Restructuring the school year

[AntiSocialDistancer]

inews.co.uk/news/education/education-catch-up-shorter-school-summer-holiday-ofsted-1005616/amp

A five term school year? With 2 week breaks and 4 weeks off at summer?

What do you think? With the understanding every school, pre-school etc falls into line.

Yanbu - let's change
Yabu - stay the same

The issue in the UK is undoubtedly poverty.

If holidays are too expensive for low-income families, the answer is to fund that for them. I would happily pay my taxes for that. It would be cheaper than paying for more school for everyone, expecially given that would be a detrimental thing to do for the children who don;t need it.

The UK needs to start trying to improve things, not make things worse for everyone to mask the inequalities.

By 'holidays' I don;t mean going away, I mean the school holiday period.

If you send your children to private school your an engaged parent and /or have a SAHM or at worst you pay for a nanny to look after them in the holidays. You may even have a more senior flexible job. You will go away and give your children experiences and trips and that is a big part of education, variety. It's quite different to sitting in unsuitable accommodation watching TV all day or playing out ( although this can be great it's about who they are mixing with, their language, their aspirations.)

My DS' school has a handful of children in poverty, many like us on the edge trying to juggle everything, and some wealthy parents. There is a private very school nearby but it's only girls and the boys one is a long way away.

*you're ( too many school holiday doing nothing for me)

@headintheproverbial

To those saying about cramming into summer hols - is the point not that there would be multiple 2 week windows across the year in which you could go away on holiday?

Yes, but lots of people like to go on holiday when it's hot, so July and August. Whether it be abroad or UK. February in Cornwall is just not as appealing. Italy in May can be damp and dreary. France in October is cold. If people want warmth, summer is best or you're looking at long haul which is environmentally irresponsible.

I am not paying through my taxes for something so dysfunctional.

I think that this is valid criticism. However, at the moment I would say your taxes are paying for something even more dysfunctional. We are raising a generation with high levels of obesity and mental ill health and who have a lower life expectancy than their parents.

hey, why don't we abolish holidays altogether. These trips abroad are bad for the planet anyway.

@motherrunner

And today it’s announced Pupil Premium will be cut: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-57188815

Yup, let’s just have pupils in school all of the time and not bother to deal with the real issues at hand. Under funding.

If the government genuinely want to do something to address disadvantaged children, they wouldn’t make decisions like this over Pupil Premium funding.

@echt

Children can lose a massive amount of learning over the 8 weeks. Some children don’t engage their brain at all for the full 8 weeks and have been shown to lose up to 6 months of learning

Do you have a link for this?

Why don't those in independent schools have this problem?

Also happens to private school pupils although due to smaller class sizes and often a longer school day they catch up much quicker. However, if you’re paying a lot for your child’s education you are often more inclined to keep things ticking over during the holiday. Many more professional, intelligent and pushy parents in private schools.

I’ve been a teacher for 25 years. I’ve never noticed any massive amount of lost learning over the summer holidays.

Quick recap in first week and they’re fine.

It would be horribly divisive to have private schools having lovely long holidays but state schools having compulsory short ones.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I’ve been a teacher for 25 years. I’ve never noticed any massive amount of lost learning over the summer holidays.

Quick recap in first week and they’re fine.

Yup snap

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I’ve been a teacher for 25 years. I’ve never noticed any massive amount of lost learning over the summer holidays.

Quick recap in first week and they’re fine.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow what age do you teach ? My DS is only in reception, but he was lovely and settled before the Easter holidays. Two weeks off and he then is crying daily about "all the hard work" and not wanting to go in, not sure what he'll be like after 6 weeks off. 😔

Secondary.

They all cope fine, even y7 who are new.

All this talk of lost learning and "better" days etc. is just an excuse to finally fuck over teachers by restricting their contracts like they have been wanting to do for years.

It is a "good" time to push through changes to teacher contracts, given the rush of interest in teacher training that has been brought about by the pandemic. So, I wouldn't be so sure this won't happen.

‘given the rush of interest in teacher training’

The rush will be reversed if this happens. So many self important Ed secretaries have tried this. And it’s failed each time.

I can't wait. The extra 6 weeks pay would come in really handy

There's not many jobs where you have absolutely no control over your holidays. Take away the amount of them (unpaid as they are) and many many teachers will leave.

@MasterGland

It is a "good" time to push through changes to teacher contracts, given the rush of interest in teacher training that has been brought about by the pandemic. So, I wouldn't be so sure this won't happen.

Yeah, seen this before.

Bankers to teachers
Forces to teachers.
Graduates to teachers
Teach First

Somehow very few stay in the profession.

Maybe that is because it needs an overhaul that doesn't involve taking away the few perks that teachers get.

More 2 week holidays at other times of the year
We only go on our summer holiday in the summer because that’s the only time you can have 2 weeks apart from Easter or Christmas. Ideally I wouldn’t go then because most of Europe is too hot in July and August, would much prefer to go in May/June or October. A proposal like this might well help smooth that peak of summer holiday demand. I do think 6-7 weeks is too long for the summer holidays. Even my teacher DH is usually itching to get back after 3 or 4.

The government are not overly concerned with retention, though. They seem content with getting people through the door and getting them in front of the kids for a year or two. The churn in some schools is ridiculous. But as long as there is another NQT in the wings, they don't seem to care.

@MasterGland

The government are not overly concerned with retention, though. They seem content with getting people through the door and getting them in front of the kids for a year or two. The churn in some schools is ridiculous. But as long as there is another NQT in the wings, they don't seem to care.

Maybe, but don't you want better for your children? For the nation's children? I know I do.

Can you imagine how much holidays are going to cost, not just the 4 week break but the two week ones too. June half term is so expensive for one week, it would be ridiculous.

And for many it would still only be a week's holiday abroad unless we all fly on a weekend.

@sherrystrull. Yes. I want better for children, but it can only start with a massive shift in the status afforded to the teaching profession in this country. Unfortunately, I think this is unlikely to happen.