Timetable Layout

mirrorwall14

The layout of our timetable was brought up at a recent staff meeting. Would anyone be willing to share their current timetable layout and whether they do half days etc? We'd love to have a broader view of schools and a bit more info!

We currently have 9 classes mon/tue/thur/fri with a mix of 35/40 min classes, a 15 min small break and a 55 min lunch. On Wednesday we have 8 classes with one 25 minute break splitting them into 4 and 4. Again a mix of 35 and 40 min classes.

Currently the majority feeling seems to be that lunch is too long, the length of time after break on wed is very long and that a Friday half day would work better and be in line with the schools in the area

rainbowtrout

Monday to Thursday : 9 forty minute classes in blocks of 3.

Start at 9, finish at 3.55

Friday: 6 forty minute classes in two blocks of three, first three 9-11, second 3 11.15-1.15 and then we're finished.

We used to be 9-4 Monday to Friday but with cutbacks the timetable was cut.

RealJohn

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday we have 9x40 minute classes in blocks of 2, 3 and 4, breaks of 15 and 35 minutes.
Wednesdays are 6x40 minutes, 3 and 3 with a 20 minute break. 8.40 to 3.30 and 8.40 to 1.

I think our lunch break is too short. 35 minutes barely gives you time to prepare and eat anything halfway substantial and hardly feels like a break. Certainly not much of a break to split up 7 classes.

Pinkycharm

Monday to Thursday 9:00 to 3:40- 9 classes, three blocks of three
Friday 9:00- 11:00 and then 12:00 to 2:00- 6 classes, two blocks of three

km79

Pinkycharm wrote: »

Monday to Thursday 9:00 to 3:40- 9 classes, three blocks of three
Friday 9:00- 11:00 and then 12:00 to 2:00- 6 classes, two blocks of three

that is a NICE Friday
how long are breaks and lunches other days ?

mirrorwall14

Pinkycharm wrote: »

Monday to Thursday 9:00 to 3:40- 9 classes, three blocks of three
Friday 9:00- 11:00 and then 12:00 to 2:00- 6 classes, two blocks of three

Do you mind me asking if your 9's are 40 minutes and how long break/lunch is?

Its looking like a lot of other schools do all classes standard at 40 minutes

rainbowtrout

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Do you mind me asking if your 9's are 40 minutes and how long break/lunch is?

Its looking like a lot of other schools do all classes standard at 40 minutes

When the cut to our timetable first came in we had a 35 minute class timetable for a couple of years.

Ten 35 minute classes Mon - Wed and nine 35 minute classes Thursday and Friday. The 10 class day was 3 - 4 - 3. It was awful. Teachers and students found the four in the middle tough going. Practical teachers found the double class hard going as it was 1 hour 10 instead of 1 hour 20 and 10 minutes can make a hell of a difference to a science experiment, woodwork/metalwork class, home economics cookery class.

Also if you ended up with a 10 class day, it was really tough. While the reality was that there was probably a double class thrown in, we were seeing more groups on a daily basis which meant more work in the same working day. Shorter classes to fit the subjects into the timetable meant that teachers ended up with more class groups in their 22 hours than they would have had on the 40 minute timetable.

Instead of 33 40 minute periods we had, 38 35 minute classes. 38 classes is 22:05 which caused all sorts of hassle too.

We were never as happy to get back to 40 minute classes.

Pang

We are 9 to 3.30 Tuesday to Friday while on Mondays its 9 to 4. No small break but an hour for lunch every day.

10 minute tutorial in the morning and then five classes of 40 minutes. After lunch it's three classes of 40 minutes. On a Monday it's an extra 30 minute class.

doc_17

If you are only getting a 25 minute break on a Wednesday isn't that against the law as it's not an adequate break? If you work 6 hours you are entitled to a 30 minute break.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/hours_of_work/rest_periods_and_breaks.html

doc_17

And sorry, we go from 9.05 to 3.20 Mon - Fri. 15 minute break in the morning and 40 minutes for lunch. 8 40 minute classes per day. We are currently 1hr 20mins under recommended time but it would have disastrous consequences for subject choice so that's the way we keep it.

happywithlife

I'm always fascinated by the variety in time tabling - I've never personally come across the half day on a Friday before. I always thought the reasoning for a half day on a Wednesday was to help facilitate games and other extra curricular stuff. What's the rationale for half day on a Friday? Genuinely curious. Is it a city thing? A Dublin thing? I'm down south so haven't come across it as I say.
Tbh my personal opinion on it if say I was voting for it in the morning would be a no - solely on optical terms as we don't need to serve the media teacher bashers a reason for further ridicule on a gold plate

dory

We have 9 classes all days except Wednesday. Have 6, finish at 12.55. Have a 40 minute lunch which we find perfect, used have an hour but it was too long.

rainbowtrout

happywithlife wrote: »

I'm always fascinated by the variety in time tabling - I've never personally come across the half day on a Friday before. I always thought the reasoning for a half day on a Wednesday was to help facilitate games and other extra curricular stuff. What's the rationale for half day on a Friday? Genuinely curious. Is it a city thing? A Dublin thing? I'm down south so haven't come across it as I say.
Tbh my personal opinion on it if say I was voting for it in the morning would be a no - solely on optical terms as we don't need to serve the media teacher bashers a reason for further ridicule on a gold plate

Schools are required to provide a minimum of 28 hours class contact time to students per week. Most schools offering a half day are doing 4 days of 6 hours of classes and 1 day of 4 hours of classes (or similar combinations) meeting that requirement. Any school doing the full 9-4 Monday to Friday is offering more. We used to. I'm from the south west myself and none of the schools had half days from where I grew up.

Where I work now, we were the only school for years that did 5 full days. We were the last one in the area to bring in a half day on a Friday. All the other schools had it for as long as I can remember.

Noccy_Mondy

We're 9 to 3:50 Monday to Friday

Two 40 minute classes, one 35 from 9 to 10:55
Two 40 minute classes, one 35 from 11:15 to 1:10
Three 40 minute classes from 1:50 to 3:50

Small break: 20 mins
Lunch: 40 mins

I wish I had a shorter Friday

Pinkycharm

km79 wrote: »

that is a NICE Friday
how long are breaks and lunches other days ?

Break is 20 minutes everyday
Lunch is 40 minutes everyday

Can I also mention- we GET CAKE ON FRIDAYS!
I Fridays!

Pinkycharm

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Do you mind me asking if your 9's are 40 minutes and how long break/lunch is?

Its looking like a lot of other schools do all classes standard at 40 minutes

Break is 20 minutes everyday
Lunch is 40 minutes everyday

All our classes are 40 minutes

Morning roll call is 5 mins

doc_17

We get cake some Fridays. If we've been good.

km79

Pinkycharm wrote: »

Break is 20 minutes everyday
Lunch is 40 minutes everyday

Can I also mention- we GET CAKE ON FRIDAYS!
I Fridays!

our break and lunch times are the same as ye ........does that mean that ya basically have no free classes Monday to Thursday ?
I would not like that

solerina

We are 9.00 to 3.50 Monday to Thursday.
15 mins break and 35 mins lunch.
All 40 min breaks.
Friday we are 8.50 to 1.00 with a ten min break.

We have 9 free periods a week and 5 of them are assigned to S&S, the week is hectic but its worth it when Friday afternoon comes along (although I nearly always spend it correcting copies, but at least they are done for the weekend !!)

Pinkycharm

km79 wrote: »

our break and lunch times are the same as ye ........does that mean that ya basically have no free classes Monday to Thursday ?
I would not like that

Very little, I'd say on a full 22 hours you wouldn't have anything really after S&S maybe 5 or 6 with 5 taken up for S&S. I'm on 16 hours so I still have a good few free.

Pinkycharm

doc_17 wrote: »

We get cake some Fridays. If we've been good.

Fridays are just that little bit better because of them. Hope you had cake today!

RH149

I once had a half day on Friday and thought I'd won the Lotto.....it was just luck the way my timetable worked out but as the weeks went on I realised that my half day was well eaten into by the time I got finished photocopying and preparing things for two full 9 period days on Mon and Tues and an almost full Wed....it wasn't worth it except when I was going away somewhere and wanted to beat the traffic and get on the road early.


We don't get any half days - any of the local schools that do get a half day on Wed. for Sports. I've never heard of Friday half days.


Sometimes you can write off a lot of your Wed classes in terms of doing anything new or giving a test as so many students are missing as are away at matches.


Be careful of shortening your lunch breaks....we went from an hour to 45 mins and its just about okay to eat your lunch in and take a breather but if you're involved in any extra curricular or need to do anything at lunchtime eg extra practical help or for language orals 45 mins is too short. Now with compulsory S&S eating into breaks plus we're stuck doing those 5 CP hours 'less' at lunchtime I wish we'd never given away our 'lunch hour'.

fall

Hour long classes. 28 class periods available a week of which you do 22 and a half day on a Wednesday. Did 35 and 40 minute classes originally but I now love the hour long classes.