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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:
user1494050295 · 10/12/2020 07:34

We were told yesterday. I emailed the school to say no probs we all have to be flexible at the moment. We also had 2 classes sent home as two confirmed cases. V lucky to be wfh so don’t have additional stress. I think if I wasn’t I would insist on being Ning my child in to work....

NichyNoo · 10/12/2020 07:38

Luckily our school had already scheduled 17th and 18th as insets.

lucidnightmare · 10/12/2020 07:42

Secondary teacher in Scotland. Some schools here don’t close til the 23rd and the government have said no early closing.
Let’s say senior pupil A tests positive. They take 6 subjects plus study, they also use the school canteen and get the bus to school. That’s 9 different groups of kids to be identified as close contacts. Maybe one of the classes had a cover teacher and couldn’t find the seating plan. There was also the fire alarm set off so that whole process happened.
Not sure who other than school staff could sort that track and trace mess. And it for sure doesn’t take 5 minutes. Twice now we’ve had emails from SLT at 11pm on a Sunday about positive cases, who needs to isolate, what to do if kids show up anyway the next morning because the track & trace kicked in at 8 on a Sunday night.
If the Government actually gave a fuck all schools would have gone online on the 11th.
But instead in England they get to make headlines about tired teachers getting a day off when the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. And in Scotland they could have already spent Christmas with vulnerable family before even finding out they’ve been exposed to the virus. Shit show is an understatement.

Thedarknightsaredrawingin · 10/12/2020 07:43

We are in Scotland. The children finish on the 22nd having been changed from the 23rd last month. It feels very late here for teachers who need to deal with public health track and trace.

gettingolderbutcooler · 10/12/2020 07:44

Our school messaged to say they weren't doing it. It would have to replace another inset day anyway, so they've decided not to have it on 18th.
So schools do have a choice.
X

HallFloor · 10/12/2020 07:46

Schools think it's a dreadful idea too. Now we have to arrange some training for Friday and sacrifice another inset that's already planned, plus all the aggravation for parents.

It's been done because otherwise teachers would have been working with test and trace to establish contacts on Christmas Day, something heads have been telling the DFE about for weeks...

It's true though that most schools here won't make it to the end of this week, let alone next anyway.

OneForMeToo · 10/12/2020 07:50

My children’s schools are not closing early. The schools that I know of closing a day early locally are all ones where bubbles have been being sent home rather regularly.

FrancesHaHa · 10/12/2020 07:51

We've just been told school is closing on Wednesday. Not sure why it's two days early. Presumably one of the days is an inset day but no explanation was given so it is unclear.

Smellbellina · 10/12/2020 07:53

My DC’s school is doing it, mine isn’t, some teachers are also working parents you know!

HallFloor · 10/12/2020 07:55

@Smellbellina

My DC’s school is doing it, mine isn’t, some teachers are also working parents you know!
This is why we decided we had to do it. The staff have had enough as it is, we couldn't add the stress of childcare to it.
ILikeStrongTea · 10/12/2020 07:55

Well I hope the government will be refunding me the before and after school care I’ve already paid for next week as I have to work and finding me someone to look after the DC.

Thankfully so far our school have said they aren’t doing it.

BungleandGeorge · 10/12/2020 07:56

Most working people have fixed annual leave years so it’s not really as simple to change one day in 2020 for one day in 2021. You may well have no holiday left at this point

Xenia · 10/12/2020 07:56

If the state is going to do this they should be paying the childcare costs then eg £40 per child.

Underhisi · 10/12/2020 08:01

I doubt ds's school will do it as they have residential pupils. The local secondary school currently has 2 year groups out due to return on 18 Dec. I suspect most won't.

HallFloor · 10/12/2020 08:02

@Xenia

If the state is going to do this they should be paying the childcare costs then eg £40 per child.
"The State" has been very careful not to do this. They have very carefully suggested that schools may wish to take it as an inset day. The press reporting is entirely different to the actual letter heads got from the DfE, was that due to the press or the briefing, who knows, but the actual decision has been left with schools between a rock and a hard place
sticksticks · 10/12/2020 08:07

@superram

Not sure heads were made aware that schools were an extension of track and trace-if they had I’m sure we’d be breaking up this week....
Except that schools had a communication from government which removed the right of the governors to make this decision and to teach online only for the last week of term. All pupils now have to be in school until the end of the 17th December at the very least.
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 10/12/2020 08:07

@Xenia

If the state is going to do this they should be paying the childcare costs then eg £40 per child.
They should also be paying teachers an on call wage for the 5 days they are expected to do T&T
Smellbellina · 10/12/2020 08:08

I just feel real sorry for our Head, the government are sneaky, doing it at the last moment and leaving it to the ‘schools’ to decide (I don’t know any heads that have been allowed to make the decision themselves actually) whatever they do will piss someone off, they will be in the firing line as the government have created the situation but also absolved themselves of any actual blame, and with regards to contact tracing, there is 1 person in my school that will impact over Christmas, and that’s our head. Honestly, I really worry for him.

Crunchymum · 10/12/2020 08:10

Quote frankly I'm surprised how many people are against it?

My kids school have gone above and beyond and I do not begrudge them a day? Yes it's inconvenient (especially if you work out of the house which I luckily don't). Our 500+ pupil school has managed to stay open this whole term and I just can't get upset about one day.

We do have an official inset day on 4th January (which is a day I do work and as I'm in finance it is year end and the busiest day of my working calendar) but I'll have to deal with that.

HoneysuckIejasmine · 10/12/2020 08:10

Just like Nativity plays. Gov says "yes, yut can go, just follow guidelines" and it's left to the poor Head to explain that actually, they can't fit everyone in the hall and meet guidelines so actually, you can't come.

HoneysuckIejasmine · 10/12/2020 08:12

@Crunchymum

Quote frankly I'm surprised how many people are against it?

My kids school have gone above and beyond and I do not begrudge them a day? Yes it's inconvenient (especially if you work out of the house which I luckily don't). Our 500+ pupil school has managed to stay open this whole term and I just can't get upset about one day.

We do have an official inset day on 4th January (which is a day I do work and as I'm in finance it is year end and the busiest day of my working calendar) but I'll have to deal with that.

Crunchy it's not an occasional day (an actual day off for everyone), it's a training day, hastily moved forward by months, probably not planned yet, certainly not resources. It's not a treat for anyone that parents begrudge. It's a PITA for everyone.
NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 10/12/2020 08:12

I am really shocked at the school staff being the (probably most effective) link in the T&T chain and having to work up until Christmas Eve.

I agree that they should have broken up from 'physical' school tomorrow and done the last week online. I

MarieG10 · 10/12/2020 08:13

@wonderstuff

Teachers think it's a crap idea too.

I suggest then that you tell your trade union as it was their grand idea to save teachers having absolutely any disruption to xmas as they are so tired after having months off work doing little work, except for the few teachers that volunteered to come and teach the kids of key workers.

The unions have once again done the teachers no favours

HallFloor · 10/12/2020 08:16

[quote MarieG10]@wonderstuff

Teachers think it's a crap idea too.

I suggest then that you tell your trade union as it was their grand idea to save teachers having absolutely any disruption to xmas as they are so tired after having months off work doing little work, except for the few teachers that volunteered to come and teach the kids of key workers.

The unions have once again done the teachers no favours [/quote]
Teacher have been asking for a move to remote teaching in the last week, not this half arsed solution that helps no one.

Lovemusic33 · 10/12/2020 08:19

Neither of my dc’s schools are doing this (or as far as I’m aware they are not), some are offering it as an optional day off, other schools are offering the whole week off.

It’s not easy if you work and need to sort child care which is why it should be optional.