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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Local schools shutting at lunchtime on Friday? And what do I do about childcare?

336 replies

WhiteWavingCat · 25/05/2019 18:37

Is this common?

Seems the schools here are starting between 5 and 10 minutes earlier. Then the primary schools have cut lunch by 5 minutes and have no lunch break on Friday to then close at 1pm on Fridays. High School has cut morning break completely and lengthened lunchtime by 5 minutes (gone from 40 mins to 45 mins) but is still shutting at 1pm on Friday with no lunch break.
All bar one of these schools (6 in total) are academies, the none academy is religious and run by a local religious group.

Is this normal? And am IBU to think it’s ridiculous? Not just because it saves costs (I assume no meals on Fridays saves £££s) but the missed education. And what about the families who rely on Free School Meals? What happens to those children on Fridays?

Also we live in a town with several rural villages around who bus the children to schools in our town, surely the very young children (8 years and younger) can’t be left alone?

This actually worries me as I am single parent and my DD starts school in September. Her school only runs After School Club on Tuesday and Wednesday as it is, and my working days are Wednesday – Friday, I cannot change this as it works around her dad. But what the hell do I do with her on Fridays when I have no help? Her dad has her EOW Sat morn – Sun teatime but works 2-10pm Fridays, she’s currently at Nursery until 4.30pm Friday but they have all their spaces filled from September (which is understandable) and don’t run an after school club. Her dad will be having her Thursdays after school and her gps on her dads side will have her if she's ill and neither of us can but they're emergencies only.

My work cannot change my hours as I’ve had to change them this year once already. What the hell do I do? I have family nearby but they’re not reliable so I am literally stuck with giving up work or trying to find a job that will let me leave early Fridays which I don't want to do as I love my job and it saves my sanity at times

OP posts:
Original poster
WhiteWavingCat · 25/05/2019 19:34

Sorry I finish at 4pm not 4.30pm

OP posts:
itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted · 25/05/2019 19:37

I can see that it is tricky for working parents

no shit! bet you're a teacher! Tricky is a fucking understatement - on what planet are you if you think parents can just change their working hours to suit the schools deciding to shut at lunchtime! My employer would laugh me out the door and hand me my p45 on the way.

ILoveMaxiBondi · 25/05/2019 19:37

Is there any chance you could change just your Friday hours to 9-1.30pm? That would mean only 30 mins or so childcare needed?

WatchingTheWheels85 · 25/05/2019 19:40

My town in pembrokeshire is introducing this from september.

SnuggyBuggy · 25/05/2019 19:43

So is the requirement for parents of 5 year olds to look for so many hours of work going to change in line with this?

BarbarianMum · 25/05/2019 19:43

After the initial period of adjustment I don't see why it would be harder for working parents. Most jobs don't finish at 2.30pm anyway.

StripyHorse · 25/05/2019 19:46

It's appalling.

Pupils miss out, especially those whose parents can't take advantage of the time for quality family time.

TAs miss out as their hours will be cut.

Teachers don't benefit... it just means their PPA time is Friday afternoon rather than another point in the week (with a cover teacher to teach the class).

There will also be some teachers (sometimes supply teachers) who are now not needed because PPA cover is not required.

It is completely due to lack of funding.

Complain, complain, complain.... not just here... spread the word and complain to your MP.

CrazyCatNerd · 25/05/2019 19:48

Pupils don't miss out. In primary, many have golden time or the like on a Friday afternoon.

I'd much rather my PPA when there are no classes, thanks. I can't be called into class/to deal with children/to OK plans etc when there aren't any children there.

TTCVickster · 25/05/2019 19:50

Check what the schools offer, my school are looking into this and will be offering homework club provision for free for working parents. All the schools in my area which shut at lunchtime provide free care for children until 3pm but this is provided by TA’s rather than teachers meaning we can do PPA without the cost of a staff member to cover us.

mollyblack · 25/05/2019 19:51

The change is a PITA but we've had it for years- since I was at school myself (it was a weds then which was a lot less practical than a friday. It's only 2 or 3 hours difference really. There are after school clubs and childminders who provide wraparound care and once its in place for a while people will know and work around it. I love our friday afternoons! (I work full time but flexibly)

teenagetantrums · 25/05/2019 19:52

My kids school did this 20 years ago so not new. I was lucky to able to change my hours to start earlier Monday to Thursday and leave at 12 on Friday. If you can't change your hours maybe you could see if you can do a swap with another parent. You take there kid on one of your non working days and they have yours on Friday. To be honest once they start school you going to need cover for loads of things. Illness holiday's. See if you can get a support network if other muns.

Piggywaspushed · 25/05/2019 20:18

Hmmm... cherrycoke are you the same governor who came on to threads before to slag off schools. Your job is to support. If you are chair of the finance committee, any under or over spends are as much your responsibility as the head's! And presumably you have an accountant audit your finances annually...

Do you really think the budget cuts are in every school's imagination?

UCOinanOCG · 25/05/2019 20:22

Is there a high school/college/uni nearby? You could maybe get a student or older teen to collect her from school and look after her until you get home? Depends when the secondary pupils finish i guess. My DD is at uni in a city and babysits some children after school 3pm -6pm on a rota with a few of her friends. She likes the extra money and being in a family home for a few hours a week.

Passthecherrycoke · 25/05/2019 20:36

“Hmmm... cherrycoke are you the same governor who came on to threads before to slag off schools. Your job is to support. If you are chair of the finance committee, any under or over spends are as much your responsibility as the head's! And presumably you have an accountant audit your finances annually...

Do you really think the budget cuts are in every school's imagination?”

No? That’s not me. Cuts are certainly in my school Imagination, not sure how I can make them spend money.

I’m not sure about your point re: accountancy audit, do you realise an audit covers financial results, not budgetary performance? I think you’ve misunderstood what an audit is.

Piggywaspushed · 25/05/2019 20:39

Don't think so since I too am a finance governor. Our audit looks at every nook and cranny and would certainly challenge poor spending decisions : as would the Chair of the committee!
You can make them spend money by holding them to account. Presumably , your head is scared to spend money because the future looks so bleak.

Passthecherrycoke · 25/05/2019 20:40

Well I’m an auditor so pretty aware of what’s covered thanks.

Daisydad · 25/05/2019 20:40

Passthecherrycoke
You are, as a governor not carrying out your role effectively - supporting or challenging the school in terms of best value, particularly if school staff are buying equipment when you know there are funds available.
You are, as Chair of a committee not setting a good role model for other governors.
You are criticising the leadership and management of a school you help to lead, do you see the inconsistency there?
What a shame the HT has no support from you.

You will be torn apart in an inspection.

Piggywaspushed · 25/05/2019 20:41

Good : so challenge your head. That's your role!

Passthecherrycoke · 25/05/2019 20:43

Don’t be daft. You can challenge all you like, you can’t make them do anything. My school is in a complex situation - which I’m sure you can easily imagine- and doesn’t have a permanent head. The head denies the teachers are buying their own laptops. I doubt it myself tbh. It’s just one issue in their complete lack of financial understanding. In my professional life, any budget holder as poor would be sacked

Daisydad · 25/05/2019 20:48

I think you are sidestepping the issue, and this is a thread about school hours not governance, but governors must hold the school to account. There are many vehicles for this, performance management for one. I am glad you don’t govern in my school.

Passthecherrycoke · 25/05/2019 20:51

I think you’re being very defensive, but fair enough.

Walkaround · 25/05/2019 20:52

Passthecherrycoke - I presume it's an academy school? A LA maintained school would have had that money clawed back off them if it remained unspent for no good reason. And tbh, do you understand the role of a governing body? Why do you seem to think you are so powerless with respect to £400,000 of money available specifically for capital projects? It's not like that's day to day spending - that's money firmly within the remit of spending decisions to be made by the governing body.

Piggywaspushed · 25/05/2019 20:53

you can't make them do anything. Eh? Governors employ and appoint heads? Governors can sack headteachers! You are a trustee.

Daisydad · 25/05/2019 20:57

Defensive? Please explain how, I am not defending any particular position.rather I am struck by your bad mouthing of a Head when as chair of the finance committee you are equally responsible for the good financial management of the school. Does the school SFVS reflect this state of affairs?

Are you in a position to explain how a primary school has £400k in a capital fund, It is intriguing.

donquixotedelamancha · 25/05/2019 20:57

I’m a school governor and chair of the finance committee and bloody fed up of hearing how the school has no money when they have a substantial budget but appear to find it easier to tell everyone they’re skint than to actually spend it.

I mean, I suppose it's possible that a school out there can still run a surplus, but it seems unlikely. More pertinently, how can anyone who understands school financing not realise how dire things are nationally?

Even if your school has been very lucky they must have seen substantial cuts over the last 5 years. You must realise the situation is much worse for a lot of schools.

You will be torn apart in an inspection.

They can't afford to run proper inspections any more. Out last full ofsted was 2 inspectors for just over a day. If the SEF matches the results they just wave it through.