Do any secondary school teachers get first and last lessons off?

For rejecting P1s off they could easily say that they need teachers to be form tutors.

I can not say, but if they allow it for you others will follow.

Be wary of full-time colleagues who have to do the last lesson - particulary later on the week. Many of them will also have kids to pick up, but can't because they need the money.

Management often have reasons for saying no.

In my experience, people are incredibly ignorant of how part-time teaching hours work. I have had colleagues who worked the pattern you are proposing, OP. I have also worked on timetabling and if you're 0.5FTE I would be surprised if it's very difficult to accommodate. The problem is most likely to be option blocks.
I have also never worked in a school where we have received our timetables before July! Yes, people are working on the timetable, but more in a way of assigning teachers to classes and sorting out numbers and option blocks way. We definitely haven't started actually placing many lessons yet.

Why can't people expect to be paid for the time they're not in school?
I've got 20 teaching periods and a 32 hour week (on 80%). Whether I'm sitting at school to complete my planning and prep and whatever in these 12 odd hours (since I'm going to be timetabled for break duties, cover lessons, etc.) or not, doesn't really matter.
When we're not teaching or on duty, we can go home...or for a walk, to the gym, whatever. As long as the work gets done...
I don't need supervision to complete my work.

It requires a supportive headteacher and a very skilled timetabler. You can ask. I know a couple of people who do an version of this: one starts p2 every day but then does the full rest of the day, and another does a short day once a week as 0.9 so she can drop off and pick up her children one day a week.

There are implications beyond your own teaching allocation which will have to be taken into consideration: if tutor time is first thing you won’t be able to be a form tutor. You won’t be able to do duties before and after school (if teaching staff usually do these at your school). You’ll never be able to attend a staff meeting or twilight so you will miss virtually the whole CPD calendar for the year.

But OP works 50%, so is only paid to be in for half the week. The question is whether the school would be willing to pay her to be in for the middle of each day instead of two whole days and one half day.

Gosh no. None of the schools I worked in would have allowed this. Had to stay in school to the end of the day in case anyone dropped dead and I had to cover the lesson. In one school, the school secretary monitored the door. You can’t expect to be paid for the time you aren’t in school.

It's a big ask of the timetabler to keep you off every first/last lesson.

However asking to work across five days, with as few first/last lessons as possible, may well go down better - that might be much easier for the timetabler than your current three days. I worked 60% across five days, and the timetabler was pleased when I said I was happy to do that. He timetabled as if I was available any time, and then looked at the end to see if he could make swaps to tidy it up. I think I usually ended up with two or three late starts and two or three early finishes.

It also depends on subject, and what other part-timers there are. If it's something like maths, then whole blocks of maths sets have to be worked around when you are available - and doubly difficult if one teacher is only available Mon to Weds and another is only available periods 2/3/4. If it's something like RE, where each class only has one lesson, then they tend to go in at the end of the timetabling process, and your availability will just determine which groups you teach.

You can ask but I’d ask for drop off o the Monday pick up on the Friday only and get your child used to breakfast club in between

you are in a very privileged position to be able to do this so my advice would be to keep it quiet whatever the arrangements are

I used to do something similar when my kids were little. I had 4 period 5 lessons off per week (there was always CPD after school on a Tuesday so I had to stay anyway). I was on 0.76. My school have always been very good with party timers.
I used a childminder in the morning to do drop off and was able to pick them up myself from school. Never regretted my decision - my best friends are the mums I met on those afternoon pick ups.
Im back to FT now amd have worked at the school nearly 20 years. Treat your staff well and they show loyalty!

Every day would be a no from my husband's school. A day or two, yes.

I'm going back after maternity leave next academic year and I'm dropping to 80%. I'll be working mornings only, so I'm only there for periods 1-5 and get home by 2pm.
I'll still be able to do drop offs at nursery and school for the DC. Theirs both start at 7.30am and my first period starts at 9am. (Their dad won't do any because he's a cheating twat, who is busy playing happy families with his colleague.)

I work at an independent school, though, and they try to be as flexible as possible when it comes to part time requests. At 50%, they'd accommodate first and last period of the day.

I think my school might try to make this work for you, with the exception that you would have to stay one night a week for meetings/ parents eves etc ( always the same day)
we have a variety of requests for pt, some staff want/need whole days off because it’s too expensive to come in for 3 lessons/pay for child care/ it’s their day for elder care etc, whereas some staff who live closer are happier to work more but shorter days. I would definitely ask.

The fact you are only 50% makes me think it is definitely worth you asking. You are not asking to be absent from school in your non contact time (which I could envisage being frowned upon). I actually think being in every day would be a bonus to your school (and definitely your department), as you will be in the loop of everything and they will essentially have you in school for more hours than a normal 0.5 part timer.

@unoriginalname3737 what subject do you teach? If you teach a subject with a shortage of recruits and are not easily replaceable your request is more likely to be accommodated.

This would not happen at my school

@LottieMaryOh it is, this new Head is ruining our wonderful school!! Lots of staff jumping ship this summer!

Definitely put in a flexible working request that specifies.
good schools do their best to accommodate. @fleetoriginal’s sounds dreadful.

it may not be possible but there should be proper reasons not ‘it’s unfair’ - as you don’t know anyone else has asked.
Timetables are really hard work but they’re made to work in schools that value their staff as people who also have children

I get this once a week (I work 3 days a week so my other 2 days are full days). It’s an adjustment I was given as I have two disabled children.

Just ask and see.
my husband managed to do it for two years but only one day a week, the rest were normal hours. It was a massive help.

We wouldn't be able to accommodate this every day.

Could possibly do mornings only. We have longer days Mon-Thurs with meetings/cpd etc after school.

I don't know any school that would be unable to change their timetable at this stage, yes we're working on it now, but it's not too late to request a change. I'm still plugging in parameters, nowhere near scheduling yet!

We don't have anyone with first AND last off, but a few with either first OR last. It would depend on your subject, key stages taught, and the department size at our school.

My school wouldn't allow this. We have meetings three times a week after school and fixed hours of 8.30 till 4.30. That said, I never teach afternoons so always have p4 and p5 for either meetings, engagement or planning time

I think it would be too late to organise for coming academic year....our slt have been working on the new timetable for over a month