Schools to open evenings and weekends.

[WaterSheep]

Anne Longfield has suggested that schools should open in the evenings and on weekends, in order to help prevent children being preyed on in the streets by gang members.

Apparently this would allow children to access their sports, drama and technology facilities. Wonderful... but what happens if anything goes missing or gets damaged, who is going to replace them?

Oh and just one small point, i'm sure it's an accidental oversight, she hasn't actually stated who will be supervising the children....

Why is it always down to schools and not the actual parents??

Because many parents are out at work and some parents are inadequate.
We need to break the cycle of crap parents affecting their dc’s life chances and that means supporting dc both during school hours and after school hours.

I think it’s criminal that school buildings are only open from 9-3/4

Our school is open from 7.30am - 6pm each night with before school care, and after school clubs.

God forbid parents actually parent their kids instead of expecting the state to fund it.

There are extra curricular clubs every day of the week after school at my dc's secondary. Remember also a lot of the school is still being used by teachers after the children have gone home!

LizzieSiddal
I think it’s criminal that school buildings are only open from 9-3/4.

I think that its criminal that you think that this is the case in all schools.

Because many parents are out at work

So your answer is to make other parents have to work the same hours?

Because many parents are out at work and some parents are inadequate

School isn't childcare.

Taking responsibility away from parents to actually parent has disempowered parents. Parents think that the state will sort their children out.

Surely in this instance ‘school’ means ‘school buildings’?

School isn't childcare.

That’s the whole point of this new initiative! Yes it isn’t childcare at the moment but the buildings are there, set up for dc and could be used for childcare.

I think that its criminal that you think that this is the case in all schools.
I should have put some in my post.

Because many parents are out at work

So your answer is to make other parents have to work the same hours?

No where have I said that? [confused{

Teacher I don’t expect the state to sort it out, though if the state is going to push parents into the workplace they should surely help out. I’m happy to pay for childcare, but it needs to happen somewhere. Oh, look, there’s a school building in my area standing empty for some of the time. Why not use that? Oh no, terrible idea, let’s building a completely separate building (where, with what money) instead. That will stand empty during school hours, to be sure. But that’s got to be better than sharing.

so councils have cut back on funding for qualified youth workers, school funding, etc. Many schools already use their facilities but many schools cant because of security issues due to the way the schools -so this idea may not be feasible for all schools anyway.. Class rooms are designed as open plan toilets not easily accessible from their halls & many halls are quite small. If you have anybody using the school you need school staff to maintain security whilst other user is there - there would also be extra insurance costs, heating costs cleaning costs etc. Would these organisations have money to hire schools & pay staff or is the assumption that this would be voluntary (& all the issues that go along with this)

Our school is open from 7.30am - 6pm each night with before school care, and after school clubs.

Great! I’m very pleased for you and the dc who attend.

You do realise that isn’t the case for other school, especially small rural ones.

Schools are already having to close at lunchtime on Fridays because of budget constraints. Who is going to pay for/staff this 24 hour service?
Teachers are increasingly expected to take on effectively parenting/social service roles.

God forbid parents actually parent their kids instead of expecting the state to fund it

I know. So many seem to think their children should cost them nothing and the state should fund it all.

If some parents are inadequate then a better use of any funds would be more social workers to ensure they are meeting their responsibilities. Children tend to copy their role models so better to tackle those that use a sticking plaster approach.

Our school is open from 7.30am - 6pm each night with before school care, and after school clubs.

That's really not something to celebrate! Almost the whole day spent at school for some . Awful.

There should be something that enables children and young people when they leave school. Of course there should. Whether it should be schools or not is a different question.

I heard an educational consultant say that it would give the opportunity for children to have arts and sport time. In my opinion, that should form a proper part of the curriculum anyway and not an add on. That it isn’t, is the responsibility of successive governments, Ofsted and academies.

The buildings are there, yes. Staffing, salaries, insurances, safeguarding checks, indemnities, etc etc aren’t. Perhaps we should be focusing on doing something to help young people to feel safer out of school. Will this proposal reduce or stop the gang culture, bullying and knife crime that is behind the suggestion.

When I was young, admittedly a million years ago, we played out until it was dark on the local streets and parks. We went to a youth club a couple of times a week. As teenagers, we hung around with friends, or went to each other’s houses.

I know that’s probably not possible now, but should be be looking at how we can return to a situation where it is possible?

I’m happy to pay for childcare, but it needs to happen somewhere. Oh, look, there’s a school building in my area standing empty for some of the time. Why not use that? Oh no, terrible idea, let’s building a completely separate building (where, with what money) instead.

Excellent post.

But it seems the sensible option isn’t supported by many here.

Well as the saying goes, you can’t argue with stupid!

The secondary school that I work in and the one that my children go to, hire out the sports centre and drama studio to outside groups. The sports centres, in particular, are in use every evening and at weekends. I know that other schools in the city do this too, so those facilities are already in use and therefore unavailable.

Also when is cleaning and maintenance going to get done, if the schools are open all the time?

You do realise that isn’t the case for other school, especially small rural ones.

Of course I realise that, my point was in repose to you saying school were open 9-3, that really isn't the case for the majority of schools.

In the BBC this morning it said it would cost £2.6 billion to implement. I do think it is a good idea to provide more out of school activities but not in schools. Kids, especially those seeking to be cool don’t want to be hanging out in schools.

I’m a qualified secondary teacher and an experienced playworker and although there is a cross over with skills they are separate roles and you can’t be a teenagers teenagers and youth worker successful. They are different relationships.

We need youth clubs and detached youth workers.

though if the state is going to push parents into the workplace they should surely help out

Do you mean making them step up and financially support their children? That should be a parent basic and need no pushing into.

Children are the responsibility of the parents. In the UK nobody has to have children. Contraception is free and abortion not illegal. If they can’t afford to support a child, then don’t have one.

That's really not something to celebrate! Almost the whole day spent at school for some . Awful.

Indeed, but parents need the care and would choose other schools if we didn't offer it, and unfortunately we desperately need the extra income that it generates.

Guides/Scouts is for teens?

As a teen I used to go to a church youth club and that was farely structured/organised...run by the priest and volunteer mums.

After uni I volunteered as a youth support worker and that youth club was more laid back...I think we had 3 proper youth workers and 2 volunteers.

Both had access to a hall, a smaller room, toilets and a kitchen. That'd be tricky for schools I think, the kitchen.

Our school is open from 7.30am - 6pm each night because there are always teachers working there between those hours (yesterday I arrived at 7.45 and left at 6.10 - I was not the first to arrive, nor the last to leave).

That is one of the reasons why we only hire out the hall and exterior spaces, not anything to do with the rest of the school, for sports clubs, adult classes etc. It is our workplace, and in the same way as an office worker wouldn't expect to move out of their office area (and also securely store all paperwork and cover up their noticeboard) so that it could be used for a drama club or youth club, there is no reason why a teacher should be required to move out of their classroom for that purpose.

Teacher and support staff should staff it. they get like 15 weeks paid holiday anyway right?

I completely read this as sarcastic/tongue in cheek, i thought it was obvious!

Nope they get exactly the same amount of paid holiday as the legal minimum. The rest is unpaid. Their salaries are just paid monthly (like a lot of other jobs!). I don't understand why this is so hard to work out.*

It has been said that there's lots of teacher bashing on MN but for every one of those there's at least one thats very teacher friendly explaining that teachers are overworked and underpaid (i agree!!) but we're not 5 there really cant be that many people who truly think teachers only work 9-3.30, termtime only!!

“though if the state is going to push parents into the workplace they should surely help out”

How is the state doing this? People have always had to work to support their children. Who else is going to? (Why should anyone else?)