Off school but not inset days - is it normal?

princessdon

I hope everyone is enjoying the weather . I have a quick question about none inset days.

My eldest is currently Y7 to go into Y8. She doesn't return until the Thursday pm in Sept. Monday is inset day, tues, wed and thurs am are to allow yr 7 time to settle in.

Is this normal? Just feeling a bit sour as I requested 4 days holiday for her to attend what would have been a great experience and was refused as school time is sooooo important, yet they allow them to finish at lunch time on Thursday and then start back late.
Norm for a high school?

xcarlyx

I think thats very strange. I know when i started high school we had dinner a hour earlier than everyone else to get used to the dinnertime..

building_with_lego

Presumably the school will have a code to allow for this so as not to impact on the children's attendance figures. (I don't know for sure as mine are infants/ juniors.) I can't see it having a huge impact on your daughter's education, to be honest, although I can completely understand your feelings regarding the holiday!

fashionlover10

Yeah it's always been normal in all 3 of the secondary schools I've attended.
It's just a couple of days off to allow the year 7's to settle in and find their way around without being overwhelmed as they've usually come from a much smaller primary school than the secondary they're now at.

I always found you didn't really learn a massive amount in the first week or so from Yr8 onwards so they won't miss out on much anyway.

princessdon

Thank you, just miffed - but it makes sense and probably helped her settle in last year and I have time to sort out childcare, just wondered if it was normal.

peachyprice

Yes, normal here to.

Surely last year when your daughter joined the school she had the benefit of getting to know her way around before the other years came back too?

marisco_2

I work in a primary school and all of the high schools near us are adopting the same approach as your daughters school. It is done to give the year 7s a bit of time and space to settle in their new surroundings.

princessdon

Ok, probably me just being a bit sore about the holidays and it does make sense.

Janepig

The schools around here take the approach of having year six attend two full "taster" days (year six at Elinor's primary school went last Thursday and Friday) to get used to life at a larger comp. That seems to me a much more sensible idea.

Jx

pigpen

The year 7's and 11's and 6th form go in a day earlier than the rest of the school so the form teachers can spend they day settling the new year 7's and getting their timetables out and get them used to each other and the new rules... It is perfectly normal for high school.

They also do a 5 day induction while still in yr 6 and the ones who are going alone from primary school they have a 2 week summer school as well.

Mine finish 2.5 days earlier than the primary school and go back a day later too.. it isn't unusual.

princessdon

Thank you all, will get childcare sorted - just wish I'd known when putting the holiday request in as would have been more forceful :rotfl: