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?

[ravenAK]

OK, fire door nonsense notwithstanding:

1. Every teacher I know would rather not have five days docked from their holidays & subsequently worked unpaid, but hey ho, it happened in the '80s. We're mostly over that now. So long as no-one else confuses it with 'extra days off', which, with monotonous regularity, they do. It isn't 'extra' - your dc (& mine) still do the same days they would've done in the 70s - & it isn't time off.
   
   
2. Some of the INSET stuff we do is vital - not nearly enough of it is from my POV, but then I've been teaching long enough to watch the carousel turn a couple of times. For less experienced staff, more of it will be useful.
   
   
3. Teachers have childcare to sort too - we pay CMs or beg favours just like everyone else when our dc's school is doing INSET. & yes, it's a total PITA. Couldn't agree with everyone else more.
   
   
4. Yes, INSET days are often a bit of a doss. Something pointless is being waved at you via the medium of Powerpoint. You're wearing jeans. You're playing Battleships with your HOD, who has seen this particular Powerpoint 4 times to your 3....
   
   They could replace all of them - well, just the important bits would be good - with twilight sessions tomorrow & I would not grieve one bit. I just take umbrage at being blamed for their existence!

[MadameDefarge]

that's why I got a shitty paid job in school bogey. gave up my career because as a single parent I couldn't do it all.

[englishteacher78]

If schools are only letting you know at short notice that's a PITA for teachers too (who will gave planned lessons for that day). It's probably due to an issue booking a specific trainer.

[mummytime]

Bogeyface - my children have never had 7 weeks off in the summer, it sometimes is more like 5 1/2 than 6. They never have more than 2 weeks at Easter and Christmas; unless the Easter holiday runs into the may bank holiday or an inset day is tagged on. Half a week of their summer holiday is often made up of INset days too, which is why my youngest goes back to school before the older two.

We usually have most of the INSET days in the calendar by now, one or two may be inserted in the calendar later in the year when the specific trainer they need is booked.

[FrustratedSycamoresRocks]

On inset days I... Spend more on childcare for 3 children than I am paid for going into work for training.

[Hedwig06]

We also have had 7 week holidays for the last couple of summers plus 2 at Easter, 2 at Christmas, etc.

We also only get a couple of weeks notice for teacher training days. Usually they add them onto a newsletter so some parents miss them. I've seen quite a few times people going to school on days which are training days as they've missed the "notice".

Luckily I work from home so I can cover them but it is very annoying when you've had to cover it with a couple of weeks notice and then you see the school deserted or just a couple of teachers there.

We are in Birmingham.

[englishteacher78]

That seems strange to me. With regards the holidays etc. The number of days children in STATE schools must be in school is enshrined in law. The short notice is unacceptable. Our INSET days are announced over a year in advance.

[Shootingstar79]

Bogey face, unless your children are at private school, your children's school is open to children 190 days a year. This is a legal requirement. No state school can just change it on a whim.

There may be closures for snow days but they are an exeption and published days at the start of the year will always be 190 days.

[cls77]

Clam I didnt say schools had to pay outside trainers for dribs and drabs, whats wrong with a day out of lessons - which my daughters teacher seems to do anyway for "professional learning" where you attend a training day, and dare I say it an after school meeting with colleagues for internal updates? Also, who do you think looks after you and your relatives/friends when we are on training? This isnt about the fact that the inset days are there, but the inconsistency of it all, and the late notice - to talk about bl00dy fire doors?!!!
Bogeyface - my point exactly! Its the managers grrrrr

[indyandlara]

This coming session we have the following INSETS

1. Launching new schemes of work for new session. (A yearly occurrence ) then liaison time with LAs.
   
2. EAL and equalities training.
   
3. Assessment and moderation of new Science scheme. I am writing it during the holidays so we couldn't do a session about it in August.
   
4. Expressive Arts training day.
   
5. Self evaluation and planning for new session.
   

All these days are vital if we are to move on. We also have 10-14 twilights. We could not lump then together in August as we actually need to teach them before evaluating.

[Blissx]

"which my daughters teacher seems to do anyway for "professional learning" where you attend a training day". That will be for Subject Specific training or Year group training if Primary, csl77, so will be individually focussed.

Whole INSET days are for whole staff training relevant to teaching in general. What you propose would not work if the school wanted to get an expert in, such as someone from child protection or OFSTED or someone who coaches on different teaching techniques etc. These people often charge around £1000 for the day - do you expect the school to pay for upwards of 100 staff, so they can each see the expert individually on different days? £10000+ is an awful lot to take out of a school budget, wouldn't you think?

What with all the numerous changes happening in education, it is important all staff know what is actually going on, rather than sound bites from the media or do some people on Mumsnet expect all teachers to get their information from the Daily Mail or similar?

Childcare is a pain - always has been and always will be. We accept it when we have children. So in the same way you have to arrange childcare for your DC for an INSET day, so do I when my DD is off from her school on a different INSET day to me and I have no GPs on either side or family near to help. Big deal. It's what I signed up for and wouldn't change it for the world!.

[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?

[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?!

[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.

[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

[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.

[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?

[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?

[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 .

[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.

[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"!!

[cls77]

Blissx!