RESHAPING THE JUNIOR DAY

KEY CHANGES:

• 20-minute later start.

• Aligned start time across the school.

• Alignment with Infant School finish time of 3pm.

• Timetabled pastoral transition time.

• Increased after-school co-curricular activities from 3-5pm (established in 2021/22).

• Expanded offsite CCA provision to enable new 3-5pm blocks for 2023/24.

The 11:35am to 12pm slot is too short for a proper Co-Curricular activity; can this be reconsidered?

These activities currently happen and are in fact closer to inside recreational activities such as: harp/ukelele/world drumming ensembles and mindful art activities. The main co-curricular programme happens at the end of the day in the 3-4pm & 4-5pm slots.

What will happen to the music ensembles that were taught in the Co-Curriculum in period 5?

We will reclaim this time for academic learning so that we have additional teaching time. Now that we have rebuilt our ensembles post Covid we can add this to our after-school provision.

With the later start will there be morning provision for those arriving earlier?

We currently have supervised early morning play and will continue with morning options. This will include a return to offering breakfast club, Home Learning in the library and key fixed sports and music training and rehearsals. More information to follow.

Has pastoral time been cut with the changes?

We had already built in pastoral time for careful transitions to specialist lessons, and to manage the end of the day arrangements with time for snacks provided for those going onto activities. This applies to the whole class and will include the normal end of the day routine which can include Circle Time, lifeskills discussions, reading a story, recapping key learning, celebrations of the day and reflection time.

Does it mean now that with the new timetable the 5:08pm bus will be door-to-door just like the 3pm and 4:08pm bus? Unfortunately, the 5:08pm bus will remain as it is, i.e. not door-to-door. This is because we cannot recruit either the drivers or aunties required to staff the route. There is also not sufficient take-up to allow for routes of a reasonable length and duration.