Change to timing of school day - anyone experienced this?

[ibbydibby]

School switched to academy status in autumn term, following notice of special measures earlier in year. Sent out letter during Easter hols informing us that from Sep 2014, will finish at 5pm 3 days a week, with slightly earlier finish other 2 days.

Has anyone experienced this? ie school/academy done this? Am just a bit freaked by prospect of longer day, tired DS (will be year 8), impact on family life (will mean we eat later etc).

Extra time at school is to accomodate homework and sports/hobbies.

x posted (and there I was being all helpful). No I'm not ignoring the time for teachers planning - that's covered by a question of how the school affords this.

My children are of an age where I don't need the school for childcare actually and my partner works away a lot so sorry no, family 1950s ideal here. We still make it work and so can you.

"I suspect this arrangement will suit the majority."

er, it won't. I know the schools situation where 5mT is and plenty of other parents are unhappy about the changes. Like I said on another thread, there's a big rural catchment: rural villages with no street lights or even pavement for walk between bus drop & home. There are safety issues with the late days, too.

Well something has to change somewhere because globally longer school days and longer school years are hot topics and if you have young children now this is something that I think will come up again and again.

Out of interest what is more acceptable to people longer days or longer school years - so less holiday. I think I'd go for longer days in secondary and longer years in primary - now that really would be chaos for families!

I would not want my DD doing a longer school day. I do not need childcare, nor do I want it. It most certainly shouldn't be imposed on everyone regardless of whether they want it or not.

Yes, schools staying open longer and/or better childcare facilities outside of school hours for those who need it is desirable - ideally run by qualified childcare staff rather than teachers, or by qualified sports/music/other enrichment activities even better - and at a reasonable price.

But a=many children have other outside activities to take part in and I believe it is better for children to be able to do that. I like that DD does drama away from school - mixing with different children to those inside her own school for a bit, widening her social circle, etc.

I want DD to have daylight time to come home and relax with friends, maybe go out for a bit - and when come back later for homework and dinner.

Enforced longer days should not be the answer.

The trust is funding it just not paying the teachers any more... Our llovely sponsor has secured the funding..

And yrs your last reply was actually polite,thanks for that. No I am not currently home schooling little ones, ds3 and ds4 are happy at school, if that changes we will reases, I don't want a later start to the day (they wouldn't sleep in anyway) though the lazy holiday mornings are nice it doesn't work in practise with activities, dark evenings etc.

Surely if your husband works away you appreciate the importance of children spending time with their father? I grew up with a Dad that was away a lot, it is not what I want for my kids, dp is s hands on involved parents (including the shitty and mundane and housework). We want that to continue, it's already a tricky balancing act because of dps job (sadly he can't change careers and if he did it would be a big loss for the kids in the care system he works with as he is bloody good at his job).

It's not unreasonable to think they could offer the after school stuff but not make it compulsory, like they do anyway currently with various clubs and like the majority of schools do. There is no good reason to make it compulsory.

School is not childcare. The only way a school shoulde be able to justify longer hours is if they can prove it will be of benefit to the wellbeing and education of the pupilsw. This clearly doesn't as it is limiting their time with fanilyy, limiting time for pursuing other interests, limiting whatw clubs and groups they can attend and forcing basically an adult working day on them.

Increasing hours ago in compulsory education should be done because adults have to go to work.

Bloody fat fingers and idiotic phone.

Well as I'm sure you would agree parenting is about more than simple hours on the shop floor of the home. Time served does not equate to good parenting anymore than time absent means you are making a pigs ear of it. My concern on this thread has been to assure you that the changes you anticipate are not automatically a disaster for your family relationships.

Anyway - what is the reason given for making this compulsory?

Compulsory because they can.. They say 'some studies shoe it increases sociability, confidence and peer relationships and makes good relationships between pupils and teacher's

Nothing about educational outcomes. I am asking for the studies they use to justify it and will provide links to those that show diff outcomes, I shall be 'that' parent.. Ho hum.

The thing is dps shifts already mean he goes days without seeing the children, so I know hours 'done' doesn't make a good parent, but in a family where we already struggle to juggle his wiring hours with having a family life this will impact on it further.

Anyway we are busy making an Oscar the grouch cake for dps bday tomorrow, and am at critical point so best go concentrate..

I am frequently 'that' parent

Here's a thought - the weeks that DP is working weekends inform school that the children need to leave 'early' - at the usual time - because of family commitments.

What's your MP like?

Our mp is crap and likely to be voted out next election!

But yes I am going to speak to them 're dps shifts and see if we can reach a compromise, dp works three weekends out of four.

The boys would like to go to some if the activities offered, ds2 would like some of the sport and they would both like computer and chess club, but not two hours, an hour of which is some swanky enrichment activity or homework.

3 in 4 is a lot. I think that would be a STRONG factor for you to argue with. You can say 'now look I know you've got parents like that pita Mrs Maturin but we're not like that and this is why...'
Shame about the MP. Lib dem?

Yes lib dem!

How did I guess Yup LOSER! Oh well - you might get somebody better. It's only a year.

I'm a teacher, and I think this is terrible.

Our school is currently open 7am-7pm. After lessons there are staff meetings, detentions, planning meetings for school trips, extra help for students who are struggling in course work, reruns of missed practicals, etc.

If teachers do not finish compulsory enrichment until 5pm, when will they run detentions? Are miscreants going to be kept in school until 6? Or are we to lose the only disciplinary tool we have?

When will we see individuals who need extra help? keep in mind that we can not see students alone, so in order to help one student catch up with course work or practicals, two or more will have to agree to stay on after the 5 O'clock enrichment.

Suppose we are doing enrichment, detentions, catch ups etc until 6 or 6.30, will our meetings start at 6.30?

When will we make our phone calls home, put up displays, set up class rooms, do our photocopying, or any of the other thousands of little jobs we have to do on site?

I don't think we would be setting of home until 8.30 or later. Who will be caring for our children in the mean time? What about the premises staff, who clean and lock up after we have gone, what time will they finish? 9.30? 10? Who will be caring for their children? When will they see their families?

The idea that any one anywhere in the country is setting this precedent fills me with dread.

Please, I beg you, for the sake of education across the whole country, don't let the do this anywhere!

I have lots of friends who are teachers and not one of them thinks it's a good idea, my concern is fir my children but I will also be asking when the teachers are to have meetings, do marking and planning etc, it's not good, not ggood at all but I fear there is nothing we can do :(

Sorry - haven't read whole thread, and you don't say in your OP why the school has decided to lengthen the school day. But if it was in special measures, maybe the extra time is needed in order to improve the quality of the children's education?

What I mean is that homework to be done at home can be very unfair to kids whose parents work shifts, or don't have time to help them; or children who don't have anywhere to work at home, or whose parents aren't educated themselves or who don't speak English, etc etc. If the school is trying to raise standards in the wake of a bad inspection result, lengthening the school day is an obvious way to do it.

Plus I suppose it might help families where both parents work full time - but that is only incidental.

I think families where one parent has time and enthusiasm and the ability to help their kids at home are very privileged. I don't begrudge it - I celebrate it! - but other less fortunate families could do with some help.

Finishing school at 3 or 3.30 is selling kids short, imo. In other European countries (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland - don't know for sure about any others) the school day finishes at 5 or 6, especially at high school. The short school day in the UK might even have something to do with our bad performance in international standard tests, eg PISA.

Yes - a longer school day is not good news for teachers. However, it's not just teachers who can supervise HW periods at the end of the school day. Schools could use homework monitors from local universities for example, and give FT teachers more free periods during the day.

I would get some legal advice (perhaps parents could club together to pay for this?) to find out whether the school can, legally, keep your children after the end of formal lessons. If they can't, then you present that info to the school and your children simply leave at the normal time each day.

Unless there are a fair number of teachers and SLT on site, many children are not going to feel safe staying. DD1 probably wouldn't have in Y5 and Y7/8.

Apart from actual bullying issues, ill dissaplined, resented HW sessions are going to build up a thousand petty niggles that feed back into the main day.

It's not to do with improving education, the school actually gets better results than most high schools in the area, it had a dip one year and the School failed on leadership issues not teaching. Ds1 is in top sets in yr10 and expected all A's and a*s. The quality if teaching and behaviour is much better than my nearer high school that we pulled ds1 out of!

Its 'enrichment' activities and some homework time, basically sports and hobbies but all compulsory! Not extra lessons/teaching, but the clubs will be run by the teaching staff.

It actually sounds to me like a great opportunity for the children, many of whom would probably be watching TV or chatting on facebook if they weren't at school. And great for the parents too - sports and activities that you don't have to spend your evenings and weekends taking them to. And all this is provided, free, by the teaching staff!

I really think you are very lucky.

And when are the teaching staff supposed to mark, plan etc? Yes the clubs are great (some of them) my kids already do clubs and many of the activities I can and do do with them at home, sewing and cooking?!! There is nothing wrong with kids spending some time online or on games consoles etc! It's all about balance and I Cam provide and ensure my kids get that, I don't need school to take over that role esp when it means a day out from 7:40-6pm! And the clubs won't be that great quality, I would much rather pay for specialist provision than send them to a club run by over worked and demoralised teachers, it's not their job!

Fair enough offer clubs and activities but get proper staff in to run them and don't make them compulsory, like most schools already do!

My partner and I actually want to spend tome with our kids, we don't want to outsource everything. Given my partners shifts he won't actually ser the boys as he works weekends.

Great opportunity if run properly and for those that need it!

We don't gave to take our kids to activities anyway, many follow on from school for an hour and are run by proper staff and they use buses/ bikes etc, teens don't need to be transported everywhere.

I think i'll have to shut up moaning about our Primary school which is increasing the day by 20 mins from September, your school is far more extreme!