Farringdon Community Sports College

- Excellence through Partnership

• Home
• About Us
• Parents
• Students
• Departments
• Contact Us
• Site Map

Feedback Regarding ‘Changes to the School Day’

 1. Governors’ Replies  

• There were 7 replies which represents 50% of the school Governors.
• No response was received from the Local Authority.

 Section A – Timing of the School Day

1	Do you support the changes?	Yes	No
		7	0
2	Any Issues?	Yes	No
		1	6

Issues raised  

• Ensure public transport is available to students to get home at the earlier time
• Ensure no additional cost to parents for after school clubs

 

Section B – Lunchtime  

1	Kept on site at lunchtime?	Yes	No
		4	3
2	Different times for year groups at lunchtime?	Yes	No	Unsure
		5	1	1
3	Support reduced lunch?	Yes	No
		6	0	1

 Issues raised  

• School must be able to guarantee the provision of meals to all students within the time available at lunchtime.

Any consideration of changes to meal times for year groups must ensure all students have access to the full menu choice.

2. Staff Replies  

* There were 46 replies which represents 32% of the school staff.  

Section A – Timing of the School Day  

1	Do you support the changes?	Yes			No
		45			1
2	Any Issues?	Yes			No
		21			23
3	Should form period be am or pm?	AM			PM			No preference
		26			9			8
4	How many staff briefings?	1	2	3	4	5	0		.
		20	13	8	0	0	2		.
5	When, before or after school?	Before			After			No preference
		32			10			2

 

Issues raised  

• Early start requires staff to make different arrangements for their own childcare
• Students taking siblings to school may be adversely affected.
• Punctuality / attendance of students may be an issue am.
• Need to clarify ‘Directed Time’ for staff is it 8.15am or 8.30am ?
• Current departmental meetings are ‘invaluable’ and need to be protected.
• How will changes effect sports clubs / teams at lunchtime /after school
• Short finish on Wednesday could cut curriculum time available for a particular subject area eg ICT / PE where time is tight at present
• Registration in morning allows for uniform checks etc.
• Some research suggests teenagers operate better later in the day
• Briefing once / twice max. New communication systems reduce need – e mail / bulletin.
• Why end at 2.40 ? Would 2.45 make more sense and adjust rest of times accordingly?
• Keep every day same length – confusing to differentiate Wed and no real gain.

 

Section B – Lunchtime Arrangements  

1	Kept on site at lunchtime?	Yes	No	Unsure
		21	16	5
2	Would you contribute to supervision?	Yes	No	Unsure
		22	18	2
3	Staggered lunchtime?	Yes	No	Unsure
		14	23	5
4	Support reduced lunch?	Yes	No	Unsure
		40	2	0

 

Issues raised  

• Staggered lunch creates problems for staff teaching on ground floor areas.
• Staggered lunch might cause difficulties for staff teaching different year groups before / after lunch. Difficult for staff to socialise if different times. Confusing.
• Keeping students in more applicable to KS3 ( Y7 in particular ) than KS4. Benefits to surrounding community obvious to many who witness litter etc in the area.
• Supervision of students kept on site huge issue. Behaviour issues if forced against their will. Staff need / are entitled to a break.
• Revision lessons / activities run at lunchtime could be jeopardised if staff have to supervise students at lunchtime.
• Technicians breaks should be reassessed to better fit teaching times.
• Lunchtime clubs require more time. Could result in lost opportunities for students.

 

3. Parent / Carer Replies  

• There were 61 replies in Year 7 which represents 36% of the parents / carers
• There were 26 replies in Year 8 which represents 14% of the parents / carers
• There were 32 replies in Year 9 which represents 17% of the parents / carers
• There were 30 replies in Year 10 which represents 14% of the parents / carers  

Section A – Timing of the School Day

		Year 7		Year 8		Year 9		Year 10		Total
1	Do you support the changes?	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
		46	15	19	7	25	7	24	6	114	35
2	Any Issues?	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
		18	43	9	16	6	25	10	20	43	104

 

Issues raised  

• Childcare arrangements at the end of the day for younger students problematic for working parents. Are we creating ‘Latch key kids’?
• .Need for more homework clubs / facilities to be provided and guaranteed to run after school
• FCSC out of ‘sync’ with feeder schools – problems for picking up siblings.
• Wednesday early finish is confusing for students & parents.
• Need to link to bus services available to students. Can they get to school on time ?

Section B – Lunchtime  

		Year 7		Year 8		Year 9		Year 10		Total
1	Kept on site at lunchtime?	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
		42	20	16	9	11	20	14	21	83	70
2	Different times for year groups at lunchtime?	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
		40	19	17	8	14	18	17	13	88	58
3	Support reduced lunch?	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
		45	16	19	6	24	6	21	10	109	38

 

4	Does your child currently stay for lunch?	Year 7			Year 8			Year 9			Year 10			Totals
	E = Everyday, S = Some N = Never	E	S	N	E	S	N	E	S	N	E	S	N	E	S	N
		20	28	12	4	8	12	6	10	15	9	7	16	39	53	55

 Issues raised  

• Should be optional depending upon age / parent consent. Giving choice is a necessity.
• Reduced lunch break may effect lunchtime clubs / activities and not allow students to get home if they wanted to.
• Can whole school get a meal on site in 40 mins? Capacity of the dining hall needs to match expectation.
• Cost to parents if child stays at school every day and cannot come home – some can’t afford it.
• Staggered lunch separates friendship groups.
• Students need relaxation time away from school.
• Special dietary requirements may require some students to go home.
• Keeping on site increases chances of students having healthy option.
• Menu needs to reflect what the students want.
• Community issues – anti social behaviour is a problem at lunchtime in some areas.
• All students together may increase bullying if not supervised.
• All students on site at lunchtime will lead to queues etc and some kids will not get a meal
• A good idea but not practical for all students.
• Student’s safer if kept on site.

 

4. Student Replies  

• There were 142 replies in Year 7 which represents 85% of the students
• There were 115 replies in Year 8 which represents 62% of the students
• There were 157 replies in Year 9 which represents 82% of the students
• There were 132 replies in Year 10 which represents 62% of the students  

		Year 7		Year 8		Year 9		Year 10		Total
1	Do you support the changes?	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
		76	66	69	45	100	56	107	23	353	193
2	Any Issues?	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
		57	78	69	43	50	96	48	76	224	293

 

Issues raised  

• Need to check bus times so students can get to school on time.
• Students concerned they might not be able to get to school on time – have to get up earlier.
• Some do not like the early start but like the early finish.
• Problems picking up siblings from other schools
• Lunchtime not long enough.
• Parents have got used to the times and may not wan / able to change.

Section B – Lunchtime  

		Year 7		Year 8		Year 9		Year 10		Total
1	Kept on site at lunchtime?	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
		7	125	6	103	4	140	2	110	19	485
2	Different times for year groups at lunchtime?	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
		50	78	47	45	42	99	74	39	213	261

 

3	Do you currently stay for lunch?	Year 7			Year 8			Year 9			Year 10			Totals
	E = Everyday, S = Some N = Never	E	S	N	E	S	N	E	S	N	E	S	N	E	S	N
		9	68	52	7	41	56	3	36	98	6	30	82	25	175	288

 

Issues raised  

• Menu choice not good enough – not all students like school lunch offered and will go hungry.
• Food runs out before last kids get in the dining hall
• Students should be trusted at lunchtimes – not all get up to mischief, need ‘freedom’.
• Students will jump the fence and injure themselves
• Students prefer to go to the shops/ home / sandwiches rather than stay in.
• Younger students feel they are ‘pushed’ out of the way in dinner queue by older students
• Staggered lunch means students will disturb other classes
• Want to socialise with friends at lunchtime in other year groups
• Need more time at lunch time to take part in sports / clubs
• Capacity of dining hall to cope with numbers.

May 2007

PDF version of report

back

Chairman of Governors: Cllr. P. Gibson ~ Head Teacher: D. Thornton