Inset Days vs School Holidays

cat04

Maybe some schools seem to have less inset days than others because they are tagged on to the beginning or end of school holidays. When I taught in secondary we would start back 1 or 2 days before the children in September. If they finished on a Thursday for half term we would have inset on the Friday. This was in addition to 1 or 2 days being spread out over twilight session as previously mentioned.

IrishRose12

The school I work in, and other schools in our area don't do Twilight days. Basically because they have families and lives outside of school and want to spend time with them at some stage.
We use all of our inset days as it's a chance for the teachers to have their meetings, courses and whatever else there is that needs done. I myself as a classroom assistant love inset days when the children aren't in as it means I can get sorted for a few weeks ahead of me in the classroom. From getting photocopying done, to preparing the art activities to giving the classroom a good tidy and clear out and getting displays done. It's so much easier to do all of these things than when you have the children coming up to you needing help with this, or I'm having to stop doing something to go work with this group or do reading with that group, get this homework ready for that night etc. I'm also able to get worksheets stuck into various topic books/folders, get sample work filed away and then I'm also able to prepare activities and get the necessary resources for the after schools clubs I look after and also the breakfast club.
That's if I don't have a course or training myself that inset day. This year I've had 2 training days outside of school for behaviour problems and First Aid.

Also it's none of the parents business really what courses etc teachers/assistants do during those days. One day our parents do know about is that on one of the inset days we have our Parent teacher meetings, instead of sending the children home an hour early every day for 2 weeks to fit parents in. One day and the whole school is done :T

I love it when parents think that the staff have a "wee day off" when in fact we don't. Just because your children are off doesn't mean we are!
Even in the summer, our schools here finish on the 30th June every year (or whatever day is closest if it's a weekend) the 1st week in July I have to be in work so I get paid over the summer and there are teachers still in school clearing out their classrooms/moving rooms etc.
Then we have to be in for the last week of August before the children start back in September to prepare themselves for the new class coming in, get their supplies sorted and stored away, have meetings for the next term, school year and sort out their 6 weekly notes, the list goes on.

At easter time and Halloween breaks etc, our children this year were off for a week. Our staff were in 2 days at Halloween and 1 day before Easter.
Parents think teachers and staff have the life of it, holidays here there and everywhere, but let me tell you, we don't. We are not a babysitting service, which it feels like at times when parents complain about their children being off school and they have to look after their children. Well guess what, that's what you have children for. To look after them and rare them. Not the schools.

What parents forget also is that staff in schools are human beings, we have families of our own, our own children, and if we get home early from an inset day, to see your child's face when they get to see mummy/daddy pick them up from school when it isn't normal is the most precious thing to see. 10 days a school year it is, and I'd say 5 out of those 10 days I get to see my 2 older children delighted that mummy picked them up from school today. We don't get to see their Christmas Plays, go on trips with them, assemblies, Sports Days etc. We choose to do this job yes, but is it really that awful that we have lives outside of looking after and teaching your little darlings 6-8 hrs a day?

Indie_Kid

IrishRose12 wrote: »

Parents think teachers and staff have the life of it, holidays here there and everywhere, but let me tell you, we don't. We are not a babysitting service, which it feels like at times when parents complain about their children being off school and they have to look after their children. Well guess what, that's what you have children for. To look after them and rare them. Not the schools.

TBF, when their children are off school, the odd day here and there for inset days, they may either have to take time off work or find childcare. Neither of which are always easy.

balletshoes

Indie_Kid wrote: »

TBF, when their children are off school, the odd day here and there for inset days, they may either have to take time off work or find childcare. Neither of which are always easy.

inset days are usually notified fairly far in advance though, and its par for the course for working parents that there will be days where we have to take time off to cover childcare.

peachyprice

Indie_Kid wrote: »

TBF, when their children are off school, the odd day here and there for inset days, they may either have to take time off work or find childcare. Neither of which are always easy.

The inset days don't come as a complete surprise, every school my children have attended give notice of dates at the beginning of the year, there's always plenty of notice to make arrangements.

IrishRose12

peachyprice wrote: »

The inset days don't come as a complete surprise, every school my children have attended give notice of dates at the beginning of the year, there's always plenty of notice to make arrangements.

Same in our school. The complete list of holidays are sent home the 1st week back in September. Reminders are sent home a few days before the holiday. Holidays are also put on our school website. SO they have plenty of time to arrange childcare. It's not the school's problem if the parent hasn't arranged childcare or have to pay for it. Again, Schools are not babysitting services. They have to arrange their days around other people's diaries and to suit the school. Not to suit those parents who haven't or can't make other arrangements for that notified day. Schools can only do so much. They aren't miracle workers.

I know myself how hard it is to get the children looked after. Esp when working in a school I can't just book a day off work. I have to compare dates with my children's schools at the start of the year and get excited when we are off at the same time But 9 times out of 10 I have to make arrangements for them to be looked after while I'm at work. And I can't take them into work with me like other parents are able to do.

GobbledyGook

Indie_Kid wrote: »

TBF, when their children are off school, the odd day here and there for inset days, they may either have to take time off work or find childcare. Neither of which are always easy.

The odd day is usually easier to manage than an extra complete week tagged onto the holidays.

moneysavvy35

Wow...this opened up a can of words.....let me just say - I'm not saying these teaching days shouldn't happen. my rant was that as the government says its vital for children to attend all teaching days but then fine me for taking my child out of school as it would disrupt thier learning - however, I suppose in my rant it didn't occur to me that thier wasn't any teaching taking place anyway - so hmmmm I suppose thier is a point thier.

I was annoyed this morning so just came on to vent....but thanks for the clarity guys.

ady_j

Madmel wrote: »

In my other school, we condense our training into a number of twilight sessions which run from 3.45 until 5.15. This gives us a couple of extra days of holiday but to be honest, it is really tough working a full day then having to focus on training issues.

:shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked:

globetraveller

and that is after starting work at 7.30am which most of the teachers in my school do. Please don't also assume that as the course starts at 3.45 the teacher then goes home at 5.15pm and has dinner and watches telly for the evening. They will have all the preparation and marking to do that couldn't be done before the course started.