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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:
SE13Mummy · 10/12/2020 00:39

The LA my school is in has directed all head teachers to close schools to pupils for 18th. Our head is not a happy bunny as it messes everyone about and has a direct impact on the support families access over the holiday. As a result, the food parcels for families will now be delivered to their homes by we teachers that afternoon (SEN school so most pupils are not local).

DH's school is closing for that day too and will add an extra teaching day in July.

No idea what the DCs' secondary school is doing. Eldest's year group is on remote learning for the remainder of the term because a handful of positive tests plus the subsequent contact tracing resulted in less than a quarter of the year group being left in school. The remote learning is excellent though and the school has provided devices and WiFi for students without.

We're not seeing anyone over Christmas anyway. Between the four of us, we're in contact with far too many children and teens each day for it to feel safe.

BungleandGeorge · 10/12/2020 00:59

It seems particularly silly that the extra day has to be ‘made up’ later in the year. It’s one day, it’s not worth the inconvenience.
We’ve been asked to ring school if child gets a positive, do test and trace then ring again?

whatkatydid2013 · 10/12/2020 05:39

They should probably have had an extra weeks holiday to make Christmas break 3 weeks and give staff and all the parents who could the option to stay away from people for close to 2 weeks ahead of the Christmas bubble. They could have offset by making the summer a week shorter. I’d they’d planned it in advance they could have rearranged October & February half terms to be longer and used them as circuit breaks if needed. It would have been rubbish too but at least it would have allowed people to get organised ahead of time.

Hollyhead · 10/12/2020 06:19

@whatkatydid2013 completely agree that an extra week at Christmas but finishing a week later in July would have been a really good, obvious approach.

Or, government permission for parents to let children finish this week if their family circumstanses allow. With sufficient notice schools could have set some consolidation home learning for those children, and it would have lowered the risk in school for teachers and the children whose parents find childcare more difficult.

DarceyDashwood · 10/12/2020 06:25

Our school is doing it after the head gave the decision (vote) to the board of governors. The head made it very clear they were disappointed the decision was left in the school’s hands and how unhelpful this was by the gvt.

Sanchi · 10/12/2020 06:32

totally agree. We had the lockdown, 3 periods of quarantine because of burst bubbles and now that. No access to childcare. I don't know what to do. they clearly haven't thought it through

spanieleyes · 10/12/2020 06:35

We are closing on the Thursday anyway, always were. We will continue to provide a track and trace system!

SansaSnark · 10/12/2020 06:40

It is a bit crap for parents, I agree, but so is expecting teachers to work as unpaid contact tracers for the first 6 days of the school holidays, including Christmas Eve.

Realistically, I think the DfE are aware that a lot of teachers wouldn't be easily contactable/reliable on Christmas Eve - but of course they have given schools a choice and will make the school into the bad guy.

I am a bit unconvinced by the childcare argument though - at least it's only 1 day, rather than 2 weeks of self isolating!

User24689 · 10/12/2020 06:44

@tootsietootsie because teachers aren't paid for their school holidays and inset is a working day.

Sanchi · 10/12/2020 06:45

I am a bit unconvinced by the childcare argument though

I can only assume you are not working and if you do, you have support or can WFH.

User24689 · 10/12/2020 06:47

I'm a bit confused because our school have said that we are to let them know if we have a positive case up to the 20th but after that the case could not have been caught at school. We aren't having the inset- but doesn't that make the idea of it pointless? Why are others saying they are contact tracing until Xmas day?

spanieleyes · 10/12/2020 06:48

Because we have been told we have to!

Angel2702 · 10/12/2020 06:51

Ours are finishing at 12.30 anyway so would be a waste of an INSET day.

I wish high schools were given permission to switch to online learning fir next week instead. Especially given only one year group is not isolating at my son’s school .

alphabetsoup1980 · 10/12/2020 06:55

Our school isn't using it! I think a lot of schools are doing the same, not that the media would have you believe that. Yours sincerely, Anon teacher aka workshy layabout 😂 xx

PiccalilliChilli · 10/12/2020 07:01

DD is self isolating, because two studentsin her year got a positive result for covid. It finishes on the 17th. She was looking forward to her one day back on the 18th ti give out cards etc, but now its a CPD day. To say she's gutted is an understatement.

StealthPolarBear · 10/12/2020 07:02

@Reindeermayhem

Why is it 7 days after last been in school that children can be tracked and traced? Am sure a simple answer why it is 7 days, but cannot grasp it.
I wanted to ask the same thing. It must be something to do with positive tests taking, say, four days and then you have to go back 48 hours. But it seems woolly and yet they seem quite certain this will stop the clock on Christmas eve rather than Christmas day.
Nosuchthingastoomuchcheese · 10/12/2020 07:07

I lmoe nothing about this, could someone explain?

Redlocks28 · 10/12/2020 07:10

@Tootsietootie

And I will admit I'm fucked off as I have to take a precious day of annual leave to cover this new inset day. Which is really annoying and is probably clouding my judgement.
I think you need to do some research. Both the things you are cross about that are clouding your judgement are not correct.
  1. Inset has already come out of teacher holidays. Google Baker days.
  2. This isn’t an extra inset day-you don’t need to take an extra day of annual leave.
FrippEnos · 10/12/2020 07:10

I don't know of any teachers tat think that this is a good idea.

It's just the government trying to make more waves against the teaching profession.

Nellle · 10/12/2020 07:12

It's literally just moving a training day. Any school could have done this, at any time.

We're not doing it. I feel for Headteachers who will be contact tracing up to and including Christmas Eve. But it's not worth scrambling the organisation of a training day at a week's notice for one extra day off contact tracing.

SaltyAF · 10/12/2020 07:12

No schools in my LA are doing it for the simple reason that it messes families about. We still get the bad press though.

StealthPolarBear · 10/12/2020 07:13

Can someone explain the timelines? Are they assuming test results are returned within five days?

nosswith · 10/12/2020 07:17

Late to do anything, late to announce anything, late at press conferences. Typical of the government, so I would not think it is aimed at the teaching profession.

LunaAzul · 10/12/2020 07:18

DC's primary school have said that all children will work from home on the 18th. They aren't using it as an inset day.

If it means teachers get a break over the holiday then I'm all for it. The last day usually consists of watching a film in the afternoon anyway.

Benjispruce2 · 10/12/2020 07:27

My school isn’t accepting it and neither are any local schools. It’s too short notice for families and it’s not a day off for teachers, it’s a training day. Who wants to sit through training on the last day of term?