Opportunity instead of chaos – How to master full-day schooling

Imagine a school where children not only learn, but truly feel at home, discover new talents, and build friendships that last a lifetime. With the legal entitlement to full-day care from 2026, new opportunities are opening up for education, leisure, and social development. For schools and educators, this represents both an exciting challenge and a unique opportunity to shape schools as genuine living environments. In this article, you will learn about the obstacles on the path to successful full-day schooling, proven solutions from research and practice, and how clever organization, strong teams, and digital tools can help you manage full-day schooling successfully. Get inspired and discover how full-day schooling can become a win for children, families, and the entire education system.

The 8 biggest challenges in managing full-day schooling

There is no shortage of ideas, concepts, guidelines, and best practices for designing full-day schooling. However, there are also several hurdles to overcome – pedagogical, spatial, and especially logistical and administrative. We asked schools about the specific challenges they face in managing full-day programs in practice. The feedback clearly shows that it is not only large structural questions, but above all the many small, daily organizational challenges that push teams to their limits.

1. Keeping track of everything – attendance and pick-up times

In full-day programs, staff must always know which children are present and who will pick them up. Discrepancies between different lists are common – juggling this information leads to uncertainty and increased workload.

“A child leaves early today for a doctor’s appointment – it’s written on a note in the office, but not on the list in the group room.”

2. Registrations and cancellations without chaos

Children get sick, are picked up early, or change their activity choices at short notice. Schools and parents need to communicate these changes quickly and reliably to everyone involved.

“Parents cannot correct pick-up times themselves once entered – this makes things complicated and creates extra work.”

3. Planning and billing school meals

Organizing school meals involves more than ordering food. Schools must verify daily whether meals are registered for all attending children, communicate with caterers, and ensure accurate billing with parents.

“Every day, we check whether meals are ordered for all present children – it takes an enormous amount of time.”

4. Managing activities and courses in constant flux

The dynamic selection of extracurricular activities, which often changes weekly or even daily, makes planning difficult. Without digital support, managing schedules, group assignments, and communication with parents and staff is nearly impossible.

“Children choose their activities weekly – often, we only know on the same day where everyone is.”

5. Communication and information flow across multiple channels

Information is often shared through paper lists, chat groups, and individual emails. As a result, important information gets lost or does not reach everyone.

“Many updates happen in chats, but not everyone is in every group – things simply get lost.”

6. Staff shortages and coverage gaps

Illness or staff absences immediately impact daily operations. Replacements are rarely available, forcing schools to merge groups or cancel activities at short notice.

“When someone is absent, the whole plan falls apart – and we have very little flexibility.”

7. Holiday programs and special schedules

In addition to daily operations, schools must organize holiday programs, including participant lists, schedules, room assignments, and staffing – on top of their already demanding workload.

“A single, clear registration form would be a dream.”

8. Data protection and access rights

Different stakeholders – teachers, social workers, external activity leaders – require different levels of access. At the same time, sensitive data must be protected and legal requirements respected.

“Youth mentors should not have the same access rights as teachers.”

Full-day schooling: More than lessons – a living environment full of opportunities

Despite the challenges, expanding full-day schooling offers tremendous opportunities for education, social development, and inclusion. The quality of full-day schools depends on how well they enable every child to learn and thrive.

Full-day schooling transforms schools from places of instruction into true living environments. With more time and diverse learning and leisure opportunities, teachers can better address students’ social needs and individual learning starting points. Supported by multidisciplinary teams, shared responsibility emerges, connecting classroom learning with additional educational and support activities. Collaboration with external partners such as sports clubs, music schools, and cultural institutions also opens new opportunities.

Research shows clear benefits:

• Stronger social skills, motivation, and self-confidence
  Especially beneficial for children from single-parent or socioeconomically disadvantaged families (DIW Berlin, StEG).

• Better work-family balance
  Particularly helpful for working parents and single parents (BMBF).

• Greater educational diversity through partnerships
  Children gain access to opportunities they may not otherwise have. (BMBF).

• Improved educational equity through individualized support
  Students from disadvantaged backgrounds benefit significantly (DIW Berlin).

What makes high-quality full-day schooling? – The scientific perspective

The rapid expansion of full-day schools, driven in part by the Full-Day Care Expansion Act effective in 2026, has already produced positive momentum. However, many schools still face the challenge of successful implementation.

Research initiatives such as the Study on the Development of Full-Day Schools (StEG) and the “Scientific Quality Dialogue on Full-Day Schooling” identified six key success factors:

• Effective leadership in complex institutional networks

• Strong collaboration among multidisciplinary teams

• Sustainable full-day program planning

• Clearly structured and goal-oriented educational offerings

• Effective organization and management of activities

• Positive social relationships among all participants

Supporting materials and guides are available to help schools implement these principles successfully.

Full-day schooling in practice – Lessons from excellence schools

Research by the Bertelsmann Foundation and partner organizations highlights key success factors:

1. Reliable opening hours
   Eight hours a day, five days a week, with flexible schedules and structured programs.

2. Strong integration of lessons and activities
   Close coordination between teaching, breaks, and extracurricular activities.

3. Effective leadership and development
   School leadership must have sufficient time and flexibility to guide implementation.

4. Strong teamwork
   Clear roles, professional development, and long-term staff retention are essential.

5. Flexible and well-equipped spaces
   Facilities must support learning, projects, and recreational activities.

Reducing administrative burden with digital support

Digital systems can significantly reduce the administrative workload for teachers and administrative staff.

Our full-day management feature simplifies communication, registrations, activity management, and billing. It helps schools organize full-day programs efficiently through intuitive operation, improved efficiency, and reliability.

Whether managing meal plans, registrations, or activity assignments, digital full-day management ensures smooth planning and frees up more time for what matters most.

Conclusion: Full-day schooling as an opportunity for the future

Full-day schooling is both a challenge and a major opportunity. From 2026 onward, every child will have the right to full-day care – creating the possibility to transform schools into true living environments that promote equity, social development, and work-family balance.

To achieve this, schools and institutions need reliable structures, sufficient staffing, flexible spaces, and digital support. Research and experience show that while implementation is demanding, it is achievable through collaboration and strategic planning.

Full-day schooling is not an add-on – it is the future of education. When implemented well, it benefits children, families, and the entire education system.