Secondary school finish times and FT work

[Blindleadingtheblind]

Hi,

Not sure where to post this. My kids are still in primary school and use the after school club until I finish work and pick them up (lone parent). Just wondering what time secondary school finishes in england. I presume about 4pm. My question is what do your secondary school children do if you presumably have to work til later than they finish school? Do they go home and have to wait for you and if so how long do you leave them for til you get home? I'm just a bit nervous about it all even though my eldest is only in y3 at primary school. The next 3 years will fly by.

Thanks.

They grow up a lot between y3 and y6 and then a huuuge amount in y7.

Just don't forget to train your child up in y6 to do all the things you need them to in y7 like working up to being on their own for short periods and catching buses etc.

Finish at 3.10 but often there’s after school or homework clubs until 4.15 then they have to get home.

Year 7 DD finishes at 2.45pm. There are after school clubs (sports, chess etc) until 4pm which she does a couple of times a week and a homework club in the library until 4.30pm (occasionally does this).

DH works from home at the moment so is usually in when she gets back, but most of her friends are home alone for a few hours before their parents get back from work. You build up responsibility and trust a lot in year 7 with kids.

My dc finish school at 3pm but it’s changing to 2:50pm in September. They come home or head to the park with friends depending on what they want to do.
In the school holidays they stay at home on their own, I work shifts so I’m around at least part of the day and then DH would be home by 5pm.
DH is still wfh for the foreseeable so things will be different this summer.
DS is in year 5 and he walks to and from school on his own, we started after the easter holidays and he’s loving the freedom and being a bit more grown up.

3.15 here but DS has after school clubs (different sports) three nights a week that finish between 4.30-5.
He started walking home on his own from school in Year 6 and he'd usually have about half an hour on his own before I got home from work, which was really good independence practice.

And yeah, school holidays are a bit of a nightmare when they get too old for holiday clubs! This year DS has one week of tennis camp, one week of holiday with me, I'm taking another week off work to do some days out etc and the other 3 weeks he's pretty much going to have to amuse himself while I work. I'm hoping that he'll go out and about with friends but it didn't happen in Easter holidays or half term - I think lockdown has had quite an impact on developing friendships. His dad (we're separated) would normally take him on holiday too but apparently cannot possibly take any leave at all this year, so it's fallen on me to fill 6 weeks of school holidays

Secondary schools around here finish at around 3.15.

I didn't find that after school was a problem as by then they could spend some time at home alone. So if nobody was going to be home they could just come back on the school bus and let themselves in.

I only worked part time at that point - mornings only and for six months of the year from home. So for me school holidays were not a problem either.

Thanks for all the responses. I feel I've worried a few years in advance for nothing but I like to be prepared :)

I think once the eldest gets to y6 I will let him start to walk home by himself and give him a key etc. I'm thinking of giving him his own key when he gets to Y4 in September but I don't know if that is too soon. I'm pretty certain I had my own door key at that age. Any way I'm glad you lot have put my mind at ease. Thank you all.

@IToldYouIWasFreaky that seems unfair that his dad cannot take leave in the school hols. It shouldn't have to fall solely on your shoulders.

Mine finishes at 2.35pm and there is library/after school at the moment. Thank god DH is working from home still.
She doesn’t mind being home but she’s not keen going home to an empty house (yr 7).

Holidays are tough. DD is more than happy for a few hours but a full day alone is too much still. Luckily we are covered this summer.

There is NO library/after school at moment I mean.

If you are giving your child a key I would wait until year 6 if they are always coming home with you until then. When you do give them a key either use a retractable key fob attached to their bag or sew the key onto some elastic to their bag so it can never be lost.

If you know which schools your child may attend some of them will have an extra-curricular activities calendar on their website. At Ds's school there is a "homework club" every night in a couple of classrooms so that children have a space to work but it is also a place for children who are not comfortable being home alone for long periods of time.

A secondary near to me finishes at 2pm on a Friday due to PPA for staff. My son's doesn't do this, they currently finish really early due to covid staggering times, currently 2.45pm however normally, 3.15pm.