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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:
Welcometonowhere · 10/12/2020 09:09

Why don’t you just have your child off school for that day?

I don’t object in the slightest to parents making that decision, but surely you can see you wanting to see your dad doesn’t mean an entire school should be closed?

christinarossetti19 · 10/12/2020 09:11

@Derelictwreck

This is not teachers. This is Gormless Gav and the DfE changing the goal posts again at the last minute

Actually, its the teachers unions. So either lots of teachers do want it or the unions are really out of touch.

The teacher's unions stood up to the government's mandate that heads would be working Xmas day for the T&T system.

Being on hand for this has involved heads working over every weekend since September and they will be on call for the first six days of their Xmas holiday.

Not wanting to work Xmas day when you're not contracted to do so and won't get paid is fair enough.

Simplyunacceptable · 10/12/2020 09:12

My DC’s school were told yesterday so sent a letter home and a message on Dojo- both hugely apologetic and they did explain they had only just found out.

I’m glad for it really. Who wants to isolate over Christmas?!

Parker231 · 10/12/2020 09:23

I imagine many families will need to use grandparents and friends for childcare which defeats the object but parents will have no choice if they have to work.

PurpleDaisies · 10/12/2020 09:25

@Parker231

I imagine many families will need to use grandparents and friends for childcare which defeats the object but parents will have no choice if they have to work.
The object isn’t to limit spread. It’s to stop teachers having to do track and trace on Christmas Day.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.tes.com/news/schools-allowed-dec-18-give-teachers-break%3famp

HitthatroadJack · 10/12/2020 09:31

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.

Hell no!

Shops and some businesses are barely reopening, the Christmas break was planned, how on earth is anyone supposed to manage childcare for an extra week!

For the poster who doesn't believe in the "childcare situation", quick question: what do you suggest people do with a primary school child? That's from 4 years old...

Wincher · 10/12/2020 09:40

My kids' school always takes three of the inset days around the Christmas break, so our last day is 16 December (and they go back on Tuesday 5th). In most years it irritates me slightly as I'd rather have inset days when the weather is nice in the summer, but this year I'm very glad they are finishing up early!

AlwaysLatte · 10/12/2020 09:42

Is this all schools? I hadn't heard that. It does seem that this could have been announced in advance.

Welcometonowhere · 10/12/2020 09:45

It’s at the discretion of the head, always

earthyfire · 10/12/2020 10:15

We had half day on the 17th anyway, so we've been told no school at all that day now. Therefore, hasn't impacted us too much because the half day already in place. The school is freezing cold and pupils aren't allowed to wear coats in the cold classrooms so the place is a pretty grim environment to be in anyway for my children.

Vanillaradio · 10/12/2020 10:31

Ds's school has announced they will be staying open on 18th (Fortunately for us as no childcare or leave available at this notice so it would have involved ds being on his switch all day!) and that they wont be doing track or trace after Christmas Eve either.

Timbucktime · 10/12/2020 11:13

My child’s school have sent an email out to say they are yet to make a decision about closing a day early. If they do however they will add an extra day of school at the end of the summer term instead.
Absolutely stupid, that will mean having to be in school for 1 day on Monday 19th July when loads of people will have already booked holidays.

NoSleepInTheHeat · 10/12/2020 11:28

For the poster who doesn't believe in the "childcare situation", quick question: what do you suggest people do with a primary school child? That's from 4 years old
I suggest they do the same thing they would have done if the child was sick or told to isolate.
It is one day we are talking about, surly all parents know they might have to look after their DC at short notice at any time, and that was the case even pre-Covid.

Welcometonowhere · 10/12/2020 11:38

People keep saying this - that it’s OK because your child might be told to isolate anyway. It isn’t. There’s a difference between an emergency which no one can help and planning for inconvenience.

ChloeDecker · 10/12/2020 11:59

@drspouse

My DCs schools aren't taking it. If schools don't have to, I'm surprised that any are taking it.
As a few posters have already said on this thread, some schools are still under LA control and a lot of LAs are telling schools under their control that they have to have that INSET on the 18th. My DD’s primary school that is still under LA control (not an academy) has specifically written this in their letter to parents (with a link to the borough’s web page for evidence). It’s all so stressful!

(And as an aside, I am very angry the Government used the term INSET so inappropriately because, as is already evident on this thread, so many don’t have a clue what they are and just use it as another way to complain about teachers)

year5teacher · 10/12/2020 12:01

[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]
Honestly just do one, you have absolutely no idea about the real world. While I would have volunteered anyway I didn’t have a choice about teaching over lockdown. And honestly the amount of stress we have been under this term totally eclipses that. You are a nasty person.

HitthatroadJack · 10/12/2020 12:03

@NoSleepInTheHeat

For the poster who doesn't believe in the "childcare situation", quick question: what do you suggest people do with a primary school child? That's from 4 years old I suggest they do the same thing they would have done if the child was sick or told to isolate. It is one day we are talking about, surly all parents know they might have to look after their DC at short notice at any time, and that was the case even pre-Covid.
that's stupid, where does it end.

If the child was sick, many parents would just...not be paid. Simple as that. If there's not choice, there's not much they can do.

Imposing a day for no valid reason is just not right. That's why so many schools are staying open and maintaining their inset days as planned.

If you want to keep your child, no one is stopping you.

surly all parents know they might have to look after their DC at short notice at any time duh thanks.

PaxMalmKallax · 10/12/2020 12:06

My school aren’t using it. However, I got a text at 8pm last night saying my child’s primary school is closed from today!! Total nightmare, but it’s a tiny school and several members of staff have tested positive so they can’t staff it. Not the school’s fault - just this bloody virus causing mayhem.

LolaSmiles · 10/12/2020 12:07

YANBU
It's not an extra day, it's the government suggesting schools move one of their inserts from next year to the 18th. It shows how little the government thinks of our training days.

It's only come up because the government were expecting head teachers to be doing track and trace in their holidays, including calling families on Christmas eve to say their child must isolate. When heads complained, the government said 'fine, close a day early so now you won't be doing it on Christmas eve'

It's a pain for parents who have to try to find last minute childcare from nowhere too

The Daily Mail reporting of it is disgusting though and 100% teacher bashing. They are claiming it's a day off to let stressed teachers have a break and see granny at Christmas

Welcometonowhere · 10/12/2020 12:13

Hmm to be fair I don’t think much of our training days Grin

Welcometonowhere · 10/12/2020 12:14

But yes you are right about the daily mail. The sun have also had a swipe. I wish they realised it’s outside of the control of individual teachers.

Whattheactual20201 · 10/12/2020 12:18

I really can’t understand its 1 day
If your child was tracked and traced they would need 2 weeks off !

PurpleDaisies · 10/12/2020 12:19

@Whattheactual20201

I really can’t understand its 1 day If your child was tracked and traced they would need 2 weeks off !
It is for teachers. It is to stop them having to trace pupils on Christmas Day.

I’m sure this has been mentioned more than once on this thread.

unmarkedbythat · 10/12/2020 12:21

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

In an ideal world not dealing with a pandemic and ever changing related circumstances, sure.

LolaSmiles · 10/12/2020 12:35

Welcometonowhere
I've had 50/50 success on which ones are helpful.
In my last school moving a spring one to next Friday would mean losing a really valuable and essential KS5 moderation day for coursework on the whims of a fairly incompetent government.

It is for teachers. It is to stop them having to trace pupils on Christmas Day
It's not for average teachers or middle leaders.
It's for school leaders who have somehow ended up being told that they are on call every day since schools opened tracking and tracing, despite being school leaders not a track and trace service. Would you genuinely want a family member to be spending their holiday sat away from their family over Christmas calling up student families?

The real winners are the government who have (yet again) done a last minute, half baked announcement that leaves schools in a no win situation moping up the government's incompetence.