School Day Parental Consultation Update

The responses we received have been supportive, measured and fair. The majority of stakeholders are in favour of the proposal and therefore we have made the decision to go ahead with the plans from September 2023. Below is a reminder of the proposal.

Proposed change of school day- 8:30am-3:00pm

8:30-9:05	Earlier start and extended form time by 10 mins for additional PSHE/Literacy and Reading
9:05-10:05	Period 1
10:05-11:05	Period 2
11:05-11:25	Break 5 minutes extra
11:25-12:25	Period 3
12:25-1:25	Period 4
1:25- 2:00	Lunch 10 minutes later, same length
2:00-3:00	Period 5

I thought it would be helpful to explain some of the rationale behind the proposal and to address the queries raised in the consultation process:

• Start time is too early- The timings of the school day will change very little from the previous times and therefore have less of an impact on our school community’s current plans in getting to school, particularly as the majority of our intake are very local
• Lunch break is too late- We have considered the timings of lunch and break time carefully to minimise the impact of the change of the day. School do offer a breakfast club and have also increased the scheduled break at 11.05am to 20 mins. A substantial selection of both hot and cold food is offered at break for pupils. Therefore in summary break will be 5 mins longer and lunch will start 10 mins later, so an overall change of 5 mins.
• Lunchtime should be longer- The change of the school day is an opportunity to provide more educational support for our pupils in key areas such as Literacy, Reading and PHSE. We want to use this time effectively for our pupils and not just add to social time. We have previously reduced social time at lunch as a strategy to reduce the number of anti-social behaviour incidents that occur towards the end of lunchtime and this has been successful – the time given at lunch is sufficient time for pupils to eat lunch and have social interaction.
• Lunch should be earlier with two periods after lunch- Having a longer afternoon comprising of two lessons has been unpopular and unproductive based on previous experiences and research evidence. Staff voice strongly opposed this option.

We understand that these minor changes are not ideal for all,  however we can assure you we have considered a range of options and consulted with all stakeholders and this has been the most popular and feasible solution for the majority. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and trust that this is adequate notice period for you to make any necessary arrangements in preparation for September.

Thank you for your support and consideration.

Linda Hanson

Headteacher