Long school day

[Blueberryme]

How has your y7 & 8 DC found the long school days?

We are applying to two of the 6 schools that we visited but I still feel unsure about how DS will find the long days.

School #1 starts 8.20am, finishes 4pm, bus home 4.10pm, will reach our town by 4.45pm.

School #2 starts 8.15am, finishes 4.15pm, bus leaves 6pm, will reach our town by 7pm. This school includes dinner and co-curricular or prep after school, so if DS opts for a co-curricular club then he’d still have homework to do.

I am well aware that this is the educational lifestyle that you are buying into, but I’m specifically how did your year 7-8 DC find it? Were they tired a lot? The y8 student who showed us around School #2 said he is tired most of the time and spends his weekends in bed either sleeping or watching TV. Is he the only one who feels like this? I am not happy at the thought that my child could end up living life like this.

For full disclosure, we are looking at independent options due to DC receiving inheritance that is stipulated to be used for purposes such as education (and we already have enough put aside for potential Uni costs).

I went to a private school in another country in the 80’s and there was never long hours like these, but I understand this is normal for independent secondaries in England.

This is standard, keeps them busy. Of course they're tired but that's because they've done a lot and exercised body and mind

Honestly they get used to it and the holidays roll around very quickly every 6 weeks.

After school stuff is a headache because they'll miss the school bus. As they get older if a pick up at school is doable, they will often stay on to do homework in supervised study until 6 which frees up the evenings slightly.
My biggest issue is that by the time they walk through the door at 5 they need an hour or so to crash and do nothing so it can be a real mission to get them going on the relatively extensive homework where the TV is more appealing. It then builds up and the weekends are a write off.

Mine takes the bus at 7am and is home at 7pm. The days are very long but it is worth it for us.

I should add that LO gets all prep and extracurricular actives done during the day. So we don’t have to worry about finding time for homework or clubs etc.

Mine are at school at 8am and finish at either 5pm or 6pm, depending on the day. They’ve done this from nursery, it’s quite normal where we are. They’re now Year 7&8, they also go on to do additional sports/cadets 3 evenings a week. They also do Saturday school 9am - 3.15pm.
They’re happy and healthy and manage absolutely fine, but as I say, it’s quite normal for their peer group.

My kids went to prep bs. They were boarders but the school also had a few day pupils who were expected to stay the full day.
School started around 8am ended 6pm.
The day included chapel/assembly in the morning. Sports or extra curricular between 1400 and 1600. Prep was after 1600 but probably after afternoon tea. Supper was 1800 and some day pupils stayed for that too. It also had Saturday school. Classes until lunch then matches pm.
It is a long day but holidays longer too.
They coped well but were tired.
If the school day ends so late are you able to do pick up yourself/lift share to help reduce bus travel times?

Yr8 here. Up at 6:30am, dropped off at school by 8am, picked up at 5:30pm, home by 6pm, bit of TV, supper, prep from 7pm - 8pm, bed at 8:30pm, asleep by 9:30pm. Boards one or two nights a week at school. Isn't excessively tired, sleeps very soundly at night!

I think this is an interesting post to be honest and will share what we have found...

Firstly my DC does have a history of some tiredness / fatigue health related issues so she entered into secondary in a slightly more precarious place and I was definitely concerned she wouldn't manage her day (it is 8.40am-4pm) but she leaves the house at 7.40am for the bus / lift and is home by 4.45pm IF she has no clubs. If there are clubs etc (which there are loads of in year 7/8) she is usually home by 6pm. First half of year 7 she was shattered but homework was less. Now (year 9) homework is much more (at least an hour a night and several hours at the weekend often) she is still very tired but usually only by Friday.

This is what we do to make things as easy as possible for her:

• Lift share were possible (less time than bus) or we pay extra for school bus for her than public bus, it's costly but faster and door to door.
• I made her go to bed by 8.30pm ish in year 7, that's more like 9.30-10pm now at age 14. So basically I make her sleep as she needs it (no phone access after 8pm now, was 7pm in year 7)
• Weekends I let her lie in as long as she needs generally unless she has a sports club etc
• She gets really long holidays and generally unless they are 2wks or more we don't usually go away. If it's a one week half term we usually stay home so she can rest more ready for the next term. Sometimes will do a short break but not the whole week away (her request).

She actually has coped well with the long days but compared to her peers I do think sometimes she is more tired and for that reason I do all of the above! Many of them get public buses now and their journey starts at 7am/home by 6pm. Every child is different. My younger child is going up soon and although I know will be tired in year 7 I also know they handle late nights / activity much better so long term wouldn't need the above adjustments as much! My DC absolutely adores school and puts 100% effort in, does all the clubs etc, the local high school to our home has a shorter day (kids home by 3pm) but I know she would much prefer the longer day and the school she is at!

They were fine. I’d not do the second school though - that time between home from school and dinner and dinner itself is great time to talk to them, see what work they are doing and just be with them - if they get home at 7 having already eaten dinner then it’s what an hour of TV then time to get ready for bed?
But my kids were at school 8.30 - 4.30 and sports matches most Saturdays and they were fine with it.

The length of days between the two schools is very different. Is there a reason you wouldn't choose school 1?

MY DS starts year 7 in September and his school day is 8.20am - 5pm plus homework on top. I am strongly going to encourage him to join a homework club! I used to get on my school bus at 7.30am and didn't get home until 5.30pm but I coped fine.

i could have written your post, we have gone for the longer day school partly because prep, music and extra curricular stuff will all be done at school which we hope will be better all round! The idea of having our particular child coming home at 4.45 and facing hours of homework or much later if he did an extra curricular outside school (which he was) just wasn’t someone that would work for any of us. I
hope we have made the right choice!