Off school but not inset days - is it normal?

fluffysox

princessdon wrote: »

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?

Not sure what you mean by educated at home. Schools have students at school for 190 days and teachers are in school for the equivalent of an extra 5. This is statutory. As a previous poster said, many secondary schools bring Year 7 back a day early. This should not really coincide with an inset day as in doing so teachers would miss out on CPD. In addition despite what some people like to believe these days, the hours teachers are actively stood in front of students are by no means the only hours or days for that matter that they work. It is not an easy job and it is not over when you get home.
Usually secondary schools have at least one (usually 2) inset days in September before students return. One of the things we spend time on is analysis of external exam results, e.g. do we think anyone needs a remark?
Some inset days can be done in evening sessions instead so may not appear on the school calendar. Saves the school money as they don't need to have caretakers and canteen staff etc on an extra day.
To summarise: whatever day your children start and finish the school year, if you go through and count it will equal or exceed 190 days.

lobbyludd

To summarise: whatever day your children start and finish the school year, if you go through and count it will equal or exceed 190 days.

not in my experience,
last school year we had 8 Inset days, 4 are chosen by the LA and are city wide, 1 is discretionary, but we additionally had 3 election days where the school was used as a polling station and were badged as INSET days,

we also had 3 days closure for snow and 1 additional day that was an to make up for the additional jubilee bank holiday falling on a day they were due to be closed anyway. None of this extra was made back, the children had much less than 190 days of possible schooling.

but I'm in Wales, the rules may be different here?

neverdespairgirl

That was how my secondary school worked, back in the dark ages (1990s).

Staff back in on Monday, 6th form and Lower Fourth (that being the lowest year in the school) on Tuesday, Upper Fifth (about to take their GCSEs, at the end of the year) on Wednesday, and the Middle & Upper Fourth, and Lower Fifth, on Thursday. Same every autumn term.

lindsaygalaxy

INSET days are not taken out of the teaching year, they are taken out of the school holidays. They just appear to be from the teaching days as they usually appear on a Friday or Monday (before term or at the end of).

FBaby

Some schools are very selective as to which missed school days are going to seriously impact on the education of the kids, and which are not...

I was refused to take my kids out two days in February, despite the fact that a week earlier, because there was -a bit of- snow, the headmaster decided that it was up the parents whether the kids came to school or not without penalties. Only about 1/2 of the kids showed up (strangely, no correlation which they lived but whether the parents worked or not!!!). My kids and I walk 45 minutes each way to get there and attend normal lessons, but taking them out for the same amount of days a week later was considered bad parenting!

Dunroamin

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

That was how my secondary school worked, back in the dark ages (1990s).

Staff back in on Monday, 6th form and Lower Fourth (that being the lowest year in the school) on Tuesday, Upper Fifth (about to take their GCSEs, at the end of the year) on Wednesday, and the Middle & Upper Fourth, and Lower Fifth, on Thursday. Same every autumn term.

We just all went back on the same day with staff in earlier. All this fannying around with different dates seems really strange.

Spendless

Dunroamin wrote: »

We just all went back on the same day with staff in earlier. All this fannying around with different dates seems really strange.

I agree. I thought son's school's staggered start times were bad enough. Will count my blessings that I'm not on the staggered start days instead.

FBaby wrote: »

Only about 1/2 of the kids showed up (strangely, no correlation which they lived but whether the parents worked or not!!!).

Last year at son's awared ceremony they had a 'public service to the school award'. They describe what child has done before saying their name. HT said .....and she comes in early every day to help with the registers....' My mate whispered to me 'wow can you see ours doing that?' I whispered back 'I was more thinking her parents work and she's not allowed to be left at home to lock up'

Sorry OT:o but it seems that the OP has had her question answered.

Can't you plan your trip around the days before she goes back princessdon?

barbiedoll

Dunroamin wrote: »

We just all went back on the same day with staff in earlier. All this fannying around with different dates seems really strange.

Yes, I can remember starting at my secondary school along with the 800+ other pupils and I don't think that I was too traumatised by the experience!

Can any teachers on here shed light on the inset days, are they for training purposes? We are always told that they are but where do the teachers do their training? I'm guessing that it's not in school as the car park is always empty during inset days. (Am not having a dig, am just genuinely interested)

pigpen

inset days have been used to organise classrooms, prepare registers and exercise books and cloak room stickers and read up on any additional needs the children might have. printing sheets for lessons, health and safety training for any trips or to discuss individual pupils .. sometimes to understand home circumstances or illnesses or abilities.

They are used for all manner of things.

Sometimes they have booked training sessions which all staff members have to attend which would mean they are determined by when the trainers can make it and obviously it would be difficult to have classes full of children at the same time.

Spendless

I think barbiedoll is asking if the training takes place on the school premises rather than what they are about?