Extending school day would 'exhaust' pupils say Shropshire education bosses

Senior figures at both Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council have condemned proposals put forward by Prime Minister David Cameron's former policy chief Paul Kirby to extend school hours into the evening.

But the idea has been backed by headteachers at two independent schools in the county, who have claimed youngsters would benefit by spending more time in the classroom rather than going home to empty houses if their parents were at work. Under Mr Kirby's blueprint, school holidays would also be cut from 13 weeks a year to just seven.

Mr Kirby has claimed the idea would give more flexibility for parents to work full-time. Some schools in Shropshire, including Burton Borough in Newport, have recently altered the school day to finish earlier as bosses believe that children learn better earlier in the day.

Schools are already able to vary hours and term times under reforms introduced by education secretary Michael Gove. The Department of Education has said it will examine the proposals.

Councillor Paul Watling, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member with responsibility for children, said he believed the school calendar should remain as it is.

He said: "In the higher performing education systems they have shorter days rather than longer days. We know from studies that children perform better in the mornings than in the evenings."

Councillor Ann Hartley, who has responsibility for children at Shropshire Council, said: "Some of the younger pupils are exhausted when they finish at 3pm."

She added: "Teachers have to spend a lot of time planning and marking. The children and the staff need their rest."

But Michael Getty, headteacher at Shrewsbury High School, an independent school, said his school's days already run to about 5.30pm with sport, music and drama classes available to students.

Mark Turner, headteacher at Shrewsbury School, another independent school, agreed with the proposals.

"I think it would be excellent if schools can put staffing on to provide activities and tuition after 3.30pm," he said.

"It is better than children going home to an empty house. "

Meanwhile, parents at Ludlow Infant School said the proposals to change the school day would benefit working parents trying to make ends meet.

But they all said it would be bad for the children themselves, who were already "exhausted" by the end of the school week.

Mrs Westfield, from Ludlow, said: "I think it is a long day, from 9am to 6pm, especially if the children are going to be in lessons all of the way through it. If there are going to be after-school clubs or something like that it is different, but I think 9am to 4pm would probably be better.

"But I can also see where they are coming from as someone who has been a working parent. It is very, very hard to get the balance between childcare and working, it is so expensive. So if this would help out hard-working parents, then it has to be seen as a good thing. But as I said, it depends on how they intend doing it."

"I can see the advantages to it for people that are working," Miss Baldwin said "But for me personally, I think it is too long a day.

"You are talking about asking children to do a 45-hour week, some of them will only be five and just starting school. There needs to be some allowance so they get some time at home, surely?

"If this comes into being, the kids will finish at 6pm, come home, have their tea and go straight to bed.

"There would be no family time, and that can't be a good thing."

Marie Andrews, 33, from Craven Arms, said her three boys – Rhys, five, Evan, six, and Rowan, 10 – were already tired out enough under the current school timetable.

She said: "I think it's too much – they do enough already and they are exhausted when they come home as it is. I was also interested to see that the proposals included reducing the school holidays to seven weeks.

"With the penalties now in place for taking children out of school, it would give parents even less flexibility to take their children away."