in the afternoon's and that time is important to us,even litte things like on a nice day being able to go to the beach after school and have dinner out. The elder boys like to spend tome with their siblings, but the little ones go to bed at 7pm so they will only see them for an hour which will be taken up dinner and bedtime routine for little ones.

Even things like ds2 loves cooking so he will often get involved in cooking dinner but by not getting home til 6pm he won't be able to do that.

There is also the issue for many parents of the children travelling home alone in the dark in rural areas.

After school care is fine if you need it, I have no problems with any schools offering it, it's great when they do but it should NOT be compulsory or run by teachers who have more important work to be doing. When are they supposed to plan and Mark if they are teaching till 5pm. The majority of teachers already do many hours work in the evenings etc and many of them have families.

Also if you look at the various studies evidence is that it doesn't improve results, if anything it can have negative effects.

Ummmm parents who work outside the home and use after school childcare in primary don't get home till 6 or after. Kids adapt. I can assure you we still have family life.

The changes are for all years not just gcse years, my elder son in yr 10 will be fine with the longer day but won't enjoy it. Getting home at 6pm is not conducive to family life, my 11yr old will be shattered, going to bed at 8pm,up at 6:40 to leave ny 7:40 it's too long a day.

My partner also works weekends so will hardly see the children, currently on week days he often finishes. At 4pm so sees them then.

I also prefer them doing homework at home so we can keep tabs on what they are doing, be involved and keep up to date with how they are getting on.

We have stuff we do on weekdaynights,getting in at 6pm leaves time for dinner, getting stuff ready for next school day, shower and not much else.

They won't be finishing at 1:15pm on Friday so no long afternoon.

I have no problem with them offering activities and homework clubs but they should not be ccompulsory or run by teachers who have marking and planning etc.

Regardless of doing gcses they are still chchildren and don't need to be doing ten hour days!