Off school but not inset days - is it normal?

princessdon

GwylimT wrote: »

She isn't having any less days the year sevens simply have more, there aren't teachers teaching lessons to imaginary year eights/nines/tens/elevens when the sevens have their extra days to settle.

I thought schools could only take a maximum of 5 days? This is in addition to the other inset days. Is it just her old school took less days?

meritaten

schools tend to operate rather like the Vatican - they are based in a country and the citizens have to conform to the law - but, the Vatican/school can also make up its own law!
you are not allowed to take the child out of the Vatican - oops sorry I mean school! for any reason - yet the Vatican/school can waste as many days as it feels necessary! in other words - Parents have no rights over schools.

princessdon

daisiegg wrote: »

Lead up to GCSEs?! At the beginning of Y8?! That is slightly obsessive of the school!

I didn't mean they are doing the same number of days as the Y7, but that they will be doing the number of days that is required by law. It's not that the rest of the school are doing fewer days than they should - it is that Y7 are doing MORE days than they should.

Tbh, even as a teacher, I would have advised you to take your daughter out of school to do what she had been offered - it sounds really good. It's a shame they had to word their reply in such a harsh way

I don't think so, they have 4 inset days planned on the calendar with another that may or may not be taken to be advised.

I don't mind, they offer a lot of extra teaching, extra classes, teachers give up a lot of their time over the year that will end up far more than the 2.5 days, I just wanted to know if normal.

Spendless

Janepig wrote: »

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

That's what the Secondary schools do here. Have children who are moving up to Secondary doing transition days during the last half term of yr 6. It varys how many days they do from school to school but the Secondarys do it after their yr 11s have all left. On the day term starts in Sept, at my son's school, all years have staggered start times, with yr 7s in first, yrs 10 and 11 (the GCSE students) in next and yr 8 and 9 in last.

princessdon

meritaten wrote: »

schools tend to operate rather like the Vatican - they are based in a country and the citizens have to conform to the law - but, the Vatican/school can also make up its own law!
you are not allowed to take the child out of the Vatican - oops sorry I mean school! for any reason - yet the Vatican/school can waste as many days as it feels necessary! in other words - Parents have no rights over schools.

That made me laugh, was very much how I felt :T

daisiegg

princessdon wrote: »

I thought schools could only take a maximum of 5 days? This is in addition to the other inset days. Is it just her old school took less days?

Ok, although it has been said already....these are not extra days they have off. Term starts on the day that Y8 and above start. The earlier days where Y7 etc are in are days that Y7 are attending in addition to the usual school year, NOT days that are part of the school year that Y8+ do not attend. If you added up all the days that Y8+ are in school, it will add up to the required number of days. If you counted the days Y7 are in school, it will add up to more than the required number of days.*

*this is my understanding, anyway. I know that our school finishes later this summer than another local school that didn't have a Y7 induction day at the start of September term. I am happy to admit I am wrong though if I am corrected!

daisiegg

princessdon wrote: »

I don't mind, they offer a lot of extra teaching, extra classes, teachers give up a lot of their time over the year that will end up far more than the 2.5 days, I just wanted to know if normal.

What a great attitude - on behalf of teachers all over, thank you! :beer:

princessdon

I thought they had to do 190 days with no more than 5 inset, they have 4 inset planned.

Eg my younger ones start on Monday 3rd. 5 inset days. My eldest starts pm on 6th and ends the same day as my younger ones. That's what confusing me, perhaps the IS work and target setting they have been asked to do, means they are being educated just at home?

princessdon

daisiegg wrote: »

What a great attitude - on behalf of teachers all over, thank you! :beer:

They do a great job, its a great school, we get free PE, sports, music, literacy, science clubs etc between 3.15 and 5 pm 5 days a week and as a parent I really appreciate it.

balletshoes

princessdon wrote: »

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?

yes, thats normal here.
When my DD started year 7 last September, there was inset on Monday, then year 7s and year 11s only on Tuesday and Wednesday, then the whole school from Thursday.

In September this year, she'll be year 8, there are 2 inset days on Monday and Tuesday, year 7s and year 11s only in on Wednesday, and my DD starts on Thursday.

It didn't happen that way in primary school but it does every year at DD's secondary school