Primary finishes early every Friday

[Cocothebear]

During Covid our school chose to finish early on Fridays (1.15) in order to clean/sanitise the school.

The school has since decided to make this standard so now every Friday we have pickup at 1.15 and there’s no after school club.

I don’t have a huge problem with this but quite a lot of the parents do which I can understand. I do feel like it’s a pointless day as it so short, past lunch my children say they don’t have time to do anything before collection.

The school say it’s worked best for you the well-being of their pupils and staff but I don’t understand how they can do this when almost every other school in the country does full hours.

So can any school choose to do this? I’m just curious how it works really.

Ours have been doing this for at least 20 years, I assume to give teachers planning time with no students

[quote Doidontimmm]@liveforsummer sorry yes meant just Edinburgh in that statement! In fact when I was at school even longer ago it was a half day Wednesday![/quote]
It's all the Lothian schools have half day Friday.
Edinburgh, Midlothian, west and East Lothian councils.
That's a decent percentage of school population in east of Scotland.

It's been like that for many years.
There are lots of clubs and activities for kids which run on Friday afternoons

It is a bit different when areas have long established a pattern like this as childcare markets in those areas will have adapted and there will be options available.

To be fair, if you have ever been a teacher, you know how hard it is to get a child to learn anything on a Friday afternoon!
It probably does benefit both teachers and children.
Tea hers get the PPA time but also don't have that "flogging a dead horse" experience where they know they are just going to have to go over everything again anyway because the children are tired, not able to concentrate and are ready for the weekend.
Children benefit as they are not being asked to try and learn when they are tired and lacking in focus. They are probably better able to focus on learning on Friday mornings too as they know it is a shorter time.

East ayrshire and south ayrshire also finish early on Friday.
Not sure about north ayrshire.

@EducatingArti

To be fair, if you have ever been a teacher, you know how hard it is to get a child to learn anything on a Friday afternoon! It probably does benefit both teachers and children. Tea hers get the PPA time but also don't have that "flogging a dead horse" experience where they know they are just going to have to go over everything again anyway because the children are tired, not able to concentrate and are ready for the weekend. Children benefit as they are not being asked to try and learn when they are tired and lacking in focus. They are probably better able to focus on learning on Friday mornings too as they know it is a shorter time.

That's no reason to send kids home at lunchtime. I taught for forty years, and certainly in primary and special schools, these that Friday afternoon element is easily addressed by thoughtful timetabling. I've never taught anywhere where a core subject is taught on a Friday afternoon.