What time does your child's school start, end and how long is lunch time?

[BroomstickRider]

My DC's school are proposing starting 15 mins earlier at 8.45, shortening lunchtime to 45 mins (from 1 hour now) and finishing at the same time as now, 3.15. They claim that this longer learning time is in line with other schools. Whilst I'm not too bothered about starting a bit earlier I am really angry about the lunchtime proposal. My year 4 anxious DS is already stressed by all the tests they give him (often several a week, 3 today! ), he takes 40 mins to eat a small lunch because he is a slow eater and from y3 there are no afternoon playtimes. So wondering about other schools times to help me compose my response!

DD (Y2) start 8:15am, finish 3:45pm (+ activities to 4:45-5:00pm), I think they get an hour for lunch (including eating, so about half an hours outside play) and another break of about 20 minutes. Very little homework (reading, 5 mins worth of maths sometimes)
DS (Y6-sort of) start 7:55am, finish 6:00pm (+ activities to 7:30pm), 30 minutes break (of which 15 is spent on music practice), about 30 mins after lunch, and sport at some point in the afternoon. No homework.

For both, eating lunch is "family style" at tables, school meals, no packed lunch option, so your play time is not governed by how fast you eat IYSWIM although your calorie intake might be.

9-3. 45m for lunch. 1 x 15m break.

they are just changing it to 8.45-3.30, mon - thurs, 9-12 on Friday.

Pants.

8:50 until 3:30 with 45 minute lunch. The local secondary does fewer hours.

We have 8.45am-3.30pm with 15mins for break and 60 mins for lunch.

I like an hour for lunch as it gives them time to run about as well as eat their lunch, I think they need to stretch their legs.

8.45 -3.15 in reception & KS1 with 1.15 for lunch
9-3.20 in KS2 with 1hour for lunch

Prep school: 8:30 till 4:15. 45 minutes for lunch and 2 x 25 minutes breaks, I think.

The day starts at 8.55 and finishes at 3.30. KS1 have 1hr15 for lunch and KS2 have 1hr for lunch. They all have a 15 minute playtime in the morning.

08.55 to 15.10, with two 15 minute breaks (morning and afternoon all the way through primary) and a short lunch break from 12.25 to 13.10. I'd prefer a slightly longer school day, say 08.45 to 15.30 with an hour for lunch, personally.

8:50 - 2:50 for P1 and P2.

They get 55 minutes for lunch.

8:50 - 3.15 for P3 - P7.

They get 45 minutes for lunch.

The younger ones get 10 minutes more lunch as they go in first, which is good as they don't get shoogled about by by the bigger ones.

But on Fridays we have half days and they all finish at 12:25. So I guess the shorter lunch hour is to make up for the half days?

They are happy with 45 minutes and my oldest has never complained that he doesn't have enough time to eat and have a play.

All the primaries round here have similar times to those already mentioned, starting 8.30-9am and finishing 3-3.30pm ish.

However the local secondary opens at the quite frankly bizarre hours of 7.30am until 2.15pm

Where I teach;
Doors open: 8.50
Morning break: 10.30 (for 15 mins)
Lunch: 12.30-1.10 (40 minutes)
Home time: 3.10
No afternoon break
So we have 5hrs 25 mins contact time.

Where my DC go;
Doors open: 8.45
Morning break: 10.30 (15 mins)
Lunch: 12.00-1.00
Break: 2.30 (15 mins)
Home time: 3.25
So they have 5hrs 10mins contact time.

I loathe our short lunch break. It doesn't give the children long enough to play, or give me enough time to set up for the afternoon and do some marking. I certainly never have time to eat.

YR - Start:8.55, Finish:3.10, lunch 1 hr. 2 x 20 min break.
YR4 - Start:8.55, Finish:3.20, lunch 1 hr. 1 20 min morning break.

Subject to change (SM )

8:30 start
13:30 finish
20mins to eat lunch and 20mins play outside

KS2: 8.45 - 12.10 / 1 - 3. Morning break
KS1: 8.45 - 12 / 1 - 3. Morning and afternoon breaks

8.40-3.20. 15 minute morning break. An hour for lunch - but this is needed to allow everyone in the school to get into the hall to eat in shifts - as it is one year group has to eat packed lunches in their classrooms (all hot dinners eat in hall). A Y3 child taking 40 minutes to eat lunch would be politely hustled along.

I'm in North Lanarkshire too

Our school currently allows an hour for juniors at lunchtime, but they're considering a reduction to 45 minutes - I think they need to stagger the breaktimes in order to accommodate the additional school meals for KS1 children, and presumably they want to keep the costs down.

I have mixed feelings about it. I know that teachers are under huge pressure to squeeze a huge curriculum into very tight timescales, so the extra teaching time might help to alleviate this. However, I think young children (and perhaps the teaching staff!) really need a decent break at lunchtime - time to relax and play with their friends, run around, let off steam etc.

I'd be really interested to hear from teachers or TAs at schools where they do have shorter lunchbreaks - is 45 minutes long enough? It would be good to hear from parents too, especially anyone whose school has recently reduced the lunchtime break - it would be good to know if there has been any impact.

Thanks everyone. Jinsei, I'm interested in the answers to those questions too. I am particularly curious about how teachers feel about it. We have a consultation meeting on Thursday eve about changing to 45 mins. Interestingly DS's teacher told them about a month ago that the governers were thinking of reducing lunchtime to 30 mins because of bad behaviour and it didn't sound like she was in favour! She's been off sick the last few weeks too.