4 weeks of extra school in the summer

[noblegiraffe]

Justine Greening (former Ed sec you’ve probably forgotten) has asked that every child get a guaranteed 4 extra weeks of schooling over the summer.

Practicalities of this aside (imagine it is a fully funded army of well-trained, eager and willing tutors, fresh and full of energy rocking up to your kids’ school), do you want this for your children? When you saw the thread title were you ‘yes!’ or ‘god no!’?

Personally I want my kids spending the summer taking advantage of lower restrictions to visit people they haven’t seen since last summer and doing outdoor, fun activities. Education isn’t the only thing they have been missing out on.

However, I know that others are very worried about the missing education and may consider the summer better spent catching up.

YABU: I want 4 weeks of extra school in the summer holidays

YANBU: I want my kids to have the summer off to do other things

The more imaginative solution would be excellent quality holiday clubs/ sports clubs funded by central Government so all children could access them. My kids love their time at these places and it would be childcare for parents who have struggled so much.

Put play and activity before 'learning' - we are so obessed with 'progress' towards 'goals' in the UK - let children play and be happy and they will be in a better position to learn again later on.

Teachers have been working day and night through this pandemic already. No consideration of them, then? They will be exhausted.

No, way will horseshit scenario happen anyway.

No. We all know the government would not be prepared to pay their existing teaching staff salary for additional weeks over the summer. The government will want to pay tutoring agencies who will pay ‘tutors’ £22 an hour (before tax).

I’d hazard a guess that it is unlikely they’ll be familiar, qualified and experienced teachers following well-planned and targeted schemes.

My kids have had a full day of teaching every day since lockdown started. In the summer holidays, I want them at the beach or in the sun, relaxing with their friends.

I think it would be interesting to hear from the children about whether they want to be in a school for most of their summer as well.

I really feel that education doesn't just happen in school and that it's purpose really shouldn't be solely passing exams.

I won't be sending my children in or working over the summer (I'm a teacher).

I do think there's a case for high quality play schemes to allow kids whose parents have to work some good social time if restrictions have been relaxed.

Absolutely not. My dc need to be outside this summer catching up socially on the last year.

Mine need to be outdoors, away from screens and doing things they’ve desperately missed like sport, not indoors, in classrooms. Their physical and mental health needs boosting more than their academic performance in the short term.

Rather than tutoring, how about some funded sport/ activities clubs? Get their brains working, bodies active while relearning social skills and how ‘be normal’. I can’t see my children wanting to be stuck inside all summer and this would be much more beneficial. I’ll be doing something similar anyway but would be great to have a national programme.

Hell no. Kids need to have time away from school. How pissed off are those kids going to be in September?

There will be lots of kids who want to see their friends in the summer. School doesn't always equate to friends.

I have 2 summer born children and am summer born myself so for us summer is about a week away as a family, and three birthday outings / parties. A couple of days a week I'd appreciate as DS has struggled but not 4 entire weeks, as my work hours couldn't get him to school for 8.50am and if many parents don't sign up, his bus wouldn't run. DS would hate it though. He's entitled to a key worker place now, 2 days a week, but refuses to consider it.

Would love to know who would staff this though, as the school staff I see are in need of a break now, never mind come July. They'll be parenting their own children / lying down in a darkened room I should imagine.

I think a two week ‘summer camp’ would be beneficial.

So some outdoor learning. Loads of sports (which they’ve really missed). Some educational but fun trips. They’ve missed out on a lot of the fun part of school. Some reading under a tree type of thing.
Plus this could help parents who have struggled with homeschooling and working catch up.

Maybe one week extra at the end of July and then back one week early in September.

6 weeks always feels a bit too long to me but I understand that’s personal!

But this won’t happen. No funding/no staff.

No, I've bust a gut whilst working full time to make sure mine didn't slip behind. I'll be damned if they have to do catch up with people less fortunate and it would also make the provision for those who would benefit weaker.

I’d jump at the chance for mine. They are severely dyslexic (along with other issues) and still cannot read or write at yrs 2 and 3 and the year 2 child cannot count reliably past 30 or understand numbers at all. They were already so behind before and usually get 1-1 support in school, so this last year has made them even more behind.

While I’d like them to have a summer of socialising, this is what they need more. I’d happily pay for it too.

My question is -

Is that "guaranteed"
or "compulsory"

If four weeks were offered but not mandatory, especially if you didn't have to sign up to all four, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

As a parent I wouldn't send mine, they've had enough (year 10, year 11).

As a well trained, eager and willing tutor I'd go and do some teaching if they paid me, but again I wouldn't want to do four weeks. Not sure about fresh and full of energy.

I agree @Flitter123 I definitely wouldn’t want them stuck in a classroom. Most of them must have lost fitness despite our efforts. And at the moment they’re inside on a computer all day.

I’d happily pay also.

I would prefer to spend the summer catching up with family we’ve not been able to see. I need to consider my parents mental health in this too and they’re really starting to suffer with not seeing their grandkids.

But then DC1 is in a private primary and I know they have the resources to provide enough 1 on 1 attention so that any who have fallen behind will soon catch up.

It won’t happen.

1. it would be insanely expensive

2. staffing it would be impossible - where would you get the volunteers from? You’d need a full staff if you were offering a full curriculum. If just “core” subjects, where would you get the staff from? There aren’t enough teachers in the country to be teaching everyone an intensive maths/English curriculum (assuming you want a qualified subject specialist for older years)

3. some families would want it, some wouldn’t. Others would want some of the time and not others. That would make designing a curriculum impossible.

No. My dc are already doing a full day. The teachers have set a massive amount of work (State primary). They are going to need a summer holiday. The autumn term is already long enough. They are both complaining that they are doing more school work at home than they do at school😂. Their teachers are bloody awesome, but they are going to need a break too. Teacher work loads must have doubled or tripled since Christmas.

Well we only get a 5 week holiday (as we have 2 weeks in May/June) so no thanks for us!

1 week in something in smaller groups I would go for.

Yes I would. Partly for selfish reasons. I'm using up alot of annual leave to try and balance home schooling and working from home. We don't have online lessons. The school is providing work but I'm finding it needs alot of support so my child can't do it independently. When I'm working they are watching TV or YouTube. But maybe some organised holiday clubs or activities would be better than formal lessons. Selfishly I'm really tired and have a permanent headache. I'm a lone parent and don't have family support and come summer I won't have annual leave left to go out and have days out etc. But not making it about me I think it would good for lots of children to have the chance to mix with other children, consolidate learning and have fun.

I remember this idea being floated in lockdown 1. And my argument for against still stands

If this is two work support staff also need to be in work. Many of whom are paid term time only and like my only get paid for 46 weeks a year. How do they suggest support staff get paid if we are needed to be in school for an extra 4 weeks? Who's going to pay our extra salary

4 weeks extra school is too long in summer so they should rearrange another way.

But have had neighbours with 3 DC say their kids are missing out on a lot, so are their friends kids etc.

Got a friend with 8 and 13 year old - 8 year old has found homeschooling very hard and little to no help from school but far more help now luckily. 13 year old settles down to it much more easily but that's her character.

Also, summer holidays are one of the main opportunities for children of seperated parents to spend extended time with the NRP. School during the summer would massively reduce contact time.

FUCK THIS!!

My child is NOT behind & has completed all work over through both lockdowns well. He is hitting year 3 targets and NEEDS A BREAK!!!

No way does this need to be mandatory. If kids are working at or above target this is both unnecessary and pointless.

we are lucky, dcs school has been great, we have space, devices and wifi, and my 3 are keeping up with their lessons.

But I have year 13, year 11 and year 8.

the summer is too late for the first 2, they will have missed their GCSEs and A levels.

My youngest is really struggling with online school, and she needs a holiday and time to reconnect to ocusins and friends.

They all need to be out and about doing something, with no mention of school at all.

And where are all the teachers going to come from?

Please please allow our poor teachers to have a guaranteed summer holiday, full few weeks break. Not least so they can also reconnect with their own families