To wonder why DS's school is closed this afternoon?

[cottonwoolbrain]

It's been in the calendar since the start of term. It does not really cause us an issue as he's 11 and in year 7 and there's usually one of us working from home anyway.

But they're being very vague as to why. Usually they tell us - teacher training, planned repairs etc. but all they've said this time is school closed. DS says someone asked in registration this morning and was just told "because it is"

I can't help wondering if the staff are having an absolutely well deserved party as they reach the end of the school year - I certainly wouldn't begrudge it I'd want a break if I had to spend all year in the company of a thousand noisy kids!!

It just seems - odd

@Octavia64 I don't think it's a funeral as this was scheduled right at the beginning of term or even at the end of last term.

@LostTheMarble I hope it's not that

Oh well I'd better actually do some work rather than sit her speculating

My dc's school closed in the afternoon for a memorial service once, seemed fitting as it was one of the slt had been there 30 years. Some children went too (by invitation)

Funeral or memorial service seems unlikely if it was decided upon in April. I'm inclined to the suggestion it is about planning for next school year, as teachers who are leaving would have given notice by April in many cases.

I wonder if they're owed time back in lieu and they've
Shut to allow for this? Rather than have staff off at different times?

School staff don't really get TOIL, they're just expected to do it for the "good of the children"

If it's been in the diary for months it's unlikely to be a funeral.

Maybe a meeting, or being positive, a wedding?

Maybe some kind of transition afternoon for new Y7s?

Or admin prepping for new Y7s - allocating tutors and sets now the SATS results are in.

The ‘we’ is hardly clear – you could easily have gotten into Oxbridge yourself. Random posters have no way of knowing if you were in the general student body or got into Oxford or Cambridge (before you stated it).

Why did you say ‘for anyone’, and not ‘if anyone’?

The school has been temporarily teleported to Scotland for the afternoon, where it is already school holiday time.

That'll be it. Definitely.

A retirement party for a member of staff?

I going to go out I a limb and say that the staff aren't having a Christmas shopping in July, thats a funny suggestion

Apart from the fact that it was planned wouldnt the parents be aware if such a popular member of staff had died?

Maybe not enough staff, there’s a huge shortage of teachers at the mo

It'll be staff training from an external provider who could only do that afternoon.

That is strange and would have me wondering!

Is it Open evening tonight? Ours had a half day when they had theirs.

Incidentally, the staff at my DD's school have a Retreat every January.

I can’t believe none of the parents have asked! At my school the (sharp elbowed) parents would have been all over it!

You are correct.
Times have changed. The school would be fined if it closed for any reason other than agreed INSETS.

If it's anything like my DD's school there are no written reports! Although I'm sure there is plenty of other paperwork to do!

You're not allowed to close the school for it.

Would there be a reason to keep that secret?

Inset days aren't confidential are they?

OP are the children still getting the legal number of days in school?

Inset days are most certainly not confidential, and will be on the calendar at least a year ahead.

100% I think it’s for the staff. I used to live with a teacher they had an inset day which they lovingly called Christmas shopping day! So I think it will be staff related

But they can have a day off if they did the teacher training after school in the afternoon and evening instead.

Yes, again, that's on the calendar - you can choose to have the Training Days disaggregated into Twilights. This means that we're breaking up on Friday, rather than next Wednesday as we've done the training. Still in the calendar a year ahead, though.

Why is it secret?