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AIBU?

A year round school system

79 replies

Orangeblossom78 · 06/12/2019 09:23

I have been thinking more about this recently with reports in the press about play schemes in deprived areas for children in the holidays, and also the pressure on families in general in holidays to scrabble together childcare for school age children.

Would it not be better if schools did 3 weeks on and one week off? All year round- maybe a two weeks break in the summer

This week off could be filled with activities at the school sun by the people who do after school / holiday clubs (we already have this on the PPA days where a holiday club provider does activities with KS2 / 1 alternate weeks so the teachers have time to plan)

This would mean-

Less pressure of 6 week terms (my DC seem to get pretty tired towards the end of each block)

The one week could be used flexibly, could stay home and consolidate learning or go into school to the activities

Possibly more sport / activity in the extra week

Benefits for deprived areas

Less of the 'losing learning over the long summer'

Easier to plan holidays - every fourth week off

Less pressure on teachers, who could be paid year round but less intense

Could be funded for all- maybe some part with UC / tax credits childcare element or childcare vouchers, perhaps

Any thoughts or is this just a bonkers idea?

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Elbeagle · 06/12/2019 11:54

My IL’s live in a country that it would be extremely exhausting and expensive to go to for a week. Under this system the children would literally never see their grandparents.

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Underhisi · 06/12/2019 11:56

"There is no after school/ holiday club type provision for a child like mine who requires specialist provision and support"

That sort of provision is very expensive. It also difficult to find people with the skills to provide it. Councils are already cutting back on short breaks and respite provision for disabled children because they can't afford it.

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Seeline · 06/12/2019 11:57

I think children need a proper break - a week is not long enough.
Parents also need proper holidays - this would mean that they could never have a 2 week holiday. If all schools only had one 2 week break the prices would rocket. Unless everyone had a different 2 weeks which wouldn't work for families with DCs at different schools.

I don't think it would work for senior school children either - they don't need the wrap around care. When would they do their hobbies etc? A week for guide/scout camp?

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Orangeblossom78 · 06/12/2019 11:57

Well maybe we need to re-introdue more flexible holidays again. A few years ago if good attendance the Dc could take up to 5 extra days off a year. This has changed in the last ten years. I understand it is more flexible in Scotland.

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inwood · 06/12/2019 11:58

My step sister, not UK, is in a school with a track system.

School is open year round, with A, B, C and D track.

The nightmare is having one in high school who is on a different track to one in middle school and never having any holidays at the same time.


They have 12 staggered weeks in the summer (!) and then what seem to be random weeks to break up the rest of the terms.

I have no idea how they work out the teacher schedules.

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Orangeblossom78 · 06/12/2019 11:58

They could possibly have more trained play workers with special needs.

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Seeline · 06/12/2019 11:58

the school.could have floating teachers to cover this.

Oh that would be dreadful.


I agree - especially in secondary. The DCs need continuity of teaching. And if you're just going to have someone delivering pre-prepared lessons, why bother with teachers anyway?

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Orangeblossom78 · 06/12/2019 11:59

We already have different dates off with DC in primary / secondary and I agree that can be difficult. maybe the schools could co-ordinate days off in the same areas.

Wouldn't it be great not to have everyone doing holidays at the same time and the massive hike in prices in the summer holidays?

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FishCanFly · 06/12/2019 12:03

Sounds like an awful idea and holidays are way too short already. Unless there was some sort of non-compulsory attendance policy. but not sure how that would work.

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saoirse31 · 06/12/2019 12:05

Sounds awful imo. So children never get a break from school? They're children, not mini adults.

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saoirse31 · 06/12/2019 12:06

They need some down time, not to attend school every week

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Underhisi · 06/12/2019 12:11

"They could possibly have more trained play workers with special needs."

Children with sn would need the same level of support they have in school. 1:1 support, 2:1 support, staff to deal with intimate care and medical needs, who can manage behaviour etc.
It wouldn't happen and they wouldn't have access because there is no money - unless an enormous amount of money is put in the special needs direction. Some children with these needs don't even have a school place.

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VignetteStonemoss · 06/12/2019 12:23

Why is it that whenever people talk about the difficulties surrounding holidays/childcare etc the suggestions always focus on extending the school day/year. As far as I am concerned, extending the amount of time children spend in school is purely for the parents' benefit rather than the children's, and would have a detrimental affect on both children and school staff. I am not remotely interested in my children spending anymore time in school.

People should be asking the government for better/cheaper childcare facilities during the holidays rather than expecting schools and the education system to sort out their holiday childcare issues.

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Orangeblossom78 · 06/12/2019 12:25

I was kind of just posting to get a discussion going really. Yes maybe better summer holiday care is the way to go.

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IHateBlueLights · 06/12/2019 12:28

The home tourism industry would be destroyed.

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HouseworkAvoider10 · 06/12/2019 12:30

There's already ton of floating teachers.
They're called subs.
Some of their cover is to fill in for the permanent who teachers are leaving the profession in their droves.
I'd imagine if a year round system was brought in, it would be the final in nail in the coffin for most permanent teachers and they would quit.

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TheyWentToSeaInASieve · 06/12/2019 12:31

I agree the system needs a shakeup. I would say shorter days and better teachers would be a good start. I am aware this is not the general MN opinion. So no offense to the teachers here.

We've moved schools and are now in year 4 and every week homework involves many typos and grammar and punctuation errors. This has happened in every school year, and in both schools. It seems like many of the teachers in primary would fail a basic spelling test! Even maths is often off (pretty hard to get wrong in primary). I dread to think what other craziness is being passed off as a good education.

I don't think this is due to overwork only. More down to the fact that the jobs are not attractive to the top graduates (as they are in Singapore, and lo and behold it's in the top of all the results leagues). I would love the freedom to teach my children myself if their day was shorter and they weren't exhausted (and I could make my work more flexible).

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Lipperfromchipper · 06/12/2019 12:31

So teachers need more pay!
Schools need more resources, heating bills, electricity bills!
And pay for these ‘floating’ teachers

Sounds like this idea requires more money that (U.K.) schools don’t have!!

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Orangeblossom78 · 06/12/2019 12:41

I wasn't meaning school every week, off every 4th week, so 12/13 weeks a year. But having stuff provided in those weeks to help those working. It would be voluntary to go in those weeks though. I actually think it sounds more relaxed, in a way.

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gamerwidow · 06/12/2019 12:48

I don’t think it’s that great for kids to be honest. What a waste of the long summer nights and warm weather if the only time they get to play is 1 week in 4 instead of the long summer holiday.
Children don’t need every day regimented, they don’t need a week off with planned activities every month they need proper down time to do nothing but play.
Yes its a pita for me as a working parent but i wouldn’t take that away from DD.

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ShinyGiratina · 06/12/2019 13:02

I used to supply teach and my commutable zone covered 5 local authorities which cover a range of different holiday structures and it's a right bloody pain in the arse to balance timed leave and being avaliable to earn money when the pool of work is reduced by one of the authorities being on holiday. Many teaching/school families struggle when holiday dates don't co-incide.

Stability of staffing is very important especially for pupils who are at a disadvantage for a variety of reasons. One of the most critical but undervalued aspects of education is the quality of relationship between pupil and staff.

More holiday around May half term would be good, or an earlier summer to get the best of the good weather, but the exam season would need restructuring. Some areas do a two-week October half term, but the weather tends to be failing by then. Maybe breaking up the long slog of the autumn with two single weeks might be easier. The summer holiday needs a good month for a longer break and chance to have a less structured phase. It is difficult when term dates can vary from 4-8 weeks. 6 weeks seems to be the sweet spot.

Holiday provision is problematic.
The curriculum is too intense, particularly the pointless pressure of SATs (which are merely a political stick for teacher beating).
The teaching workload, expectations and resourcing and support are also very problematic, and that's the main cause of poor retention. (It was the deterioration of that, plus difficulties of wrap around care for a DC who it turns out has a range of SENs that drove me away from the profession)

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maybebabyagain · 06/12/2019 13:12

‘Losing learning’ over the summer is a myth. All that happens over the summer is that children can play and relax and actually be children so that first week back they aren’t as ‘conditioned’
They dont just forget things. 6 weeks of play and relaxation is beneficial

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vivacian · 06/12/2019 13:29

All that happens over the summer is that children can play and relax

That happens for some children. For others it's term time that provides the necessary boundaries, structures, nurturing adults, socialising, stimulation and regular meals. The poster complaining about parents needing two weeks to fly to Israel made me laugh.

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maybebabyagain · 06/12/2019 13:34

I would say though that the majority can play and relax why then change it for them just because a minority can’t surely it would be better to improve holiday provisions for vulnerable groups and have systems in place to maintain that for them rather than changing the whole system when for the vast majority it’s ok

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maybebabyagain · 06/12/2019 13:35

Schools know which dc have fsm the LA should give those families the equivalent in a payment to last the summer holidays
Free or subsidised play schemes etc

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