Enforced lunchtimes clubs at secondary school

[Equimum]

I am really interested in other people's thoughts on this please.

Our year 9 son has recently started at an international school which we knew from the outset has compulsory extra curricular activities at the end of the school day. As such, he is school 7.30am to 5pm. Morning break is 20 minutes; ten of which children have to attend compulsory snack/ second breakfast.

Today, we have received an email stating that all pupils need to sign up to extra-curriculars at lunchtimes, choosing two sport, two indoor and an additional activity from either strand. These will fill the lunch break around their dining hall time.

For me, this feels like too much structure. Children already have a considerable amount of homework, and are expected to show the revision notes they make after every lesson.

Would you be happy with free break bring taken away? I'm wondering if I am over-reacting?

State schools have shorter lunch breaks but finish earlier... mine finish before 3pm. Voluntary clubs, including study periods, finish at 4.
The OPs son has a 9.5hr day with less than an hours break total. Plus homework.

@TheNightingalesStarling homework is usually done in prep, i didn’t see anything from the op that there is a lot more?
but yes, private school days are long and intense. hence the much longer holidays!
Mibe both leave the house at 7:15, year 4 is usually back around 5, year 8 around 5:40.
Both have minimal homework afterwards (20 minutes). its fine once they are used to it. they also have 1 week more off in autumn half term, one week more off over Christmas, 1 extra week over easter, and over 2 extra weeks in summer!

Its in her post... her child has a lit of homework

@TheNightingalesStarling just saw it, apologies. that is a bit unusual. i would expect prep somewhere in the day, and a maximum of 30 minutes per day homework (including weekend).

@Equimum how much homework is a lot? does he need help organising it? i find a lot of my kids’ homework problems are solved with helping them to organise it (and not waiting till the last minute….)

My kids are at a private school and this is not normal at all! There are lunch clubs but they are totally voluntary. It is a long day - they have compulsory sport before and after school for 2-3 sessions a week and my eldest is in at 6.45 4 days a week for choir, basketball, athletics and then has after school activities a couple of days too. The musical kids are in even more. You could be in 6.44 - 5.00 every day if you chose enough extra curriculars but they are a choice!

A tangent but they have two breakfasts, lunch, and a compulsory snack all between 7:30 and 5pm?

That’s pretty normal - mine have breakfast at home, morning tea at school, then lunch and then sometimes a snack before their after school activities.