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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

New School Day Proposed

123 replies

saturnsarah · 14/05/2015 20:49

DD13 came home from school today (it's an academy) with a letter saying they want to change the school day.

They want to change it so they start at 08.30 and then do not have a break until 11.30. I think this is far too long for children to go without a drink or a proper rest break. They then will have a break until 11.55 and work until 13.15 when they have lunch until 13.55 and then they work from 13.55 until 15.15.

AIBU to think the three hours is too long or am I being PFB?

OP posts:
Original poster
saturnsarah · 14/05/2015 21:23

mothership no - no water allowed outside of break times.

OP posts:
NormaStits · 14/05/2015 21:24

But they can drink between lessons, as PPs have said. Workplaces expect staff to go 4 hours without a break. Teenagers aren't little kids they should be capable of this.

Original poster
saturnsarah · 14/05/2015 21:26

norma

Sadly no, they cannot drink between lessons without risking being caught and getting detention for drinking outside of canteen and designated outside areas. They are not permitted to drink in corridors etc.

OP posts:
NormaStits · 14/05/2015 21:26

That might be the rules but the kids will do it surreptitiously. They do in my school. No food & drink outside of the canteen, but most humane teachers turn a blind eye to a quick sip at the end of a lesson.

echt · 14/05/2015 21:26

I'd be more concerned about when they can go to the toilet.

Bunbaker · 14/05/2015 21:26

I have just asked DD if she can drink from her water bottle during lessons and she said they can except for during science lessons.

Surely the children can drink from their water bottles walking from one classroom to another?

DeeWe · 14/05/2015 21:28

That's not dissimilar to how my school was. The theory was that you work best first thing in the morning.
Actually I never found that length an issue. I found the 1hr 20 minutes between break and lunch a real strain though.

Original poster
saturnsarah · 14/05/2015 21:28

echt I think they can ask to go to toilet and yes, I guess they can sneak a drink then, but then they are missing part of lessons. DD is quite timid and would not want to risk getting caught and getting the detention, so she wouldn't drink in the corridor or on the quiet.

The school is an academy that has had a very expensive revamp and they have very strict rules about it.

OP posts:
pointythings · 14/05/2015 21:28

I think the no water rule is very dodgy indeed - my DDs are at an Academy too (not shiny, they lost out when Building Schools for the Future was scrapped and are in the second wave of the new programme now - they have lessons in the rain in some classrooms because the classrooms leak). They are allowed water bottles in most lessons unless there is a safety reason why not, i.e. in Chemistry or DT.

Three hours without a drink is a long time, in the world of work you'd be allowed a cuppa at least.

NormaStits · 14/05/2015 21:29

Sorry, we keep cross posting! If the school is going to be strict about it, you could complain but I think allowing a drink will be the easiest solution, not changing the timetable.

I don't think 3 hours without a drink is unbearable though, when I was little my grandparents believed in drinks with meals and not in between. So 4 hours, roughly. I think the trend of guzzling water all day long is quite recent.

Original poster
saturnsarah · 14/05/2015 21:30

Exactly pointy that is my view too. I bet the bloody principal is sitting with a cup of tea Angry

Sorry your kids are sitting in the rain Sad

OP posts:
todayisayesterdaystomorrow · 14/05/2015 21:30

Jesus Mary and Joseph! Is this a joke?
(Whiny voice) "my poor teen can't last 3 hour without a drink of water" ! They are sitting down in a xkassroom, not on a building site in the midday heat.

todayisayesterdaystomorrow · 14/05/2015 21:31
  • classroom.
NormaStits · 14/05/2015 21:33

Three hours without a drink is a long time, in the world of work you'd be allowed a cuppa at least.

I would say that depends on the job. I worked in a supermarket where we only had breaks if working over 4 hours and no water at the tills. The staff at this academy will have to go 3 hours too. Surgeons will go more than 3 hours. That's just off the top of my heart, there will be other jobs where you can't have a cuppa when you feel like it.

gamerchick · 14/05/2015 21:33

Those are more or less the hours the teen does now. They're changing it from 9 till 3 soon though.
They are allowed to take water bottle in though in the summer.

msgrinch · 14/05/2015 21:34

yabu that's absolutely fine. When I was at school it was the same and I survived just fine. They're teenagers not toddlers.

ilovesooty · 14/05/2015 21:36

There are plenty of jobs where you have to work for more than three hours without a break or a drink.

FireCanal · 14/05/2015 21:41

A 13-yr-old won't dehydrate to a pile of dust in 3 hours Confused Constant water slurping just isn't necessary. They can have a big glass of water in the morning and slurp out of a bottle just before school starts.

Plenty of people work in jobs in which they are required to survive 3 hours without a drink. Its not dangerous.

Lottiedoubtie · 14/05/2015 21:43

I am sure whatever "the rules" nobody is going to begrudge your DD a drink of water- and really if she's that timid- time to start teaching her iniative?

And actually even if they are rigidly enforced, 3 hours without a drink isn't a lot. For context there is 3 1/2 hours between my 8mo breakfast (water offered not always drunk) and his next bottle milk feed... He does seem to be surviving without signs of dehydration. So I'm pretty sure your 13 year old can cope.

ChillySundays · 14/05/2015 22:01

Apart from the 8:30 start my DC school was pretty much like this. Who is going to notice someone sneaking a slurp of drink?

I couldn't deal with this but my DC can go hours without drinking so are you projecting your views rather you DD.

amicissimma · 14/05/2015 22:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream · 14/05/2015 22:27

I hate this stupid craze for drinking every second of the day! It is not necessary! Particularly pisses me off when you see women out walking with those stupid water bottle cup things. Just have a drink when you get home ffs! It won't kill you

InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream · 14/05/2015 22:28

You might need to drink constantly when trekking across the Sahara. Sitting in a classroom? Not so much.

TheMustard · 14/05/2015 22:34

I'm a secondary teacher, and I really don't see that school timetable as a problem. Children of that age are quite capable of working for three hours, especially with the style of lesson planning being in chunks now, and the walk between different classes which will still ultimately give them a little break, or a change of pace. Many of these children should be considering getting weekend or summer jobs within a couple of years of 13 years old, so it would be good practice for them for the working world.

And definitely agree about the new sipping fad. It is such a bloody distraction in lessons. Assuming no medical needs, they can go a couple hours without a drink, ffs...

candlesandlight · 14/05/2015 22:42

my kids attend a school with a similar timetable and it is not an issue, together with an 8 week term, followed by 2 weeks holidays ,with a 4 week summer holiday. It may all seem a bit harsh but once the first term in yr 7 is over all settled into the routine without any problems.now that they are older, 2 at uni , 1 doing have, they all comment on how much they like/ liked this setup, especially the 2 week break every 8 weeks, which gave them the chance to fully relax.