Maximum length of school day?

[Longschoolday]

DC is in Y9 and goes to a private school on a scholarship. I’ve just seen the new timetable and am unhappy about the length of some of the days.

I will be speaking to the school next week, but wondered if anyone knows whether there is any guidance about the maximum length that a school day should be? The longest day on the timetable is 9 hours 55 minutes, which is too much. The extra time is because of compulsory activities that relate to the scholarship. I’m hoping that it is just a mistake in timetabling, but wondered if there are official guidelines regarding this.

I haven't ever seen any guidance on this. For reference my school day was 12 hrs and 15 mins, and that was all compulsory.

So, 8.30 until 5.55, for example?

If so, and it's not every day, that sounds completely normal.

How long is the lunch break?

Is there a short morning break? A shirt break at the end of the day, before the after school activities?

My daughter's school day was 8.30 until 5.15 every day.

On days with her scholarship activity, she finished at 6.30pm.

It's not like they're engaged in the same activity all day.

If it's a private school, there are no legal guidelines for timetabling (except possibly a minimum number of learning hours?)

Is your daughter's school also a boarding school, even if she doesn't board.

I'm afraid that your options are to turn down the scholarship, if you won't want her to do these activities, or to go with it.

Complaining will make absolutely no difference, I suspect!

That's very normal for private schools with extended days and after-school activities.

How much of that is actually lessons and how much is break/lunch/activities?

Sorry, I mean 8.30 until 6.25pm

The longer days is how they manage to give the longer holidays. They have to do the minimum learning hours but how they allocate them is up to them.

My child's private school day is 8:30-5.

My child's private school day is 8:20-4:15, so that's 8 hours (obviously with breaks). I can't think how they'd then manage a scholarship activity without putting it onto the end, particularly something like choral practice.

If he's Y9 and it's not every day I would accept it.

Or you can raise a stink and they withdraw the scholarship.

Does that include homework, or whatever it’s called at the school?

Thank you - it’s good to get an idea of what is usual. It’s 7.45am until 5.40pm, a short morning break, lunch but no afternoon break or break after school before the compulsory elements.

DC is not new to the school, but there have never been so many elements timetabled outside of the school day before - it has usual just been the odd one or two.

My 8 year old at prep does 8am to 5.30pm every day. Lots of sports and activity time so it’s not all lessons. 11 year old just gone up to the senior school is 8am to 6pm. And those are every day. This is common in private schools and, honestly, I can’t believe you didn’t know the length of the school day before you even signed your child up to take a scholarship. Did you not look round? Ask questions? It’s ridiculous now to suggest the day is too long when it will have been running that way for years just because you’re a bit of a snowflake who didn’t do their research.

This is the like the middle class version of all those parents who sign up for a school with a uniform policy, send their child in something completely different in September then moan when they are sent home. 🙄

It doesn’t include homework, no. That comes later in the evening. It’s just that on certain days there is an activity directly before school and two straight after, back to back.

I have no plans to “kick up a stink” - just talking to them. The school are quite approachable and we have a good relationship. However, since different departments are involved in the timetable, I wanted to get an idea of what was usual as it is quite possible for two different departments to have scheduled things without taking the other into account.

Unfortunately, you probably did not have a chance to see my reply before you responded, but DC is not new to the school, this is a significant change to the way the timetable has worked before, and I was just politely trying to ask for other people’s experiences. Thank you for sharing yours.

You sound delightful - NOT!