Longer hours at Bexhill High

Principal Mike Conn has sent out a letter to parents advising them from September the school day could be lengthened with pupils leaving at 5pm instead of 3.10pm.

He has told them the longer school day will comprise three sessions and homework will no longer be set.

Mr Conn is setting up a meeting next month so that parents can put their views about the extended school day.

One mother contacted the Observer to say: "I am not happy about this at all. We are having this consultation about it next month, but I don't know how much notice he will take of the parents.

"The ones I have spoken to don't like the idea."

She objected to the proposal because her child would miss out on current after-school activity and was worried also about youngsters leaving school in the dark.

She added: "I think kids should have some down-time to run about and just be children. If they come out at 5pm it will be teatime, and that will be it."

Mike Conn said that the change in hours was part of the transformation of Bexhill High School and was about having "a far greater degree of flexibility to deliver the curriculum."

He said: "I have always been from day one wanting to have a longer day - the aim is to enhance learning."

He believes having two morning sessions of three hours each plus one in the afternoon of two and a half hours will give every pupil a better chance of absorbing, exploring and enjoying each subject, with less time spent packing up books when the bell rings and moving off to a different class, which currently happens six times a day.

He added that any organised activity such as dance class or horseriding would count as part the school day, and felt children would positively benefit from not having to take work home at the end of the day.

He commented: "We will essentially be providing childcare until 5pm.

"I want children to go home at 5pm to their home and not carry their schoolbags with them full of homework.

"And it is already dark when children go home in the winter...are people seriously telling me their children never go out in the dark? When I go home in the winter I see lots of our pupils in the streets.

"I have had very few letters so far, but because this is a new thing we have to go through the consultation process and take on board the views of parents, which we will do - this is not a rubber stamping exercise - but I have had a huge amount of support from parents.

"I would really like to see this because I believe it is the best for education and young peoples' futures.

"I believe every child should be assisted to get a C-grade in English or Maths...to some that is a reasonable journey, but to others there is practically a mountain to climb. We don't want to leave those children behind. We have to do more for those children...when somebody has a greater challenge, what we do in education is provide more support for that person.

"We have just concentrated everything into such a small amount of time that we are pushing those kids through, but what we need is to give them space and time to learn."