Can School Extend Easter?

They must have known they were going to plan to do this way more than 3 weeks in advance though.

If parents had known in early January they could have planned their leave accordingly.

There's no consideration.

..........................

And people that say 'its crazy how parents don't think they need to look after their kids', are probably the same people that would be pee'd off if we all went on benefits till our kids were all over 13.

We work because WE HAVE TO. Working doesn't become optional the minute you get pregnant.
There aren't millions of women in their 20's thinking hmmm, should I work and never have kids, or have kids and never work . . . . .

I asked this and the teachers obviously have loads of their own stuff in the classroom and would need to set everything up when they get to the new room - bulletin boards and such. Also some time to learn the new tech etc. The 3 days is packing by teachers - moving company shifting - unpacking by teachers.

Schools run on teachers and support staff doing stuff they shouldn't have to rather than paying other people to do it.

Why can't the school be organised enough to move the furniture during the Easter Holidays and actually pay a removal company to do it instead of teachers doing it for 3 days / kids missing 3 days of learning (god forbid you took them out at similar notice for a holiday) / and working parents being completely left up the creek?

Schools really take the piss on things like this and it makes no sense when they get their knickers in such a twist about attendance / illness / being late etc.

I'm with you OP. I'd be so pee'd off. If you'd had proper notice 100's of families could have had a cheap holiday with those flight dates.

Because school holidays are a nightmare for working parents especially when there's no childcare available. Not everyone has relatives nearby who are available. Most families need 2 inc9mes to survive.

I imagine some provision will be made for certain children - in the same way as they were during covid. Not just the children of key workers, but vulnerable children. It will probably be very hard to gain a place though.

Yeah....well darn those employers for requiring I work when I learn my children's school is shut at short notice.

I think you've got the picture now OP, but I feel your pain.
I am a lone parent. Fortunately DS2 is nearly at the end of year 11, so I'm OK when these things happen.
But there were many years when something like this would send me into a pit of despair, even if I knew that it wasn't the school's fault that they had snow, flu outbreak, flooding, power cut, no heating, busses broken etc etc.
I know school isn't childcare, but working parents do organise their working patterns and leave around their children being in school, and most can't just conjure up leave, or family or alternative childcare just like that.

I hope you find a solution. There will likely be other parents feeling the same as you.

In your shoes I’d be taking an extra two days off and having a cheeky term time trip.

So the teachers should sacrifice 3 days of their holiday in order to work so it's more convenient for you?

I don't know if it is the case here but things like dust can be a H&S issue with the asbestos in old schools. 200 teachers have died since the year 2000 and it can be a real issue moving does need to be done sensibly and carefully and, inconvenient as that is, that's much easier without kids around!

www.britsafe.org/safety-management/2024/asbestos-in-schools-we-need-urgent-action-now-to-protect-teachers-and-pupils

The majority of people work beyond their paid hours.

With teaching we have about 4-5 weeks paid holiday like the majority of other jobs but our holiday pay is split throughout the year so we are not getting a £0 payslip during summer holidays. Each local authority will have a calendar for teachers explaining what is a school closure day and what is a holiday.

It’s unfair that this has happened but it’s not unreasonable. At some point the school will have to do a move, the council who have approved the dates have obviously decided to tag it onto the holidays to minimise disruption to the children. Sadly they are in a lose lose situation as if they decided to do it a week before the holidays then parents would be annoyed that children are not having a straight run in school . This also depends on when the building work has been completed.

I'm a teacher 👍

Not if it’s an ‘extraordinary situation’ like weather closures or a school fire or a move. These just disappear as they aren’t very common.

Technically speaking all schools have to provide the same base number of education days per year. So yes, in many circumstances they would indeed owe them back.

They won't be days off. It will be a lot of work for staff.

This.

I totally sympathise OP. This would give me the utter rage.

Our school has 2 weeks half term at Whit which is supposed to be a nice cheap week to go abroad in, except if you have children in another school as well, like I do, you can’t go away but also there is no childcare available as everyone else is in school… winds me up something chronic but everyone else loves it…. until they have children in secondary school, or if they work in another school in the area. And we know about that holiday in advance!

It's a strange system that's been explained over the years.
Teachers receive pay every month including over the holidays.
However, they receive payment for a certain number of directed time, plus something like 4-5 weeks paid holiday and bank holidays. The rest is unpaid.

Like many professions, teachers will often work outside these hours and during their paid/unpaid holidays when school is closed to children. It is pretty much impossible to not work behind directed hours as planning time within those school hours is minimal.

So you expect staff to work unpaid in their holidays, moving the school? And still get their planning and prep done?

Also, many may well be away, or looking after their own children? And yes, whilst still prepping for next half term.

Yeah, that just doesn't happen!

As if the average teacher can dictate extra days off regardless.

It appears the reason is to facilitate moving to a new build, or similar. These will have been agreed with the LEA or Academy Trust.

The teaching staff will, almost certainly, be in school during these days.

If your work told you to come in on dates you were not paid for to do a task that is not in your job description and would be physically draining, dirty and difficult, would you?

If your child's teacher spent the first two weeks back after Easter winging it on no planning, nothing marked and mainlining caffeine because they hadn't had a break due to coming in on unpaid leave, would you be understanding?

I'm guessing no 🙄

I've been through similar and I'd be surprised if they could do it in 3 days!

I thought moving house was stressful, it was nothing compared to moving school buildings. I hope I never have to do it again. Some people are talking like the Teachers at OP's school will be on a 3 day jolly. I can't imagine anyone preferring to spend 3 days clearing out cupboards, packing boxes, filling skips, hauling furniture around, unpacking boxes and cleaning over 3 normal days with the kids in school!

(And my husband and I both work full time and are immigrants so have no childcare. I had to take unpaid leave when my kids' school was shut. Just unavoidable sometimes unfortunately)