Two days teacher training sprung on us with less than three week's notice

[Wheels79]

Just had a letter from school saying reception will be closed for two days after half term for teacher training.
I'm new to being a school parent but I find that 1) a bit short notice; 2) lacking in an apology or acknowledgement that it might leave parents with a childcare issue; and 3) hypocritical given that their policy is to refuse to authorise any holiday requests and yet missing two days out of the blue is fine when they say so.
Am I being unreasonable for feeling miffed? Should I accept now that school will arse around with our lives willy nilly?

I would cry if I had to sit through 7 INSET days. I always come out of them feeling shite/ the world is shite/ I can't teach/why-aren't-there-more-hours-in-my-day-to-plan AWFUL.

Necessary, but I'd much, much rather be in my class with the kids!

As you were 😊

It sounds very short notice to me. I would write a polite letter to the headteacher explaining why it causes problems and asking for assurances that future INSET days will be planned further in advance.

In the past we had as little as half a term notice from primary, but in recent years even the primary school managed to notify dates of nearly all INSET days at the start of the school year, with more than a term's notice of any arranged 'late'. The secondary school has then all advertised before the start of the school year.

I already know the teacher training days for the next school year before the end of the current one. Why can't everyone do that?

It would be good for the school to have apologised in the letter, not least to avoid people sending emails complaining, which they then have to respond to

Just had a thought. Wonder if they can do it this term because technically none of the children need to be there this term as it only impacts on reception. Therefore doesn't count towards the compulsory days.

Oh, isit just Reception then and training for the Early Years teachers and not the rest of the school? That may make more sense as they may well have had to get in outside Trainers and probably wanted to do it before more of the term was lost for the new curriculum changes (that are really really new) and why it wasn't pre-planned before.

It is short notice and very stressful I agree and as a teacher and a parent, I do understand (we can't take annual leave for any INSET day for our children, though, obviously) but it is just one of those things to suck up and accept it ultimately benefits our children.

You would not be unreasonable to either email the school on their general email to question why it is such short notice, or have a word with the HT at PEvening (not the classroom teachers-they have no say!) though.

I thought INSET days had to be set in advance of the school year.....ours are. I think it's a bit cheeky if I'm honest. Also sounds a bit panicky. Is Ofsted due in?!

Yet another reason I pay school fees. Schools would not do this to fee paying parents.

Ofsted take parent views very seriously. I doubt the school would want to nark off the parent body if Ofsted were due.

Three weeks is ample notice! Again, I say this as a parent and a teacher.

Have to agree that academies and private schools can do as they please...private schools are not even required to follow the National Curriculum.

And OFSTED - please! Most are teachers who couldn’t wait to get out of the classroom, yet are quick to pontificate to those who choose to stay there because they love their job, no matter how challenging it is.

I'm a senior teacher in charge of running our teacher training and development programme and I think that it's unreasonably short notice. For comparison, we have just changed one of our TTD for next February to bring us in line with the rest of the county, in response to parent feedback. In the letter home, the HT apologised for any inconvenience that the change might cause - and that is with five months' notice. I would be inclined to write to the school, politely explaining that you would appreciate greater notice in future.

A lot of primary schools still seem to be run on the premise that there is a SAHP in every family. It's only through feedback that schools will change these attitudes.

Far too short notice. I'd be very annoyed and asking school if they were planning on extending holiday club to accommodate those children whose parents can't get two days off.

Personally I think it sounds like poor management to have to call two days at such short notice.

Also most childcare settings aren't available to school age children. One of the reasons inset days are tricky as childminders already have their ratios.

Yet another reason I pay school fees. Schools would not do this to fee paying parents.

My DH is a teacher in a private school and they have more random days off than he ever had in the State Sector!

To answer the OPs earlier question, I work in early years, and know of no recent changes to the curriculum. There are changes planned, but they haven't yet been written or published. So there is nothing for the staff to be trained in at the moment.

So they've changed the published INSET days? The ones given on their website/school calendar?
Or have you only just noticed the dates?
If it's the former, YANBU for being a bit miffed but YABU for comparing INSET days to holidays.
Your DC are still doing the number of days required by law.

Teachers do MORE days than the children. The extra days they do are training days for them, not holidays.

Playing devil’s advocate a Little here (I am a working parent of 2 children in primary school, with no local family. I really do feel your pain!) - changes to the curriculum require staff training. The trainer is available on x y z days. Headteacher is not available a b c days. Another few teachers are on a residential d e f days. School hall/other venue required for training not available on other days. Then there’s nativity, end of year concert, panto trip etc and the training has to be completed by a certain date.

Our HT goes to great pains to get the “school calendar” ready for the start of the year. She’s a working parent, she understands the impact of days when the school is closed to pupils, but sometimes external factors are out of her control. Trainers not getting back to her, last minute elections, sudden curriculum changes etc

Best to keep some leave in hand for snow, strikes and sickness too.

I've never been given as much as 3 weeks notice. I've usually had a week which is a pain but what can you do?

If it's only reception that will not be in school, I'm not really sure what is going on here. Presumably the rest of the school will be open which means the reception children are going to be two days down on the 190 day envelope. Unless they intend to open the school for 2 days without the rest of the school. Which would be very odd.

That being the case they should be employing supply staff to cover the lessons not close those classes. I don't think the school can decide to not offer the correct number of school days because the children are not of compulsary school age.

I've never been given as much as 3 weeks notice. I've usually had a week which is a pain but what can you do?

I just do not understand that. Every school I've ever come across gives months and months of notice. I cannot believe that you've only ever been given a week and yet no one has complained. That's absolutely not acceptable - for parents or staff.

We publish INSET dates for the coming year at the end of the preceding year as well as at the beginning of the year in which they fall. Unfortunately, there have been a few times when we've had to rearrange at short notice, usually due to a problem with the trainer. It is unfortunate, but sometimes, unavoidable. This year, our school has extra training days for a specific training need, so it is possible. You haven't said (I don't think) whether it's an academy?

I agree that it's too short notice. I would email the head and ask for greater notice next time due to the difficulties in arranging short notice childcare.

Our primary school issues all the dates in the July before the summer holidays. They were also mindful of parent complaints so worth a polite email so they take note for next time.

Yanbu.

Inset days are a fact of life but 3 weeks is far too short notice. Ours are planned in a year in advance and generally follow the same pattern, unless the LA changes them.

It is short notice.
There were no recent changes to the eyfs as far as I know - an updated version of the statutory framework was published last year but no curriculum changes.