HUNDREDS of parents are being asked if they want their children to finish school much earlier on a Friday.

A letter sent to parents from Neyland Community School this week also asks their opinions on plans to move to earlier starts throughout the week, and similar changes are planned for all schools in the Milford Haven ‘cluster’ of schools.

Pupils would finish school at no later than 12.25pm on a Friday, under the proposals.

The letter to parents, said: “We currently find that on Friday afternoons pupils often suffer from a greater lack of attention/focus than at other times in the week.

“We are in a time of change with the introduction of the new curriculum for Wales.

“Schools need to ensure that they deliver the exciting and challenging new learning and teaching opportunities for pupils and staff.”

The proposed changes would see the school day start at 8.45am from Monday to Thursday, instead of starting at 8.55am.

Part time pupils would finish at 11.30am, reception and year 1 and 2 pupils would finish at 3.10pm and year 3-6 pupils would finish at 3.20pm.

On Friday the school day would start at 8.45am but would finish early for all pupils.

Part time pupils would finish at 11.30am, reception and year 1 and 2 at 12.15pm and year 3-6 at 12.25pm.

Breakfast club would open at 8am, and the school would open at 8.35am every morning.

It adds: “We appreciate that some pupils will be unable to go home on Friday afternoons and therefore supervision will be provided by support staff until 3pm.

It also says that Friday afternoons could be used for staff training while well-being will be improved with “greater family time” with “opportunities for pupils and staff to pursue sports, interests and personal development that would otherwise be missed.”

“Under the proposed changes, pupils will continue to receive, and indeed exceed the statutory teaching time, as they do presently,” it adds.

“We currently exceed the Welsh Government suggested minimum teaching hours which are 21 hours a week for Foundation phase pupils and 23 and a half hours for Key Stage 2 pupils,” the letter said.

Pembrokeshire County Council said there was no indication in any of the consultation details from the schools that the proposals are cost-cutting measures.

Pembroke Dock Community School and Ysgol Harri Tudor in Pembroke already operate under new timetables.

The Milford Haven cluster of schools includes: Milford Haven School (although the secondary school is not consulting on changing times), Coastlands School, Gelliswick Church in Wales VC School, Milford Haven Community Primary School, St Francis Catholic Primary School, Johnston Community Primary School and Neyland Community School.

Neyland Community School is holding drop-in sessions on the proposals on Wednesday, March 6 between 9am-10am, 2pm-3pm and 5pm-6pm.