Schools should close early on a Friday

[Goolagoo]

I know this will be very mixed opinion - especially for working parents .

But , I’m a teacher . Over the years I have seen so much in schools regarding PPA time and really unfair practices . I have seen , and experienced , teachers having PPA taken away due to staffing issues . I once saw a teacher have a day of PPA ( a whole day because she wasn’t having it the week after due to staffing issues so would need to plan 2 weeks work in this PPA session ) taken away - it was a Friday too so she was supposed to be having that day to plan for lessons beginning on the Monday . It was taken away due to staffing issues and she was in tears - she had plans that weekend that she had to cancel so she could plan for the week ahead ( I didn’t work in that school , she’s a teacher friend ). I have also had PPA time taken away from me before and I also have never had a class that didn’t get upset at me not being in class and having a supply or a Ta cover . Usuall work that’s done during the cover whilst class teacher is out on PPA isn’t ‘important’ work - it’s a lot of filler work , or work that doesn’t go in books . A lot of children also get anxiety over their class teacher being out and children with SEN especially suffer with this .

I read about a school that decided to close at 1pm every Friday to allow teachers to all have their PPA time . They said that they made the time back with a slightly later finish time / slightly earlier start time and they found that behaviour improved massively. Fridays are usually the end of a long week and filled with behaviour issues and this reduced along with attendance improving . I know some schools around the area do Finish at 1/2 on a Friday and I wonder if this is the reason why .

It seems like it would really make sense !

Maybe even , as TAs don’t get PPA time as they don’t plan , they could offer a kind of after school club ( until normal pick up time ) where the TAs watched the children who’s parents couldn’t do an earlier pick up time .

I was with you on the whole plan until the suggestion of a Friday afternoon TA club. With a school full of tired Friday afternoon kids? No way (TA here!)

I teach in Scotland and we finish at 12 on a Friday. Not for planning time though, we still get that during school hours. It's meant to be to allow children to pursue sports and hobbies on Friday afternoons. It can be a cause of childcare problems for some families as in our area wraparound care is hard to come by but mostly it works well. There has been some talk recently about dropping to four days a week so that teachers can take their planning time on a Friday morning but it would be a nightmare for part time staff who don't work Fridays. In principle I can see the sense though.

Yeah it may not be practical really …. But just an idea of a solution for working parents .. if schools had a TA in every class then it wouldn’t be so bad, would probably be just a few in each class and maybe that could be “ golden time” but most schools have the TAs spread out helping everyone so there wouldn’t be enough x

I’m in Scotland too and in my local authority high schools have a half day on a Friday, it works well as far as I can tell.

Really! Wow !

Yeah , it would certainly be tricky to make it work. Maybe though with no full time staff having PPA it may be easier to cover the part time staff with supply so they get their PPA during their working days x

But you do finish early on a Friday (and every other day).

I think this would help shorten the week for kids (which is likely to help with learning). But will be difficult for working families.

Is there scope for instead of 'total closure' Friday afternoon be time for sports/ drama/ scouts etc.?

Teachers should get their PPA time and this should be properly funded so that additional qualified staff can work with children during this time. This may be sports leaders, forest school, music etc
You are correct in principle but not in your idea of how to execute this.

if schools had a TA in every class then it wouldn’t be so bad, would probably be just a few in each class

Would it? I'd think it would be more. I don't know any working parent who could accommodate it - I'm sure they exist but in the minority. Even my friends who work part time finish in time for the end of school, or they work 3-4 days a week which for many would include a Friday.

Who are you talking to?

Our primary did this and the kids are late teens now.

The schools where I live (Scotland) close at lunch on a Friday. Slightly longer days through the week. It works well I think.

You clearly know nothing about teaching.

The Op. If the average job’s scheduled hours is 9-5, then a teacher’s hours of 8:45 - 3:15 would be an early finish.

Now I know most teachers don’t clock off at 3:15 as I see many still there if I pick up my kids from wraparound a bit early, but I’m guessing many use that time for planning.

My kids are at school in Scotland, we finish at lunchtime on Fridays.

My school did this. But we were in school 9:00-16:30 Monday to Thursday in primary, and 8:40-17:00 in secondary, so… (different country). Personally I liked it, it made the weekend longer. However I know it made my mum’s week and list of tasks and errands to run longer, by having us in tow for half a working day each week.

08:40- 12.25 on Friday for secondary schools here in my area in Scotland too. 08:40-15:45 Monday- Thursday. Some of the primary schools here offer this too but not all. I’m not sure if the teachers use the rest of the day for PPA though.

I thought most schools had changed to this all over the UK for some reason.

What do you mean ?

In Edinburgh all state schools finish at lunchtime on Fridays, have done for many years. Several other Councils have followed suit.

It's a bit of an issue for workplaces though as many (mainly women) people who work part time don't work Fridays as childcare costs are higher on a Friday

But teachers aren't gaining anything if their teaching time is extended on other days. Actually they lose out. PPA not being given is the issue and the problem there is management in schools. Teachers become managers without management training or skills.

My sons primary close at 1pm on a Friday have done since covid . They've been saying about plans to change it back to normal 3.20 for a while but it must be working for them as it hasn't materialised yet. My son (year six) definitely approves

Teacher in Edinburgh here. Our Mon-Thurs is 8.30am-3.30pm and Fri is 8.30am-12.25pm.

Can't imagine a full day on a Friday!!

But also the private schools don't finish early and this is one of the perks of private school, so it is probably one aspect contributing to inequality in the city.

teaching hours may be 845-315 but that’s not our working hours . I don’t know of any teacher that can leave as soon as the children do . There is marking , assessments , parent meetings , resourcing all to do before you can think of planning . It is certainly not an early finish .

I do, my parents were teachers. They did their planning after school finished and until a reasonable time to finish work in the evening (my dad) or left at 3:15 to look after my sibling and I and did it in the evening (my mum).

I think some teachers forget that many other roles entail long hours / evening work.

I’m not teacher bashing, I have even more respect for them since my kids started school. I know it’s a really tough job.