To think that INSET days are.....

[thismousebites]

basically just another day off?
So, all you teachers out there, what exactly do you do on INSET days?

[JakeBullet]

It might be seven weeks for them this mouse but can assure you it won't apply to the teachers. They will have to pitch up somewhere to train, either in your school, another school or a central location. My sister is only TA but even she has to attend these things.

[ivykaty44]

I just wish the schools were shut for 2 months in the summer the teachers are worn out at my dd's school and could do with a long break to refresh ready for the next term - why drag out the summer term after all the exams just to tick boxes.

last week my dd had three half days of doing nothing and this week hasn't been much more interesting, why insisist on this 190 days per year.

better the teachers are giving quality and rest than stretch to the limits

[spotscotch]

Sorry I meant the idea that teachers are a bunch of lazy whiners!

[spotscotch]

I don't know why teachers always lower themselves to these types of threads. It just perpetuates the idea that teachers are a bunch of lazy shirkers.

I just rise above it these days and accept that every fucker reckons that they know all about the world of education, just because they once went to school, and occasionally go into a school building for a parent's evening/school play.

Don't let it bother you. Oh and enjoy the upcoming holidays (God knows it's one of the only things keeping me in teaching these days!)

[clam]

Yeah, weirdthing I'm staggered by these reports of schools who give 2 weeks' notice. I can't see it's necessary and it's just asking for trouble with disruption to parents.

[weirdthing]

Any school I ever taught in had the Inset days marked on the school calendar at the start of the year. Please also note that a lot of Inset training is done after the school day too.

[weirdthing]

In Northern Ireland we get 8-9 weeks off and - guess what - NI girls outperform all other cohorts at GCSE in the UK. So stick that in your '7 weeks holiday' pipe and smoke it op! Seriously, isn't it a good thing that your kids get a big holiday?

[DadOnIce]

And don't forget teachers aren't paid for the holidays. Just before any more people have a rant about that.

[storynanny]

Ah, Inset days..... We have to do them to keep up with the reinvention of the wheel. In my experience teachers don't particularly enjoy them, they are just a necessity. We do actually prefer to be working with real children believe it or not.
I've attended at least 10 inset days all about phonics and reading over the years. It's still being continually updated, changed, changed again, new this new that. Guess what? I still can teach children to read even though I must have being doing it "wrong" several times over the years depending on what was in or out.
It's a real pain for working parents if the school doesn't give enough notice.

[clam]

So their other holidays will appear shorter than some other schools, as they won't have INSeT days elsewhere in the year. They all will attend school for 190 days a year, however.

[thismousebites]

My DCs finish on Friday 19th
They go back on sept 9th as inset days have been added onto the end of term and the beginning of the next term
That is 7 weeks, no?

[LittleEsme]

My INSET days, I go down the pub after a long lie in, and laugh at other folk slaving away.

Cos that's what OP wants to heat, right?

[cls77]

Blissx!

[cls77]

I genuinely think teachers do a cracking job, and wasn't trying to make any point other than an alternative way of inset days, which obviously wouldn't work either!
Pain in the arise with the changes inset but its the last in primary as we are off to secondary academy in September!! Lol *Blissx"!!

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

OP

Ah i see, forgot to say that at the beginning, did ya?

What a load of fol de rol

Off to eat my supper now.

[FuckNugget]

I never understand the furore created by some people over the time teachers don't spend teaching . Even if they did spend all their 'holidays' sunning it up and having fun, then so what? Are they not entitled to choose a career with 'perks' based on industry standard? Do you also judge those who choose careers for their perks? Gym membership, medical insurance, bonuses, etc. etc. Why are other school staff not judged in the same way like TAs, admin staff and dinner ladies. Surely those lazy fuckers should find a job that has less holidays? How dare they choose a career that helps them fit around child care or for whatever reason they go into it.

Besides, I'm judging you all for working 5 day weeks, 9-5. All you lazy people enjoying evenings and weekends to yourselves! And don't even get me started on shift workers! not really, I work part time myself .

If you don't like the policy, blame the policy makers, not the teachers .

[clam]

cls77: "and dare I say it an after school meeting with colleagues for internal updates?"

You think schools don't already run after-school meetings? We have two a week already.

@ those people who claim 7 weeks' summer holiday: what are your dates? Our county breaks up on Weds 24th July and returns on Monday 2nd September, with some variation for locally arranged INSet days. I would imagine that that's fairly standard. I make that 5 full weeks, plus a few extra days. Where does 7 weeks come from?

[Blissx]

cls77, you make some good points, but the main problem with your centralised INSET theory is that due to Academies and Free Schools, there is no central control and therefore no coherency between schools anymore. Not the fault of teachers but the government. Another negative in that Academies policy in my book! Much like having different Health Trusts with no talking to each other, I would imagine. Anyway, different horses for different courses as the Health Service cannot be run in the same way as education and vice versa.

It is appalling that your INSET was cancelled and I am sorry to hear that. It is annoying, but surely a one-off as is certainly not common practice?

[Claudiecat]

Haven't read the whole thread but suffice to say teachers can be parents too. Be thankful you don't live in the US or Canada where children have between 9 and 12 weeks off in the summer.

[englishteacher78]

You shouldn't be getting short notice that's bad practice most school calendars are agreed over a year in advance and published on their website

[indyandlara]

In schools however we do not work on shift rotas so in order for groups of staff to attend, supply has to be brought in. Schools cannot cover huge absences internally, primary schools especially.

[cls77]

And I have said I don't have a problem with inset days but te lack of notice when they are changed/booked. I expect to pay for childcare as you said but I paid for it and then couldn't get any refund when the school cancel an inset day to be rearranged! Obviously didn't book an outside speaker that day, but instead expect our DC to attend the last day of the school year on a Monday!! until 2pm?!

[cls77]

Blissx Of course I'm not advocating a 10k spend on training, that's ridiculous! I actually meant if is general teaching updates generic to the whole country from legislation or department updates then why not a county training day attended by set number of teachers per school each time. Ofsted etc train at set venue and repeat, instead of at each school so they wouldn't cost any more but general schooling wouldn't be so affected.
Do you not think NHS have updates constantly on research based practice, continuing professional development and legislation changes?!!! They don't close wards for a day because of it do they?