2 weeks lost per term

It’s incredible to think that a school specifically designed to cater to the needs of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) students is contemplating a move that effectively erases two weeks’ worth of lessons each term.

As a parent, try taking your child out of school for two weeks and see the response. I am confident the school won’t respond saying it’s a positive move.

Currently, our son benefits from 4 hours and 10 minutes of lessons out of a 6-hour and 10-minute school day. The proposed changes would see this crucial learning time reduced to 3 hours and 20 minutes, with a reduction to the overall school day to just 5 hours and 40 minutes. That’s a shocking reduction of 50 minutes of lesson time per day.

The PR spin is “It’s only thirty minutes“, just think how better off your kids will be by getting home earlier – yes this was actually a “benefit” put forward by the school.

Let’s break down what 50 minutes a day equates to:

• Weekly: 5 days a week results in 250 minutes – or 4 hours and 10 minutes CUT from LESSON time.
• Termly: Over a 12-week term, this equates to a staggering 50 hours CUT from LESSONS.
• Annually: Throughout the year, this accumulates to 120 hours CUT from LESSONS.

This means in a typical 12 week term that children are deprived of the equivalent of 12 days of lessons. In other words, their education will be been forcibly reduced to what amounts to a 4-day week.

The implications of such a decision are profound, not just in the immediate reduction of educational content but in the long-term developmental and learning outcomes for our children. This isn’t merely a slight adjustment; it’s a significant blow to the foundation of their education and future.

As parents, educators, and advocates for the rights and needs of SEND students, we must question, challenge, and stand against these proposed cuts. Our children deserve better. They deserve every opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive within an educational setting that recognises and supports their needs fully – not one that seeks to diminish their time to shine under the guise of operational efficiency.