Year 7 finishing at 4pm

[Generalpost]

I'm probably being a snow flake. But dd who's 11. has just started year 7. And I only just realised that enrichment classes are compulsory they finish at 4pm. My concern is we live in a rough area of London . And I worry about her coming home. She would get home around 4.45-5pm. And I worry more for the winter when it gets dark early. I'm not able to collect her as I don't drive and have younger children. One with special needs. I just think it's a bit much for a child who's just left primary. Maybe in a couple of weeks I will wounder why I was worried. But I really thought enrichment was a choice 🤔

Our secondary finish at 4pm. The school has done this for at least 10 years as was same when my eldest started.

We are in Hackney area.

No issues, year 7s survived it then and my DD will do the same when she starts next year. Surely she has a phone? It’s really no more dangerous and stabbing, especially of girls that aren’t personal are extremely rare.

By this time next year she will be staying out later with friends after school and you will wonder why you worried.

My ds’s school didn’t finish until 4pm with an 8.30am start. Then school would stay open for extra curricular activities/enrichment/extra study until 6pm.
My own secondary didn’t finish until 3.50pm I left school in 1992!
These were both from year 7 throughout your school life!

So I don’t think it’s that unusual, to finish a bit later than what you are used to at primary.

My year 5 finishes lessons at 4.30, and then has clubs after on some days.

I do understand the concern re: getting home, especially once it gets darker earlier (but your dc will have built up some tolerance to the longer day by then).

[quote Generalpost]@icecoffees

"If a 4-5 year old can do it, I'm sure an 11 year old can manage"

I doubt a 4-5 year old is walking through a dodgy area alone though.[/quote]
No, but it won't be any more dangerous at 4pm than it is at 3pm.