School will be closed at lunchtime one day a week from Sept

[Ilovecranberries]

The school (primary) had just informed the parents that they will be closing at lunchtime on one day a week from September to facilitate "planning".
I don't even know what to say. AIBU to think it is ridiculous? I am a single working parent, not sure how I am supposed to work around this. Extra childcare for these 3.5 hours at the local childminders rates will be £56 a week (two children here). Or two grand a year post tax. I probably will be told I am BU (I probably am), just very anxious right now.

This is bulkshit. I can't believe this. It doesn't affect me because my 2 ds's are older, but seriously, how are parents supposed to work around this. Who decided this was ok? I don't think it is.

@Oblomov20

This is bulkshit. I can't believe this. It doesn't affect me because my 2 ds's are older, but seriously, how are parents supposed to work around this. Who decided this was ok? I don't think it is.

School isn’t childcare; it isn’t there for parents’ convenience.

This time is important for teachers and for the children’s education.

Hearts tg even the school linked didn’t place themselves above the needs of working parents. And provided hours play instead whilst maintaining teaching hours.

The more I read about schools thinking families dart off for weekends etc the more I think they live in la la land. All it does is widen the gap between these deprived schools and other. Parents, usually women are dis-enabled.

DS school is closing at 2pm every day for at least half a term.
He has sen, and childcare for him after school will cost me £75 a day! £1500 a month.
That's my entire take home pay, and I work full time. And I'm the main earner in my household.

I think schools need to rethink thier operating systems. I understand covid, but I work in a nursery and we are managing to open 8-6.
So many families will be pushed into poverty by these shorter hours if one (or the only) parent, has to give up work.

OP, I feel for you and I do think some people really don't understand that not everybody lives in an area where there is an abundance of childcare or who has enough friends/leave etc to be able to sort out a solution. Fortunately, you do have childcare available and although it will impact on your finances, it sounds as though you will manage.
I work in a school and I can totally understand why some schools are doing this. Budgets have been cut and cut until we now have nothing left to cut. In our large school, PPA used to be spread over two days with specialist teachers/sports coaches etc so the teachers could plan together. We are now left trying to cram it in to one day. The children are already missing out as their tine with the specialist teachers is cut from an hour to 40 minutes. The next step may well be to close for half a day each week as this will allow them to reduce support staff hours - it would save the equivalyof 1.5 whole member of staff annual salary. If the time is used for a deep clean, they will still save money as a cleaner is cheaper than a TA. This situation is purely down to budget cuts. Blame should be laid firmly at the door of the governments who have allowed this situation to develop - and I include the last labour pm in that as he imposed a pay freeze on local authority staff and that began the downward spiral.

Hearts eg al If you claim to care about education. Why?

Is it because you think it will close the gap and give children better opportunity?

So why would you want to further widen it by taking away the opportunity for parents to work. And there’s no doubt mc parents with the means will choose the school best for them (they were furious remember) leaving those who can’t choose in schools with higher fsm. It’s a myopic solution that works against what you want to achieve.

I love how anyone worried about this utter shitshow falls into one of these categories:

• thinks school is childcare
• teacher bashing
• can’t stand spending time with own children
• stupid, unable to educate own children

It never fails to amaze me how little people can empathise with others. I have two kids who will both be at high school by September. I work part time from home currently, and we live next to the school. I’m not impacted by this, but I can see why somebody would be.

Why are these schools so poor at managing their money

Why are governments so chronically underfunding schools?

Herc why are Birmingham schools particularly bad when they receive higher funding?

t never fails to amaze me how little people can empathise with others

It’s not even that for me. It’s the inability to connect very basic dots.

Working to provide for your children is a good thing. It means the state don’t have to pick up the tab. Working parents, particularly if SP, need to be facilitated to do this. It’s common sense and good for everyone.

Are ppl too dim to understand this? Or do they disagree? Answers on a postcard pls.

Education sector really is a closed loop atm

If teachers think shutting early is benefitting students then they really need to work outside it or something.

There are multiple questions about PFI school building initiatives that schools now have to pay extortionate rent/facilities management fees to. For example changing a bulb in our place is a call out fee of £200. Why was this allowed to happen? People shouted about it at the time and no one listened.

Schools will need to spend more money on cleaning. Equipment is expensive; both lesson resources and furniture needs updating and replacing. Some places will need to sort their ICT infrastructure to make online learning better should a local lockdown happen. Many teachers provide their own ICT at home because we get nothing from the school. I've urged my HOD to buy visualisers we can take home in the event of another lockdown.

If you saw a school budget you'd be scared. By far the highest cost (after building cost if PFI) is staff.

If teachers think shutting early is benefitting students then they really need to work outside it or something.

I don't think it benefits students.
It's a position heads are forced into when budgets are slashed. It's a solution that means they can buy books, exercise books etc which actually do help learning.

I don't know why Birmingham schools are so badly affected. Possibly higher PFI rates? Smaller schools so less economies of scale? Areas of deprivation so less PTA funding? A combination of factors? One school did it and other heads cottoned on? Areas of high unemployment so generally a parent is available for early pick up?

I don't think it benefits students.

Ok good I think we can have a better conversation when this la la notion is dropped (by pp not you).

Out of all your reasons I’d plump for

One school did it and other heads cottoned on? Areas of high unemployment so generally a parent is available for early pick up

Birmingham will be further impacted. Parents who can, will factor it when choosing jobs. Higher deprivation and unemployment. It’s most certainly not farting off for weekend and extra homework as the rosey outlook states.

Ha Darting

Why aren’t the government throwing money at this? They threw money at a furlough scheme, which though I wholeheartedly agree with, I also see being widely abused.

Pretty sure schools wouldn’t abuse finding aimed at solving these issues

Oh poor OP you don't get a holiday this year - woman take a look at the world for a second. Everything has gone to shit, loads of people have lost their incomes and you're moaning you won't get a holiday! The school isn't closing so everyone can have a party on that afternoon and laugh at all the parents struggling for childcare (you do realise most teachers are normal people with children too!) Come September things are going to be so difficult. You have no idea how much work it is going to take to get kids caught up so they don't have a negative impact educationally from this pandemic. School isn't childcare, it is there to educate your children. To do that effectively, especially now, teachers need time to plan. They need to work out the gaps in what kids have and haven't done at home. They need to make sure the quiet ones aren't overlooked and left behind. They are going to have endless behaviour issues to tackle on top of this and they are having to learn a completely new way of working. And let's not forget they are going to be at massive risk of catching this virus and taking it home to their families because children (esp primary) can't socially distance effectively. But never mind hey! As long as you get your holiday next year that's the important thing. Give your head a wobble woman.

Give your head a wobble woman.

And there’s that big empathy hole again. Great to see.

Yes OP. You can afford to eat, then you should be happy. Single parents don’t deserve any financial security, treats, anything beyond the basics. Expect to pay 18 years of extortionate childcare. Keep living hand to mouth. It’s all society thinks you deserve apparently.

On a more serious note, if you did quit, how much worse off would you be on benefits? Just out of interest?

And if everyone in your position ends up doing that and is taking from the pot rather than contributing, what impact does that have on education funding and our ability to pay public sector salaries? Hmm?

Why aren’t the government throwing money at this?

Because it is a female centered problem to solve. Because they don't want to admit they've under funded schools. Because they have no clue?!

They are only funding schools for extra cleaning IF there is an outbreak. Any extra cleaning has to come out of existing school budgets. These are already stretched.

Birmingham will be further impacted. Parents who can, will factor it when choosing jobs.

Choosing jobs? It's not really a choice round here!!

It's sad it's taken a pandemic for people to see how chronically underfunded schools are. Services have been stripped back, sure start centres, youth groups, community support. It's likely a false economy as stripping youth services has led to disengagement with society and a rise in anti social behaviour.

If you're angry at anyone, be angry with the government. Not individual schools trying their hardest.

Ladies there is a very organized campaign called Us for Them that has been formed and they are growing and have many experts in the field of children’s health and education on board. The bigger our voices the more we are heard about our dissatisfaction with what is being offered in September.
m.facebook.com/groups/3370510822981685?ref=m_notif&notif_t=group_activity

On a more serious note, if you did quit, how much worse off would you be on benefits? Just out of interest?
In my particular case it is not an option (no recourse to public funds), but had I been British or EU, not by much. The most advantageous financial combination (as in net position after expenses) would be to not to quit the job market altogether, but rathe work around 20 hours / week at min wage, as strange as it sounds. My job currently is at a postgrad level in a STEM area, with a very decent salary, and obviously comes with other advantages. I stopped thinking about what have I done wrong in my life, it is not productive.

They're not throwing money because it's the Tories and they've spent the last decade expecting and in a lot of cases obliging women's unpaid labour to fill gaps. This is simply more of same.

I actually like on principle the idea of cutting the school week slightly, especially for little ones. The full day 5 days a week is a lot for small children. However, bringing it in with virtually no notice is obviously going to fuck over a lot of working parents, statistically most of whom are going to be women. This is a problem, like it or not. It isn't addressed by people self-righteously trotting out slogans about responsibility. That just makes you sound like someone replaced your brain with a dog turd.

In OPs specific case, it's discretionary spending that's going to be cut rather than food or heating, so yes she's luckier than many. Equally though, people who are still in work being forced to cut discretionary spending is someone else's food and heating somewhere down the line.

Oh @Bladeofgrass that sounds truly shit. I don't even know what to say. My eldest has very mild SN and I am incredibly lucky that she copes with mainstream childcare / school well. Is it specialist provision that costs that much?

[quote user1468867871]Ladies there is a very organized campaign called Us for Them that has been formed and they are growing and have many experts in the field of children’s health and education on board. The bigger our voices the more we are heard about our dissatisfaction with what is being offered in September.
m.facebook.com/groups/3370510822981685?ref=m_notif&notif_t=group_activity[/quote]
You might want to get a feel for the site your on, using "ladies" here just marks you out as someone who has appeared to promote a Facebook group - one I've had a read of before, someone suggested maybe the schools should be part time for the first two weeks back and got torn apart, someone else said they wouldn't be giving their precious dc any vaccine, others saying not only should schools open fully but in a second wave they should not close down.
Not something I would want to be part of, anyway.