Budget 2016 - watch it live here, 12.30pm!

[KateMumsnet]

Chancellor George Osborne will introduce his eighth budget at lunchtime today - he's expected to announce fresh spending cuts of £4bn, as well as a radical shakeup for schools in England, with every school becoming an academy by 2020, effectively ending local authority control. He'll also announce new funds to finance a longer day for secondary schools, with heads able to bid for funds for additional school activities and overtime pay.

Join us here to watch live at 12.30pm - and do let us know what you think of his announcements here on the thread.

KathrynL, what about when your ASD child goes to secondary?

The child will get shoved on a significantly reduced timetable same as all the other Children with SN's who cannot cope in MS settings and despite it being against the law there is very little you can do about it.

I will certainly welcome any longer days to the school day for secondary school as ds is starting in his bigger school in the autumn and currently it finishes at 2.45.

I work from home and really do not wish him home every day from 315 p.m. (half hour walk home) There is NO childcare in the neighbourhood at all i.e. no school club currently and no childminder as I have looked into it. It varies hugely in the country as to what school care there is which does not seem very helpful to working parents/families etc.

So maybe if this is implemented soon that will help people with childcare - although they are lucky if they can find any!

'Build a nursery and nursing home on the same grounds'

I will be in the minority regarding this but I wouldn't want my toddler looked after elderly people who may have health problems and not able to run after 30 toddlers all day.
Not all elderly people love kids either and they won't be qualified to look after them

It probably will be a tory idea soon that elderly people have to childmind for their pension and then working parents save childcare fees

Can I ask what the start times are for those of you with secondary schools that close at 2.45pm? Our local schools all start at 8.50am and end at 3.30pm, one at 3.40pm.

I was highlighting the private business models in people, which state education is also now included. In fact day care for people with disabilities and the elderly will probably also be on site, all to be dropped off at 7.30 and picked up by six.

Tory party =en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_trafficking

I agree with coffeeisnectar.

Children should have time to follow their interests away from school, instead of only having time for school-based activities.

Doing things out of school broadens the child's horizons as they meet new people and try different things.

And children need enough time just to play, be with their families and see friends.

By all means put more into extracurricular activities, breakfast clubs / after school clubs. But these should remain optional, not "one size fits all".

I also agree with the earlier points that it will be worse for children who are bullied at school, as they'll have less time to find enjoyable things to do away from school with people they like.

coffeisnectar & Teablanket

I think the idea is (or should be) that all the clubs DC could ever want to do would be available through the school. I think there are around 150 clubs at our nearest Public school (though not exactly sure) and looking on the website they include lots of very unusual ones (including 6 different water based ones), so I doubt DC would need outside clubs to fulfill their interests?

I don't imagine though that state schools will ever get THAT ^ much funding!!

Out of interest coffeeisnectar what time does your daughter currently finish (she is currently at Secondary school I assume?). I sympathise with you not wanting her to be pushed out of local activities and seeing friends. I hope for her sake that the school provides an excellent range of options, and that she still curls up with a book after getting home an hour later.

Rockunit but any amount of school is horrid for kids who are being bullied! Yet we are not planning on making school 100% optional for bullied kids!?

Isn't it more logical to do a better job of solving bullying problems?

Or if the problems can't be solved, perhaps (with appropriate evidence provided) the DC should be allowed to change schools even if the alternatives are out of catchment / would otherwise not be possible under current admissions laws?

KathrynL

I think there should be systems in place for DC with SEN to opt for a shorter day should the parents wish it. I don't believe in one size fits all.

There is something I can do about it, remove him from school altogether. There is no way I will accept a reduced timetable for my child and if it came to it is quit my job and educate him myself.

Omg you don't want your child home early? Why bloody have children in the first place if you feel that way.

RocketUnit

Do you really think that an 11+ DC won't have time to be with family and have play dates if they end school under the new system somewhere between 3:30pm and 5pm?? There are plenty of hours in the day before bedtime (unless I'm very wrong about what time kids go to bed!!). Kids finishing at 5pm manage play dates, I don't see what the problem is!?

There is more variation already over the country on school finishing times - a PP said 2pm, lots of others say 3:45...... Does the idea of a 3pm finish instead of 2pm sound unfair / absurdly late to you? I'd imagine not? I guess it's just a matter of perspective, but when I think of a 4:45 finish I think that sounds about right...... I think I'm right in saying that in the 1950's school finishing times were roughly an hour later than they are now anyway.

I'm sure once everyone gets over the shock it will actually all be fine (especially when various facilities and all the parents have changed schedules a bit to adapt to the new times).

Can anyone who has read the written Budget pls let me know what the details are on cuts to the Disabled, please?

to put things in perspective, as a (non-British) kid I went to (state) school 8:30-4:30 (age 3-10), 8:30-5 (age 11-14), 8:30-6 (15-17).

not saying I'd particularly recommend it, mind you.

AugustRose

My dc don't attend the schools in our area but have just checked a couple and they start at 8.45, so registration is from 8.30 am iirc.

KatherynL

Omg you don't want your child home early? Why bloody have children in the first place if you feel that way

Sounds like a somewhat ignorant response?

Can't you see it's all just a matter of perspective?!

What time does your daughter currently get home from school?

I'm going to assume it's not 2pm? How would you feel about a parent whose kid leaves at 2pm asking you "why bloody have children in the first place if you don't want them home until [insert time of day your daughter gets home]?" Or a homeschooled asking you why you bothered to have kids if you just send them away to school all day?

Well, if you really want an explanation of why I don't want my DC home earlier.....
DC is still of primary age, but currently gets home at a time you would describe as late. DC usually plays, watches some TV / plays a few computer games, does a token amount of homework, we have dinner (sometimes DC helps cook) during which we have interesting discussion, and then we usually play board games and have a story in bed. When DC gets to senior age I imagine that getting home at 3:45 (earlier than the current time) would be hellish! Realistically, even with a lot of input from me (father doesn't get home until 8pm) the 6 or so hours until bedtime would largely be padded out with extra TV and computer games because that's what DC would want to do (and ideally I'd limit screen time to about 40 mins a day max)I really don't see how having extra time for computer games and TV would be very valuable for DC compared to the extra life experience which could be gained from extra acting clubs, canoe polo, horse riding, archery, golf, mechanics etc (as DC would have if sent to the nearest public school with 150 clubs on offer)!

The idea of longer school hours is going to widen the gap between those at good schools and those at struggling schools.

There will be some schools which offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities of a good quality. Other schools may only offer a very small number of activities, of less good quality.

I think children should be free to choose from a wide range of activities locally, whether it's chess, ballet, football, gymnastics, orchestra, French, Spanish, writing, computing, sailing, scouts, dance, drama, rugby, swimming, art, hiking, or any number of other things.

If a student is particularly interested, or talented, in one of the above, they should be able to pursue it with their local youth theatre, rugby club,, Spanish class, chess club, gymnastics team, youth orchestra etc. without having to stay at school doing something else. Then they can meet others with a similar level of interest/ability, which isn't something every school can offer for such a wide range of activities.

KathrynL can you explain reduced timetables to me? Which subjects are cut? wouldnt you want the extra hour of extra curriculars which you're not in favour of to be cut?

any amount of school is horrid for kids who are being bullied

Yes, that's very true. Unfortunately addressing the problem doesn't always remove it. If a child isn't in a position to change schools, or there are no places elsewhere, then out of school activities with a different set of people can be a place to develop confidence and friendships.

In fact, that's true for children who aren't bullied too. It's a good thing to have broader horizons and experiences than just being in school. Yes, this can still happen, but inevitably it will happen less if school hours are longer.

RockUnit

many people living rurally wouldn't have access to any of the above locally within a 45 minute drive anyway, so their only option would be to use school activities.

Plus there's no reason why a DC with a special interest couldn't do that externally after the end of their school activities? They'd still be home before dinner time!

RocketUnit

Sorry, X posted again.

YY about the bullying, however I don't think the solution is to have a shorter school day. (I wonder if bullying is more tolerable for DC who finish an hour earlier than your school does? I doubt it?)

I think the answer is more effective anti bullying strategies and as previously mentioned, to provide special allowances in the Admissions system to give parents of bullied children priority and greater flexibility in choosing a new school.

RocketUnit

...... For example, giving bullied children similar priority to "looked after" children or those with SEN, thereby massively increasing the number of schools the child has the option of going to.

Also, I'm NOT advocating 12 hour mostly academic school days, but just out of interest, in China the standard school day AFAIK is 12 hours with two long breaks for lunch and dinner (not sure about shorter breaks?) and nearly the whole day is academic subjects. I do NOT think we should switch to that sort of system because I think it's emotionally damaging for the DC, however this is probably a piece in the jigsaw puzzle which explains why academics at state schools in such a poor country are so excellent.