Your Response

Pretend you are a mum or dad of a pupil in the school. Write a short e-mail, saying whether you approve or disapprove of the changes.

What do the parents think and why?

Is 10.00am too late to start school? Why?

I think such a late start is shocking. Why do children need so much sleep? They should be going to bed early so they are not tired in the morning and can get up bright and early to start the new school day…

Do you think children should learn on a computer at their own pace?

I’m not sure if the children would concentrate learning on their own. They may get bored and mess around with their friends if they are not supervised properly. They might waste their time on social networking sites. I think it is laziness on the part of the teachers. They should be teaching the children and not relying on a computer. Young people spend too much time just sat in front of a screen, watching TV or playing computer games at home. They should not be doing the same at school.

Should your child have homework?

“I feel that homework is very important for a child because it teaches discipline. I do not agree that homework should not be given everyday.” “I think that less homework will be a good thing. Children are too overburdened with work at the moment. They have no time for themselves.”

How long do you think assembly should be? What should it contain?

I am glad to see that school assembly has been included in the new school timetable. It is a tradition that has been going on for years. Giving children the opportunity to participate is a good idea. It will get them use to public speaking and give them confidence…

What subjects do you think they should learn?

I’m worried that the new timetable concentrates too much on sport and art and crafts and not enough on important subjects like maths, english and science. These are the subjects that they will need to get good exam results.

Do you think it is a good idea for children to have Wednesday afternoon off?

I think this is a very bad idea because parents have to work. They will not be able to take time off work to pick up and supervise their children. There will be many children just roaming the streets with nothing to do. It is irresponsible for the school to suggest this. It would be better for children to use this free time to do extra curriculum activities or private study in the library.

Would you send your child to the homework club?

I would definitely send my child to the homework club. It is an excellent idea. They will be able to do their homework in a quiet atmosphere with all the resources they need. If they get stuck and need help, they will be able to ask the teaching assistants…

Imagine that you are the new head teacher of a school. What changes would you make to the timetable or the school day? Write a formal letter to the parents explaining the changes.

Plan a radical, new school timetable that looks like the template below.

Writing can contain:

FACTS

The new timetable started on the 4th January.

OPINIONS

It is necessary that everyone learns to play a musical instrument at school.

OPINIONS IN FACTS

The children, who were e-mailed projects for homework, found the task difficult to complete.