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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

New Year 7s - how long is their school day?

56 replies

Dancergirl · 27/09/2012 23:56

My dd has just started Year 7 at a girls indie and its been a big change getting used to the longer day.

She now gets up about 6.40am, leaves the house at 7.30am to get the school coach. Her school day is 8.30am - 4pm (finishes a bit earlier on Fridays) so she doesn't get home till about 4.40pm.

I'm curious to know if this is typical at secondary school.

OP posts:

SkipTheLightFanjango · 27/09/2012 23:58

School bus picks up at 8:15 for 8:40 start. 3pm finish, home by half past.

NormanTheForeman · 28/09/2012 00:00

My ds is also year 7 at a mixed Independent school (was local primary before this).

He gets up about 6.45/7.00 and leaves the house at 7.45 to get the bus. School is 8.40 until 4.00

His bus leaves 4.20, he arrives home (after walking from bus stop) about 4.55 usually. But he is one of the nearest to the school on his bus, so I would imagine some of the others have longer travelling times.

BackforGood · 28/09/2012 00:01

Independent schools tend to have longer days than state schools.
That said, both my dcs' schools start at 8.30 and finish at 3.10, with about 40mins for lunch. There are lots of after school things going on, which then take them to 4.30 if they choose to stay.
My dd gets up at 7 to leave the house at 7.30 though - she gets everything ready the night before, and gains those extra few mins in bed in the morning.

Original poster

Dancergirl · 28/09/2012 00:04

Swings and roundabouts I suppose with indies - longer days but longer holidays.

Dd is just noticing that she's home much less than she used to be. Plus she does a lo of ballet which she doesn't want to compromise on at the moment.

OP posts:

shrimponastick · 28/09/2012 00:04

Most schools in our area finish between 3 and 3.15p.m. DS goes to grammar in next town on bus. He leaves at 8.05, school ends at 3.35, he often doesn't get home until after 4.30.

The schools which finish early have a much shorter lunch tho, DSS only get 40 mins.

Original poster

Dancergirl · 28/09/2012 00:07

Yes, dds school have an extended lunch break, an hour and a quarter so they can go to a club if they want.

OP posts:

GrimmaTheNome · 28/09/2012 00:12

My DDs school starts at 8:50, ends 3:30 but she also has to be out of the house at 7:30 and not home till 4:40 or later (depending on traffic). She's in yr9 now, and after the first week or so (when it was like having an oversized tired toddler) she's been absolutely fine - loves the bus journey, its her social club.

Her friend goes to school only a mile away which starts at 9 and ends at 3 - so I see her leaving home 8:45 and she's home by 3:15.

janinlondon · 28/09/2012 09:10

Ours start at 8:20, finish at 3:45. But there are after school matches, orchestra practice, choir etc almost every night, so a 5:30 finish is more common.

hoodoo12345 · 28/09/2012 10:32

DD gets up 6.30,leaves house at 7.30, starts school at 8.30.
School finishes at 3.00 but if she has any clubs or practices she will finish finish at 4.00.

CouthyMowWearingOrange · 28/09/2012 10:40

8.45-3.15 here. DD lives a 15 min walk. Gets up at 6.45am with the rest of us. (two bathrooms, 5 people, time is needed). Leaves at 8.15 with the rest of us, as she walks away from the school to knock for her mates, then walks to the school from there...

Original poster

Dancergirl · 28/09/2012 10:44

3 - 3.15 seems really early for a secondary school day to finish. That's earlier than our local primaries! Nice though, they have a bit more of an evening.

OP posts:

FlankerMum · 28/09/2012 11:00

DS is at mixed independent. He gets up at 7:00am, school starts at 8:10am and he doesn't leave until 8:15pm, although he does have tea and do most of his prep there.

Now that he's in year 10 though he brings one prep home each night so it's pretty full on! They have an hour for lunch and free time during the day for activities / clubs etc.

On Saturdays it's 8:10am until 3:00pm but the afternoon session is all sport. He plays / trains rugby every day of the week - school, club and district and he's knackered! He loves it though!

GrimmaTheNome · 28/09/2012 11:35

Nice though, they have a bit more of an evening.

depends what they do with it. DD's friend seems to mooch around alone till DD gets home. When we were looking at schools, a senior teacher at one private which would have entailed a longer day and an even longer journey reckoned it worked well because it kept the kids busy and out of mischief

ByTheWay1 · 28/09/2012 11:40

my dd is at a state school and her day starts getting to bus for 7.50, school starts at 8.20, 50 min lunch and finishes at 3.05, home by 3.40 - works really nicely...

chocolateshoes · 28/09/2012 11:42

our school starts at 8.40 and finishes 3.05. There is 45 minutes for lunch and no afternoon break. A lot of pupils come from quite far away so they finish promptly for the buses. State school.

chocolateshoes · 28/09/2012 11:44

Dancergirl - the primaries usually have a longer lunch and longer break times than secondary. Also they often start later.

MrsRobertDuvallHasRosacea · 28/09/2012 11:50

Ds finishes at 3 but they have a short lunch break.
He is home by 3.15, cracks on with homework then goes on the golf course.

amck5700 · 28/09/2012 11:58

In Scotland they are a bit older when they start high school. My eldest is 12 and started at end August, he needs to be ready to leave the house at 8.30. i drive him to school and he gets there about 8.45 for his 9am start. He finishes at 3.25 and I pick him up and we are home for 3.45. If he were to get the school bus, he'd need to be at the bus stop at 8.20 and it's about amile and a half walk so he would need to leave about 7.45 unless i gave him a lift to the stop. coming home it would be at least 4.30 by the time he got home if I didn't drive him. He's a lucky boy.

NK346f2849X127d8bca260 · 28/09/2012 12:16

My ds has just started y7, he gets up at 6.30 am and leaves at 7.20 to catch school bus . School day is 8.40 till 3.15 with one hour lunch break. He gets back in at 4.15 and needs to be in bed at 8.30 as he is so exhausted.

Madmog · 28/09/2012 14:51

School time is 8.40am-3.15am. It only takes about 10 mins to walk from our house so we're lucky. She usually leaves at 8.15am as we have three other girls who meet at our house - keep dropping hints about them coming later though!

gymboywalton · 28/09/2012 14:52

ds gets up at 6.30
leaves house at 7.45
school starts at 8.30
finishes at 3.00 and he is home by 3.30

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 28/09/2012 14:53

Up at 7.20, out at 8.25 to start school 8.50 and finish 3.25, home at 3.40.

PropositionJoe · 28/09/2012 15:14

My y7's day is identical to yours, OP but because he is a boy he gets up at 6.55 not 6.40

PropositionJoe · 28/09/2012 15:15

Oh - also independent school

gazzalw · 28/09/2012 15:39

DS gets up at 6.15 (on a sluggish morning)
out of house at 7.15 - 7.20
School starts at 8.30
School ends at 3.35
Home by 4.45 pm....

And that's without after-school clubs etc...today he is playing footie and won't be home until 6.00 pm ish.....

For London that seems a fairly average type of day unless your DC is lucky enough to virtually live on top of the school!

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