Last day of term

[tazmaniandevil]

Why on earth does school have to close at 13:45 on the last day of term? What is the purpose of this? Confused!!!!

@maisypops very good point. Anyone working in a school is not actually paid during the holiday periods. It's divided by 12!

"Teachers teach to set textbooks (that have to be purchased by parents) so there's virtually no lesson planning required and limited marking at primary level."
This must be why Irish education comes near the top in Europe, Craicon....

"British kids already have more holidays than other nations. "
Not true. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/school-holidays-map-shows-difference-in-dates-and-duration-around-europe-10515771.html this map] shows how much school holidays each country has and while a couple have less that England (including Scotland) many have the same or slightly more.

Sorry my link didn't work but you can cut and paste it!

I think I should have put double brackets - let's try again
map here

As Ive said; no issue with it finishing early or the 6 weeks holidays-I happen to think those are part of the perks of being a teacher and if I wanted them I'd have gone into teaching. I would have been crap at it, I freely admit, so I did something else. I don't understand why it's so disorganised through, it's almost as if it's being kept a secret to skew the figures. And yes I fully accept that if that is the case it's the Amy's decision and not that of the teachers generally.

On the childcare issue, I recognise it's not childcare of course. But the point is wohm parents arrange their childcare around the statutory requirement to send kids to school. When schools unilaterally, with scant warning and for no apparent (ie explained) reason change the arrangements it's really frustrating and annoying. I am sure all teachers can understand that.

Anyway, I do hope all the teachers enjoy their well earned holidays. I appreciate it's a hard and pretty thankless job.

Yes, most secondary school pupils are able to look after themselves until their parents get home. But what about the ones like us, whose children get a school bus 10 miles closer to home, then have to be picked up from there for the last 5 miles?

Amys? Smt's!

IME early finish at end if the term is only a secondary thing - in which case there is no childcare issue. Are those who mention childcare talking about primary? In which case, fair point, especially if it's at short notice.

What jobs did you do before becoming a teacher Janeinthemiddle? Very curious as my husband's ex was a year 5 teacher and he witnessed first hand the amount of pressure and workload as well as the level of moaning and misunderstanding of what other jobs entail. Why did you go into teaching then? It doesn't make any sense if you think you now prioritise other children over your own and feel bitter about it all... Alibongo - fair point about the length of holidays. Yes, in Europe we get a longer summer but no breaks during the year which I think is better before there is more continuity and it's less disruptive. But you are right about the length once you add all of it up

Fed up of teachers banging on about how hard their job is, wake up, most people have a hard, stressful job, with less holidays. What are all these other jobs that are so much easier?

Our early finish is no surprise. It's lunchtime every year, except for those involved in Speech Day (prize giving). But as I mentioned before, school is open for those who can't be collected until the end of the day or are waiting for contract buses and they are supervised by lucky teachers who don't have to sit through boring speeches in an airless hall under stage lighting!
If schools are really letting people know at short notice then that is out of order.

That's my point stolengoat. Most teachers live in such insular world with no other experience and most of their friends being teachers too. And they just wind each other up... Life is bloody hard. Being a nurse, a doctor, being abused daily by customer and having sleepless night because of not meeting revenue targets... It's all hard. Wake up.

Oh accidental, that's nonsense. They don't have the time or energy to wind each other up!
Children aren't mini adults. They need the break.

Plus, my husband (with a big job and big salary) lost his job last week for no explicable reason. They just needed someone "new and fresh". He was meeting and exceeding his targets. He is now depressed, doesn't understand what happened and we suddenly have no income. I'm sorry but do you understand this kind of pressure Janeinthemiddle? There is a price to pay for higher salary and there is also a price to pay for higher job security etc. Do you risk being sacked because shareholders decide someone else is more like to reach 400% growth target? If you've done other jobs before as you say, you should understand. There is a price for everything. There is a price for higher salary and there is a price for job security

Before I sod off down the pub I just have to do a few things:
-deep clean my classroom including all tables. Surfaces, walls, chairs, equipment
-prepare pegs for new students
-prepare display boards for new class
-finalise all paperwork and transfer paperwork necessary to new school
-meet with all other teachers to discuss a hand over of pupils
-have a whole school meeting where we discuss aims and objectives of the school for next year
-clear out PE cupboards
-tidy outside and dispose of broken equipment, litter etc
-go through lost property and contact parents to see if they want to collect it or for me to drop it to a charity shop
-order all stationary and equipment for next year
-go to the shops and buy equipment I know the school can't afford but I love my class enough to buy
-attend child protection meetings
-meet with my new TA and ensure she is happy and confident to strt next year
-ensure the class is well stocked does e cohort of students - eg things to self occupy, te books on offer etc

• complete all planning for next term

-prepare respurces and lessons for te first 3 weeks -contact anxious and distressed parents who are worried about their child's new school or want to ensure I have all the information I need -reprint my classroom (with paint I bought with my own money) -prepare work books, reading diaries etx for all new students

Oh wait.....that's what I have planned for the first two weeks of my "summer holidays" where I am so lucky to get 6 weeks off.

First off though, Friday afternoon I actually have first aid training.....

I love my job and love every child that's in my class....but sometimes parents can be so entitled!!

Maireandplastic - my DH lived with a teacher for 5 years. They had no children. He was constantly frustrated and upset by her moaning about how much harder her job was while he was the one with longer hours, traveling over the weekends and nights and shouldering their expenses. But somehow she had it so much harder...

@accidentalbride I'm struggling to see your point. Are you upset that teachers get a lot of time off or are you saying it's a demanding job. Or are you saying all jobs are demanding?

"sarakrellyboo". I'm sorry... But this is how life is... And how working life works. It works like this for most people. There is no break and there is more to do than we can fit in a day. Noone says it's not hard but we question whether it's harder?

Hmmmm....I'd say that's your husband's journey. Not really relevant here.

Lallypop - I'm not bitter at all.about teachers getting more time off. I'm saying that other jobs are equally or even more demanding. Being a nurse, junior doctor working night shifts and working 16 hours shifts, working nights etc... It really is harder. I just get upset by teachers saying their jobs are so much harder than other jobs. Many jobs are very very hard these days

@accidentalbride
I'm not complaining about my job...I love it.
I'm just pointing out that we're not sodding off to the pub and I don't have a 6 week holiday. Some parents are unbelievably ignorant to a modern day teachers workload!!

PS....you come across really angry and pent up, maybe trip to Ann Summers will do some good! ;-)

Maybe you have answered your question about why teachers often marry other teachers - imagine your average mumsnet teacher-bashing thread being reenacted weekly in your own home.

Why on earth are some people on here cleaning classrooms? You mean actual cleaning, not tidying or wiping over your own desk? Cleaners should be doing that and, if they won't pay cleaners, then let parents complain when wee Johnny sits at a grubby desk. If you take on jobs that are not in your job description (and are in fact in someone else's job description) then things will never change for the better.

Accidental this is how it actually goes:
Non-teacher: teachers have it so easy, finish early and long holidays and it's really easy anyway a fool could do it.
Teacher: no we actually work really long hours and don't get paid for all that time off you know and get a lot of abuse and stress in our daily job.
Non-teacher: so you have the most stressful job in the world do you? Don't be so ridiculous.
(Return to step one and repeat ad infinitum).

Lallpop Anyone working in a school is not actually paid during the holiday periods. It's divided by 12!

Except for teachers they are paid for 52 weeks.

Support staff (I.e. TAs, office staff, midday supervisors,caretakers etc) are only paid for 45 weeks, so in effect the summer break is unpaid. However, as you say, their annual salary is divided by 12 so they get some pay each month. It annoys me when people think everyone in school gets 13_weeks paid holidays, that is only teachers!

@eggplanter schools pay for cleaners but at the end of every term the majority of teachers deep clean their classrooms...cleaners can use bleach and stronger cleaners as the children are in the next day and they aren't contracted during holidays. Call me old fashioned....but things need to be deep cleaned!