Primary school changing start and finish times

[Borninthenorth]

Hi everyone,
we had notice today of a proposal that our school day will be changed from September, from 08.45 to 15.15 to 08.30 to 14.50. The school has offered an after-school club until 15.15 with "limited places and at nominal cost" with no further information.
I already rush like a madwoman to get from work (an hour away) for the usual pickup - now I will either (a) have to finish work 30 minutes earlier - not really an option or (b) employ a childminder for 30 minutes every day - assuming I can find one that will do an earlier school run.
My DH works 9 to 5, again an hour away, so not an option to ask him to pickup.
Has anyone else had this happen?
Borninthenorth.

If it's a proposal, doesn't that mean you can object? I guess the earlier start time may help some parents.

Why not just use the after school club - I am sure all the CM who pick up from that school will also amend their hours. Is it an academy - they can change if they want to ..

It is a proposal, but it has the "already decided" feel to it :-(. I will object, but I just wondered if anyone had been through the same and managed to get them to keep the current arrangements.
I guess I am lucky as my DTs are in year 4. Those in KS1 are finishing at 2.30.

I will probably use the after school club but it will cost. No, not an academy.

Object to it, did they state the reason for it?

Our school is 8.50 to 2.30, right pain for working parents (worse for infants as they finish at 1.30).

Our school changed it's hours, although only by 10mins (so 10mins earlier start and finish).

They did consultation with parents/other stakeholders. About 10 parent objections. Still went ahead though. I didn't object because the change suited me better than the previous times. Why would you have to employ a childminder in the afternoon though, if you were able to get after school care at the school?

The reasons given were that children work better in the mornings, compared to the afternoons, to give the children more time to do their homework and to ease the parking problems around pick up times.

Bloody hell - how do they propose to get enough teaching done?

With our school, it was about re-jigging lunchtimes and play times to improve learning (according to consultation). Also to increase the amount of time available after school for teacher training, lesson planning for next day etc. I gather that most teachers were already in school way before 8 anyway, and generally they're still there after. 4.30pm if not later. By moving the closing time earlier, a larger open chunk of time available for behind the scenes school stuff.

I would have to employ a childminder for some days and the after school club for some days, as I work some longer days, till 5. I should have said "for 30 extra minutes" some days, not for 30 minutes every day. The childminder that I currently use, does pick ups from more than one school, so I am hoping she can still pick up from our school in September.

Probably by reducing the length of the lunch time and re jigging play times. That's what our school did - shaved a bit of time off the lunch hour, which was really longer than necessary and apparently lunch hours can be flash points for bad behaviour if too long and unfocused. The way was put to us, was that would streamline the set up as well as making the school day less disjointed. Working smarter etc.

We've just had the school day extended by 20 minutes, its 8.45-3.30 now.

I'm shocked at how short some of your school days are, are these state schools?

Ah - I see!

Yes - not great for working parents with set hours. Though there may be some parents who benefit by being able to drop earlier/ reduce childcare expenses in morning.

I know some parents (2) said they would have to move their dcs to new schools. They didn't in the end.

The school has a point re long afternoons. The way our school worked before was not as efficient. Afternoons tended to be topic work/pe/art and so on. Mornings for maths and literacy. Having a long afternoon and a later start meant that practically, assemblies were in afternoon too. Meant that the afternoon dragged for the children. They were tired and not as focused. Now there's been the change, the dcs go in early, have quick assembly straightaway while fresh and then get maths and literacy fully done before lunch. After lunch there is a shorter period where the "softer" stuff can be done (I know, I know, but schools are mad if they ignore that their focus has to be on maths and literacy ).

won't they still be serving lunches by then to get all the KS1 kids through with their hot dinners?

ours are 8:50-3:00 with 15min play in morning and 1hr lunch.

This seems to be the way with many schools now, they are shortening (and often staggering) the lunch break.

8.30-2.45 is normal around here now. That breaks down to 5h of lessons, 30mins of register/assembly stuff, 15mins break and 30mins lunch.

Ours went the other way and changed times from 8.30 - 2.45 to 8.50 - 3.00. This was due to poor attendance - it was hoped that the later start would mean those persistent latecomers would be on time.

What an absolute pain for you op

Can you start work earlier?

What an absolute pain for you op

Can you start work earlier?

No, starting work earlier isn't an option. There are meetings that I already have to leave early now, so shaving another 30 minutes off would just not be possible.
Thanks for all the input - I just wondered if other schools were going the same way.

Not that I know of although there's talk of them having non-standard holidays which would be bad enough.

I hope you can sort something out. It's a pain.