What time does your school finish?

[sohia]

As the question asks really. DS and DD have just gone to a new school and now the school day has been changed. They used to finish at 4.00 pm and I would collect them. Now the school day has been changed to a 4.30 pm finish and this is putting me in al the rush hour traffic. We get home much later.

The school has moved activities and prep to the middle of the day. I have already had a note back saying DD didnt attend an activity she signed up for and have had to blast her out but she just says she doesnt want to do activities. Fair enough in my book but as the school say, she has to do an activity because its in the school day now. They argue its better because it allows busses to leave earlier but I am finding it very inconvenient. I am just wondering if this is a common trend or if I might find a school which finishes earlier?
I havent looked around yet, just thought I would ask first if its happeneing all over. Thanks

DD (Y5, prep school) starts school at 8:30am and finishes at 3:45pm. The preprep/infants finish at 3:30pm

The infant school I work at starts at 8:50am and finishes at 3:20pm.

My DD's school is a French school and so has mornings of three hours, followed by a 1.5 hour lunchbreak, and then another three hours of school. There are activities after school and on Wednesdays (when there is no school). DD doesn't get out of school until 5.45 pm on Mondays and 5.20 pm on Thursdays, and on Tuesdays she has an activity outside school that doesn't end until 6.15.

I think these are very long days for a seven year old and I wish the lunch weren't so long or was used for activities.

How old are they? That does sound quite late for littlies. Though if they have prep in the middle of the day, does that mean there's no homework to do when they get home.

My boys' (state) secondary finishes at 3.30pm.
ds2 (12) has clubs til 5pm twice a week and til 6pm once a week, (then music practice & lessons when he gets home as well.) But that's his choice. ds1 only does one club and no music.

OP you should have been more explicit - almost all state primaries finish between 3 and 3:30, prep schools finish later mainly because they do sport every day. My DC's school finishes at 4:15 and next year will be later. If I am honest it is really too late, by the time we have done after school activities we don't get time together and fitting homework in is a nightmare.

Have you tried complaining to school ? did they ask parent's views before-hand?
He who pays the piper....

4pm Monday to Thursday and 2.15pm on a Friday. Needless to say the local pub is full of teachers by 2.30pm ;-)

Junior prep 3.50 but activities and homework mean usual finish is 5.

2.55 mon - thurs
2.30 friday!!

3.20
afterschool club 5.30

My childrens school day ends at 3.30 for the prep-prep dept and 4.30 for the prep dept and 5.30 for the senior dept. Prep is until 6 at the prep school and even later at the senior school. Pre-prep can do late stay till either 4.30 or until 6.
Their day starts at 8.30 but the teacher is in the class to receive them from 8am. They do silent reading or read to the teacher prior to registration at 8.30.

All of the prep schools around here finish at 4.30 and one local school expects 7 yr olds (my dd's age) to start at 8.30 and work till 5.30 then prep till 6.30.

My children have to do sport everyday and everyone has to do an activity on a friday during school day.

We do get much longer school holidays though!

Thank you all for the replies.
It seems the school are determined to bring their new school day in as it seems they think everyone wants longer days- maybe some parents do. I am looking for another school which suits our lifestyle better.