How come there that all the primary schools in my area finish at different times?

[HuwEdwards]

For example, our school starts at 8:55 and finishes at 15:10.

My friend's school starts at 9 and finishes at 15:30.

Is there are set number of hours that a child must be schooled for in a day? So if my friend's school stays open later, does that mean they have longer breaks during the day ?

so they don't all brain each other with bottles after school.
No seriously to lighten the traffic loads usually esp if it is town centres or schools close together

They do here too, both the state and private schools.

There s a set number of hours a child needs to be in school. However schools operate differently during the day hence different start and end times - different lengths for breaks and lunch time for example.

our local ones are staggered in case you have to rush around like a headless chicken picking up from different schools. ds's school used to be infants only & operated from 9.30 til 4 . luckily it's been 8.55 'til 3.15 since he's been in reception.

aahhhh....that makes sense! Thanks all

Ours are different times too, but there's no real strategy behind it like easing traffic or whatever, it's just whatever individual schools have chosen. So ours is 8.40-3, some are 8.50-3, 9-3.15 and one is 8.30-2.30.

The schools have different lengths breaks and lunchtimes.

Part of the planning permission conditions for my dd's school being extended to take more pupils was that there had to be staggared start and finish times.