To think a 3:20 finish is absurd?

[Itsr]

It’s mostly mums at the school gates. Because the 3:20 finish worked well at a time when most women stayed at home.

now most women work, which means two parents working, why does school finish ar 3:20?! Yes I know there are after school classes etc but some don’t go on for too long and they also cost.

what actually is the reason why the school day isn’t aligned with a work day (like it is with most private schools!)

YABU, I was a child of the 70s and school was 9am to 4pm.

I was totally shattered by 4pm and stopped learning way before that.

@TheFairyCaravan

1. how do private schools teachers and students cope with a longer day then? By magic?
2. im not expecting ‘childcare.’ I’m expecting a full day which isn’t 6 hours including lunch and a morning break.

They are paid a lot more. And have longer holidays to make up for the 80 hour weeks.

Because they have more money to pay more teachers. My BIL works in a private school (as have I in the past). He has longer days but more free periods within the day.

The state sector already can't find enough teachers to cover the current school hours.

Smaller classes therefore less marking, less meetings with social services.

And I don't care how private schools manage.

I wouldn't choose 8am to 5pm for my DC.

im not expecting ‘childcare.’ I’m expecting a full day which isn’t 6 hours including lunch and a morning break.

Expect what you like. It's not happening.

Because the school day is long enough for children as it is.

Because people want to actually spend time with their children, take them to clubs and extra curriculars

People work all sorts of shifts so 9-5 wouldn't work anyway

Teachers need time to mark and prep for the next day and to do their training. Most teachers don't leave until 5pm as is and then a couple of hours at home too

Private school teachers aren't dealing with the emotional toil of large classes, regularly writing up poor behaviour, reports for children with SEND, reporting safeguarding incidents etc. The children jn their classes will be properly nourished, better behaved, less safeguarding, less send, and other issues.

My children went to a private primary school. They finished at 3:20pm and I had to pay for after school care until I finished work at 5:15. Clubs were few but generally finished at 4:10 and then into after school club. Same as state school.

Schools do have breakfast and after school clubs

2pm for the first three years of primary is standard here, then 3pm.

As someone who has worked in more than one independent school, at the age you are thinking they don't. In fact my current state school is later (3.30). They are longer for the older children, when it is less needed! I can tell you by 3.30 the kids are done, no way any more learning is going to happen and from my experience of having a child in wraparound care (luckily not every day) even having a low key, playing before and after school is exhausting for them. I don't think I could teach 30 kids that exhausted all week and it certainly wouldn't be good for them.

And others have already mentioned how we would then have to work even longer hours to get everything done.

Parents pay so they have sufficient staff and school holidays are longer.

@Housefullofcatsandkids ive just googled the private schools near me and the earliest finish is 4:30, other three at 6pm if you choose an extra curricular activity at no extra cost

My children are private they finish at 3.25

You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
I work full time 9-5 so my son has wraparound care until 6. If I worked part time to pick up from school at 3:30 UC would be questioning why I don’t work more hours. I need the UC to pay for wraparound care but others judge me because my child goes to wraparound every day.
The most frustrating is that school finishes at 12:30 on Fridays so I need to use a combination of childcare care and family help into order to work.

My son loves going to wraparound but in an ideal world I could work 25 hours a week but my employer and my budget wouldn’t allow that.

@Danikm151 12:30?! What on earth

Schools don't exist for your convenience, OP. If you want extra-long hours, you'll have to pay for it and send your dc to private school.

Just to be clear, the after school fees were additional to the actual private school fees. I don't think you realise this OP.

@TheFairyCaravan it must be a day school then as I don’t know any private boarding that finish by then.

I went to boarding school, and lessons finished at 3:30. We then had an hour of prep, an hour of sport/music lessons/clubs, then an hour of free time till supper. The school day itself ended same as any other.

About half the size classes of state schools! I have 33 kids in my class and it takes about 4 hours to mark one set of books at the end of the day.
Private school staff often share the load with other staff, get more free time, can afford more support staff to do a lot of the admin tasks that state school staff have to do themselves! Plus extra weeks of school holidays.
would that be better? Longer days but say 20 weeks off school per year rather than 13?

This.

Having taught in both sectors - private usually has activities woven into the day taught by “specialists” (not the class teacher).

State schools are not there to provide childcare. You don’t have a right to childcare - that’s your responsibility to sort out. In fact - it’s also your responsibility to ensure your kids get an education (hence the fact that some parents home school), but most parents send children to school to discharge this obligation. Some use state schools and some private.

My son is in private school. His day is 8:30 to 4.