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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this last minute inset day is a terrible idea!

279 replies

Gotajobthrunepotism · 09/12/2020 22:11

Please don’t think I’m teacher bashing. Because I’m really not: I think teaching must be a stressful job, and not one I would choose.

But, this last minute inset day is an awful idea:
This year has been dreadful, and stressful for most people. We home schooled during lockdown while both working full time in hectic jobs. And it was very trying.

To schedule a last minute inset day makes it so difficult for people to get childcare: not everyone has someone to look after their child (particularly if your family are shielding)

Surely this should have been announced at the start of term so parents could plan in advance ?

OP posts:
Oeliilio · 09/12/2020 22:29

@BertNErnie yes, what fun. Working annual leave to do a job others have been paid billions to do and getting an earful in the process...

DoubleDeckerBusRideLover · 09/12/2020 22:31

This was a DfE announcement. Nothing to do with teachers or headteachers.

I am a teacher. We will be open on the 18th.

My children's school will be open also.

Regardless of whether being open or shut that day is wise, it was a crazy way to do it - short notice, calling it an inset, etc.

We use our inset days very carefully. Right now, most of ours are scheduled for the end of summer so that we can all update our first aid training - we could hardly do the first day of it on the 18th and the next ones in July!

It has just added a load of work and stress to headteachers, fielding queries, etc. And fuelling the idea that insets are "days off", etc.

Unescorted · 09/12/2020 22:32

DS's school aren't doing it either. Their view is the kids have already missed enough class time and at such short notice they don't have the time to organise a meaningful training day. I agree with them.

Starlightstarbright1 · 09/12/2020 22:32

Our secondary school is closing.

Offering self study area if required.

Tbh for our school it makes sense. Children were been sent home fron 12 onwards - space for separate bubbles .. so for a few hours doing a quiz which is what has happened last 2 Christmas 's it makes sense.

In terms of an inset day i woukd imagine more planning is needed.

1Morewineplease · 09/12/2020 22:32

Isn't it to give staff and pupils enough time to self isolate prior to the multiple household Christmas parties that we're not meant to have?

RoseAndRose · 09/12/2020 22:33

it's too late for my idea - and I can see why some people would hate it - but I think schools (or at least secondary schools) should have made a switch to online only with the last spray of onsite presence being today. Meaning that even cases transmitted on the last day with puppy iOS in would have ended SI by Christmas Eve. And staff benefiting from lower risk by not being exposed in person to potentially germy teens.

And it's in effect a trial of no more than 7 days of the online systems schools were ordered back in October to have in place (though of course many have had to support a lot of SI already, so might not feel another trial is needed)

IndecentFeminist · 09/12/2020 22:34

Yeah, fuck knows tbh. We were due to finish on the Fri but will now be Thurs.

PurpleDaisies · 09/12/2020 22:34

it's too late for my idea - and I can see why some people would hate it - but I think schools (or at least secondary schools) should have made a switch to online only with the last spray of onsite presence being today.

Schools were told no to this by the DfE.

unicornparty · 09/12/2020 22:35

I don't think my ds's school is closing that day.

Sennetti · 09/12/2020 22:36

maybe i'm wrong then. i don't know, its been such a crap year i'm resigned to it all i think!

WhyNotMe40 · 09/12/2020 22:37

The teaching unions didn't ask for this
Headteachers didn't ask for this.
Teachers didn't ask for it

It's a stupid idea and probably all in the government grand plan to destroy the teaching unions as it will be pinned on them - when in fact it is because they have made headteachers and schools work every holiday and weekend as contact tracers, and are expecting that to continue into Christmas Eve and Christmas day
Headteachers have pointed out they are not paid for this.
Gov says, ok so switch an inset from elsewhere in the year (not an extra day) - hugely missing the point about what inset days actually are.
Fuckwits.
(I'm a teacher)

TW2013 · 09/12/2020 22:37

Some schools have twilight training sessions so inset days are days off in lieu, however some teachers will have made plans around those 2021 dates.

IndecentFeminist · 09/12/2020 22:38

First we all heard of it today. No-one seems overly impressed. (Am both staff and parent).

We will be finishing a day later for summer instead

Parker231 · 09/12/2020 22:39

The school I’m a governor at are open as normal. There have only been two positive cases in one class . Most of the families have two working parents and it’s not practical at such short notice to expect them to find childcare.

MeredithGreysScalpel · 09/12/2020 22:39

The schools I’m involved with aren’t doing it, and staff are furious at the government announcing it in such a way as it makes it look like they’re giving teachers a well deserved rest when it’s nothing of the sort. It’s purely so they can use HTs for test and trace purposes up to Christmas Eve.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 09/12/2020 22:39

Why are teachers being asked to contact trace?

Maryjane3227 · 09/12/2020 22:41

Yes, its last minute as usual. I am a teacher, i had things planned for students on that day. It's not helpful.
The dfe have been mostly disorganised and last minute throughout this crisis. Irs not suprusing anymore.

PurpleDaisies · 09/12/2020 22:41

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Why are teachers being asked to contact trace?
They have the information about which pupils are seated close to positive cases in class, who is on which bus etc...
WhyNotMe40 · 09/12/2020 22:42

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Why are teachers being asked to contact trace?
Because the company the government has thrown gazillions of pounds at to do the tracing is as useful as a chocolate teapot, and had slopey shoulders.
elephantoverthehill · 09/12/2020 22:42

I have had no direction from my school yet, but if we could have a day to tidy classrooms, organise books and equipment it would be great. We are teaching all over the school in different classrooms. The rooms are are a mess. Certain teachers write on the projector boards and it stains. Grrr. Give us a day to get a bit more organised. We were kind of tipped into a completely new regime in September and haven't got it quite right.

Maryjane3227 · 09/12/2020 22:43

Excuse my typos, way past my bedtime

WhyNotMe40 · 09/12/2020 22:43

Yes the school has that information, but there's should be nothing to stop them handing that over to tracing people for them to make the endless phonecalls, instead of it tying up SLT.

PurpleDaisies · 09/12/2020 22:44

@WhyNotMe40

Yes the school has that information, but there's should be nothing to stop them handing that over to tracing people for them to make the endless phonecalls, instead of it tying up SLT.
I totally agree, but someone has to provide that information to PHE and it’s hard to see how that can’t be someone from the school.
Flipflops85 · 09/12/2020 22:44

It isn’t an additional INSET day. We’re allowed to transfer an INSET day to next Friday! So leadership teams would have a week to provide a whole days training for their staff. Inset days are planned well in advance, and teachers are entitled to CPD. We don’t sit on our arses drinking tea all day!

The inset day would enable school leaders to stop being on call for covid cases on the 23rd rather than the 24th. However, the papers have used it to paint the lazy teacher picture - frigging brilliant!

@1Morewineplease
Isn't it to give staff and pupils enough time to self isolate prior to the multiple household Christmas parties that we're not meant to have?

How on earth, would the kids finishing a day earlier, allow you to have quarantined before Christmas? If there’s a positive case in the class on Thursday, quarantine still goes on until the 31st.

Thurlow · 09/12/2020 22:46

Has there been some kind of announcement or something?