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Original poster

What time do your secondary age children walk in the door from school?

105 replies

Pascha · 12/10/2023 13:27

Assuming no clubs/deviating into town/to a mates house.

If they finish school and just walk or get the bus or train home, how long does that take?

Ds1 gets in just before 5pm. There's a 45min wait for the bus and a 50min bus ride. He's OK with it as the stop is just over the road from home but I do wonder sometimes if there is a better way. Technically I could find an hour to go pick him up and drop him back before I carry on. It's not ideal though and would ruin his cred with his mates. He's 13 in Year 8.

OP posts:
BelleSauvage9 · 12/10/2023 15:27

School finishes at 3:30, gets home at about 4:40

RhinestoneCowgirl · 12/10/2023 15:32

School finishes at 3pm, DD just walked in 5 mins ago. She can do the walk in 15 mins if she's being speedy, longer if walking with friends

felisha54 · 12/10/2023 15:35

Home by 3.45 and finish school at 3.10

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LuckOfTheDrawer · 12/10/2023 15:48

3:37pm 🙂 - it's been very consistent this week.

greenacrylicpaint · 12/10/2023 15:50

they finish at all sorts of different times.
mostly home around 4ish
latest is 6pm, earliest 2pm.

Readytoplay · 12/10/2023 15:51

You have to remember that MN has a high percentage of private school parents, far higher than the national average. That’s why a lot of schools on here are finishing at 4:00-6:00ish: private schools generally have longer days than state schools. The average state comp finishes between 2:45-3:30.

My school finished at 2:50 and, if coming straight home, could be back at 3:05 if walking/ 2:55 if being picked up by my dad.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 12/10/2023 15:52

Between 3:50 and 4:00.

DominoRules · 12/10/2023 15:53

Finish at 3.05, home anytime between 3.30-4 depending on if they walk or get the bus

SirenSays · 12/10/2023 15:54

4:45ish

Wishitsnows · 12/10/2023 15:54

Mine finishes at 6:40 but home in 10 minutes. It is late but they do their homework at school so nothing more to do in the evening. Finishes at 4 on a Friday though

hettiethehare · 12/10/2023 15:56

About 4 and 420 here.

SaracensMavericks · 12/10/2023 15:58

On a day they have no clubs, my DC finish school at 3.40, get on the bus at 4, get off at 4.25 (unless bus is running late) and walk in the door a few minutes later.

However they often do an after school club and can't get a bus home (as the timing doesn't work - they'd just miss a bus and the next one is much later) so I go and pick them up at 5pm and we get home at 5.20.

Crabwoman · 12/10/2023 15:58

Mine leaves the house at 7:40 and is home about 16:40

Cheguevarahamster · 12/10/2023 15:59

Now...

DiscoBeat · 12/10/2023 16:01

DS15 gets in at 3.30 ish - he hates the bus so we drive him there and back. DS13 is at a school further away and can't get a seat on the bus on the way there so we drive him. He does get a seat on the way back so he gets the bus and is home by 4.45.

Pastlast · 12/10/2023 16:13
  1. Five minutes after school finishes. It is ridiculously early.
MintJulia · 12/10/2023 16:38

I collect mine from the bus stop 6 miles away. School finishes at 4pm, he does prep until 5pm, gets the school bus, then we are generally back home by 5.45.

Zingy123 · 12/10/2023 16:42

Finish at 3.15 home by 3.30. I have always taken them and picked them up.

schnubbins · 12/10/2023 17:04

Mine were always home by 1.15 pm .The joys of school in Germany.

Goldencup · 12/10/2023 17:22

What do your teens who are home around 3pm do after getting home ? I found 3:15 very early for primary school finish and made sure we went to the park/ did an activity after school every day except Friday. DCs were home around 5pm from secondary school, which fits in well with the end of the working day. Up at 6:30 out the door at 7:15.

BCCoach · 12/10/2023 17:25

It’s a 20 minute bike ride so 3.50. If it was chucking it down and he decided to get the bus it’s more like 4.20 as there’s a 10 minute wait and the bus route is a bit circuitous.

Poniesandrainbows · 12/10/2023 17:30

Finish at 3pm, walks in the door at 3.40 ish from a bus ride

Original poster
Pascha · 12/10/2023 17:47

It seems 5pm-ish is on the late side but not out of the realms of normal, that's good. There is one kid on his bus who stays on til the next town and he isn't home til 6 some nights.

@minipie I have suggested homework club in the library for half an hour, especially as the afternoons draw in, but the lure of the chip shop and the post office with his friends is very strong. I get that. We live rurally and once he's home all his social interaction must be online so I don't really begrudge him a bit of time buying rubbish while he waits.

His younger brother will hopefully be joining him next year and that means double the bus fare so maybe it will have to change then. We shall see.

It's very interesting seeing the range of norms though. Thanks everyone for replying.

OP posts:
Chanhedforthis · 12/10/2023 17:55

Mine walks home 1.6 miles, she's home around 3 30.

PuttingDownRoots · 12/10/2023 17:56

@Goldencup
3 days a week she has a club at school so home later
The other 2 days she has stuff in the evening.
Sometimes she hangs out with friends, other times she comes home, does homework, practices for the school play, plays with her sister, watches TV, socialises by phone... just normal stuff really.