Straw poll. Have and schools in your area gone part time due to budget?

[StrumpersPlunkett]

And where are you?
I am in Cambridge and a few schools around the one where I work have closed for a half day each week.
Is this happening across the country?

Thanks

Yep. Birmingham.

Not the school I work in or my DCs schools but have heard of at least 3 schools locally having to close early from September.

What my school has had to do though is lose anyone on a temp or supply contract. Which essentially means all the 1-2-1 TAs for the neediest children are going and we will just have to paper over the cracks as best we can come the Autumn.

It's a car crash. We are already stretched to the limit now. I worry about how we will support all of the children in the way they need. Answer is, we can't.

And yes, we have also run out of supplies...glue sticks are like gold dust. No whiteboard pens and we even ran out of paper this week...

Not really sure how we're meant to deliver the 'broad and balanced' curriculum Ofsted are so hot on now (which I actually agree with) without resources. I mean, delivering art or DT without paper or paints or pencils is tricky. There's only so many 'recycled materials' topics you can do

The Scottish Borders started half day Fridays I think 5 years ago.

All of the TAs have been made redundant at the primary school near me.

Rather than starting at 9, we started at 8.40. Finished at 3.20 rather than 3.

I’m in England and have never worked in a school that has started at 9 and finished at 3! Most start at 8.40/8.45 and finish at 3.15/3.30.

We are in dire straits. Wehave made most TAs redundant -we have some left that are used to cover PPA. No photocopying, border rolls have to be reused, no glue sticks, 30 pencils only for the year, no replacement reading books. We use the cheapest nastiest exercise books that fall apart and tear.

We have NQTs, teachers stuck lower down on the MPS, or SLT. The ceiling is falling down, trays broken or missing and carpet rotting. Lights are flickering and bulbs can’t be replaced, taps leaking and strange noises coming from the toilets!

It’s shocking really.

In England are school hours and holidays set by the local authority instead of the individual school? I often see people post about a particular area?

And textbooks are shared or only available for year 11 - year 10 have to muddle through - we only knew they didn't have the right textbook at the end of Year 10. Other subjects parents are requested to buy textbooks - which is fine if you can afford it but what if you have a low income? Again the well off gain advantage - how on earth do we address inequality under these condition?

No shorter days here. Funding is tight but not asked to donate to school either, think quite a few parents would if asked. A wish list would probably work so parents know what paying for.

SN funding gone pretty much completely so mine with SN sent home 2 days last week as he was distressed at school.

In order to close for half a day, the other days will be longer/lunchtime will be shorter, so children will not be missing out on teaching time. It's vital that this fact is recognised.

Yup. Swindon - some primaries close early on a Friday

We have a wish list. Fab. We are comfortably off but not time rich and I’d much rather buy resources than bake cake again!

@fedup21.. that does sound like the school is at crisis point. Whereabouts is this?

I think so many parents won't be able to take time off work if schools do close early. What a pp said upthread is interesting .. that parents of a school are given help towards childcare. That would certainly help but who funds this? Would it be means tested or across the board?

We are in the Midlands UK and no mention of closing early and the only requests to parents are contributions to fairs and raffles. It's a small primary with only 20-25 per class I think.