A school in Cardiff is consulting on plans to end the school week early at lunchtime on Fridays saying the move is to help it implement the new curriculum for Wales.
Bishop Childs Church in Wales Primary says starting earlier four days a week and finishing at 1.30pm on Fridays will help teachers deliver the Welsh Government’s new curriculum coming in from September.
The school is looking at starting the school day half an hour earlier at 8.30am from Monday to Thursday and closing at 1.30pm on Fridays. Lunchtimes would be cut to 45 minutes for older children.
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Some angry working parents say the times don’t fit in with their jobs and there is a lack of childcare to in the area to help them.
In a letter to parents the school’s chair of governors Caroline Hartfield and headteacher Nicola Price said teachers had realised the benefit of working together when school times were altered during the pandemic.
Children would have more than statutory contact time with teachers, a “stay and play session” for £3 would run after school and breakfast club would open at 8am.
‘Parents are so upset about this’
Parents were told about the plans at a virtual meeting on March 2 and have until March 11 to respond via a questionnaire sent by the school. A final decision will be made in April and the changes, if agreed, will come in from September.
Some parents are holding their own meeting at Marshfield Village Hall on March 4 to discuss the plans saying the school has refused a proper dialogue.
“Parents are so upset about this. It is a complete shock to everyone and other than a questionnaire we get to fill out from today the school will not speak to us about it,” one mother said,
“At a time when children have missed out on so much school and when the Welsh Government are trying to encourage longer school days to catch up and provide well-being sessions for kids our school are doing this.
“Bishop Childs is an affluent school, especially for the area, where most families have two working parents. There is a shortage of child minders or any after school clubs in the area, in fact there is only one child minder who picks up from the school and she is already full.
“The Friday 1.30pm finish means that most families will either have to take a pay cut or pay for a child minding service which is currently not available.”
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The school’s plans:
The letter from the governors and headteacher outlines the proposals and the reasons for them.
It says: “A condensed school day will mean every pupil will have contact in excess of legal requirement.
“An earlier start means that children are completing work in the morning when they are most engaged.
“Starting school earlier will help to allow staff to work, plan and learn together on a Friday afternoons.
“Collaborative working is a requirement of the new curriculum for Wales becoming law in September.
“This staff working time will allow teachers to reflect and learn from each other and we are constantly on the path of improvement, continually adapting and raising standards.”
There will be less chance of teachers being taken away from classes to “complete strategic tasks” if they can do so together on Friday afternoons, the letter adds.
In a joint statement the school and Cardiff Council said: “In line with government legislation, Bishop Childs Church in Wales Primary School is currently undergoing a full consultation process on a series of proposals which include changes to the school day.
“If agreed the proposals would allow the school to further improve standards of teaching and deliver on key requirements of the new national curriculum, the New Curriculum for Wales, which becomes law on 1st September 2022.”
Before the pandemic a number of other primary schools in Cardiff, and other parts of Wales, changed times to finish early.
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