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Original poster

Secondary school days - 8.30 to 4.30 any of your dc do such a long day?

25 replies

noyouhavehadawee · 07/10/2013 17:41

Applying for secondary and one of our options is a brand spanking free school that would open 8.30 till 4.30 saying they would have no homework. This could work childcare wise but then I worry as well as other concerns it could be too long? any experiences of dc with uber long school days?

OP posts:
bigTillyMint · 07/10/2013 17:46

Mine would kill for no homework! They do 8.40 to 3.10, but DD has to stay till 4.10 2 days a week as she is in Y10. DS does sports clubs after school most nights and so doesn't get back till 6ish (15min bike ride) and it's fine.

GinAndIt · 07/10/2013 17:53

Ds gets to school at 7.40, goes to the library until 8.20 then lessons until 3.45pm unless he has a club in which case he'll finish at 4.30-5. Then an hour or so of homework most nights.

He's knackered but loves it. It's not a problem. Having said that, he does get a lift to and from school and I think that helps.

Does the no homework rule carry on throughout the whole school or is it just for the lower years?

LIZS · 07/10/2013 17:57

dc did 8.15 to 4.15 from Year5 plus homework!

Hulababy · 07/10/2013 18:02

DD's secondary school hours are 8:30am - 3:30pm.
Her primary school hours were longer at 3:30-3:45.

However, if that includes homework time then it is probably less than most secondaries tbh - DD regularly, in Y7, has 2-3 pieces a night.

Do check that the no homework thing continues throughout the whole school - though I suspect by GCSE they will need to do additional independent work anyway, and I assume revision is always additional outside of school.

Original poster
noyouhavehadawee · 07/10/2013 18:03

Apparently its all years though if ds went here it would be the first year in so only yr 7 at the school then yr after 7 and 8 till it fills up so they are a bit guinea piggy ish.

OP posts:
exexpat · 07/10/2013 18:07

DS's school is 8.30-4pm and has loads of homework as well. I suppose the no homework to actually take home thing might work in year 7 or 8, but by the time they get towards GCSEs there is no way they would fit everything in to the school day, even going on till 4.30.

When I was at secondary school our day ran from 8.45 to 6.45, with breaks for morning, lunch and tea (4-4.45pm) (it was mainly a boarding school, though I was a day pupil). Sometimes we had actual lessons starting at 6pm, but often the last couple of sessions were 'prep' (homework) time - and even then, I often had more stuff to do at home.

TeenAndTween · 07/10/2013 19:01

Without HW you would have no visibility about anything your DC was doing. (Unless books were coming home anyway). Would you be happy with that?

Marmitelover55 · 07/10/2013 19:23

My DD1's new secondary school is 8.20 to 3.45 plus lots oc homework. She would love nog having homework, but as the poster above mentions, I do like the opportunity of looking in her books most nights to sed whet she has been doing.

Bowlersarm · 07/10/2013 19:27

My DSes do 8.30 to 5.10 Mon to Fri plus Saturday school. Bit knackering, but they cope.

trinity0097 · 07/10/2013 19:30

Ours finish lessons at 4.30 then can stay to do prep until 5.30pm, it doesn't hurt the little darlings and in fact it's much healthier for the o,der ones not to do prep at home as they have to do it not the parents and they can have support from their peers and staff if they need it.

BoundandRebound · 07/10/2013 19:31

With the need to develop skills in independent learning which is fostered by the discipline required for homework I would ask a lot more about this policy to be honest

Although I know schools with longer days and homework

HmmAnOxfordComma · 07/10/2013 19:35

Ds's school day is 8.40-4.00 with about 3 pieces of homework a night, so I don't think the model you've quoted sounds like a long day at all.

However, I agree with the others that I would still like to know what they were studying by being able to look at exercise books. And would also think that independent learning via homework would be important by GCSE years. I think I like the idea of no homework in KS3 though.

Leeds2 · 07/10/2013 20:06

My DD does the exact same hours, and gets homework as well. She is in Y11 now, and I think she only found it tiring for the first half term of Y7. Certainly used to it now, lol.

It may be that lessons finish at, say, 3:30 and then they have an hour to do homework at school. I have a friend whose DD stays at school to do her homework every day, and both friend and her DD love that homework doesn't intrude into home time. I would be a bit worried if they had lessons all day, and no homework or similar, because I think it is important the students get used to working independently. School may of course cover this in different ways.

mummytime · 07/10/2013 20:19

My DS is at a school which does 8:30-4:30 two days a week and 8:30-5:00 the other three. No homework.
It suits him, and even makes up for his long commute, but he is year 12.

Does the school have formal lunch breaks? Will they be doing standard 1 hour lessons? Because my son's school doesn't, I would wonder how they fit all the work in otherwise. As DDs school does 8:30 to 3:15 and has homework; and I know GCSE students often work through Lunch, or after school to complete work/get extra help.

Original poster
noyouhavehadawee · 07/10/2013 20:26

from what I can gather they have time in middle or end of day for independent learning or some such. Thanks all.

OP posts:
jenpetronus · 07/10/2013 20:32

I'm in France & that's normal from primary school age.

DS2 (12 in Jan) has just started secondary education & it's 8.30-4.50pm with loads of homework on top..

HormonalHousewife · 07/10/2013 20:34

Mine are in the independent sector and that is a normal day for them.

Lots of homework to fit in too.

Lonecatwithkitten · 07/10/2013 20:41

Again independent this day plus homework is normal for year 1. They just get used to it.

LAK11 · 07/10/2013 21:09

DS 8.30 until 5.30 Monday to Thursday. Finish at 4.30 Friday. Extra hours include compulsory activities 2x per week, chapel and tutor time.... It is setting him up for the real world of work (at the age of 13Shock . Although now in 3rd year there and he copes....

stillenacht · 07/10/2013 21:12

My DS1 (14) does 8.40-6 every night. School day ends at 4 then a snack and then prep. He prefers to get it done at school (DS2 has low functioning autism so its never conducive to homework here!)Smile

steppemum · 07/10/2013 21:35

I went to a school that was 8:30 - 4:20 and then plenty of homework!

My concern form what you have said though would be that I wouldn't want my dc to be the first year intake in a school filling up form the bottom. I really think that the older children are important in the school. They provide an important role model and a way of seeing what you are aiming at.

There are also no exam results to see how the school is doing until your child does the exams.

Schmedz · 09/10/2013 22:11

Doesn't seem such a long day. DD just started Y7 and usual day is 8.30 to 4 with around one hour homework per night. Longest days are when there are clubs before school from 7.30 and then sports training until 6.15. She is tired but loving it!

Bonsoir · 10/10/2013 14:18

That's not a long day! DC at my DD's school do 8am to 5pm in the first year of secondary. From Y8, the day often goes on until 6pm.

LadybirdsEverywhere · 10/10/2013 22:30

My school finishes at 5.40pm. Teaching in the dark last lesson.

Gilbertus · 11/10/2013 12:33

dd1 starts at 8.20 and finishes at 5.45 every day and then has homework. She's at an all girls indie and thriving!

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