State schools must stay open but private schools can close early

[Lumene]

This seems really wrong to me. Kids I know at private school has their last day yesterday, so a clear run until Christmas. But the government is forcing state schools to stay open, meaning parents have a legal obligation to send their kids in.

This means if you pay you can safely see your family at Christmas but if you don’t then you can’t unless you break the law and face a fine.

Don't private schools always get longer holidays ?

Yeah, my DD broke up yesterday but that’s been the same every single year, it’s not a special thing. But I have to work (key worker blah blah blah) on 22 and 23 so we don’t get a clear run at all.

Private schools always break up a week or so before state schools do

The local private school has 4 weeks off for Christmas every year and then a shorter summer holiday.

DS’s school finished yesterday, but that was their scheduled finish date. Some of the international boarders went home earlier as having to quarantine.

Ours shuts on Wednesday.

However - private schools shut early for everything. The summer holidays are looooooong and can often start on the 10th of July

Loads of Independent schools finished yesterday as planned. Nothing to do with the virus.

My DS's prep is actually closing later than planned this year to stagger breaking up days with the other Independents in the town (boarding schools, big influx of adults on breaking up days).

Private schools in "making their own rules" shocker!

@Thespidersweb DS’s school has finished on the 2nd July before!

I really can’t see many fines being issued for this week.

Our's breaks up on Wednesday but as PP has said, they always do. We broke up for the summer on the 3rd July and went back on the 5th September!

4th, sorry

Or maybe you could look at it as the state are trying to make up the time lost this year. Which seemed to impact state more than private
You’ve year 10’s & 11’s doing mocks these two weeks at our local schools.

I think if you spoke to the State school and pulled your kids out this week, I don’t think any would go down the fine and pushing legal obligation route. Or you just say they are contact isolating.

Yeah not news. This is every single year, term dates are set 2+ years in advance. It isn’t a Covid measure.

But even it was, what do you think the ‘Independent’ in ‘independent school’ means?

So private schools set their own term dates and can do whatever they like as long as children actually have enough time to learn what they need to.

State schools set by the DfE- have to open for 195 days.

It is not that private schools can close early due to Covid. They can and do close early for every school holiday every year. So closure this Friday was the same week it falls for independent schools every year.

The clue is in the name - INDEPENDENT schools

They can do what they like.

Dd broke up yesterday. They break up at this time every year. She breaks up for summer at the end of June.

Do some research before starting goady threads.

Eton closed due to an outbreak and all kids were sent home.

My girls are at a private school in a T2 area. They finish on 16th but all students were given the option to move to online learning (which is very well organised) from yesterday, so a lot are doing that.

I agree it's unfair!

As others have said.

Huge difference between ‘we will break up 11 December ’ and this having been available on the website since September 2019, and breaking up a week early announced two weeks before the end of term.

I’m no lover of private schools but talk about missing the point!

Yeah, if we wanted we could take our dds out early and have full online live lessons from home.

What on earth do you think we pay 30k a year for??

Don’t private schools usually have longer holidays than state school?

I think most of our local private schools have 3 weeks off for Christmas, there’s a few of them that usually break up for Christmas a week earlier than the state schools.

It’s not necessarily related to Covid and letting pupils safely see family for Christmas.

Echo what all other private school parents have said. Private schools ALWAYS break up early for Christmas. My daughter finished yesterday. Naff all to do with Covid, and everything to do with the fact that they're INDEPENDENT! The clue is in the name.

Many state schools now have more kids off isolating than actually in school. They are closed in all but name - yet the government insists they must be open to keep various vocal Tories happy. Surely they wouldn’t fine parents for keeping kids safe when half the country seems to be flouting Covid rules with wild abandon? I’d see them in court on that one!

@MrsMiaWallis you get snobby snipe of the year award! I’ve sent my kids to both state and private and private is not always better. I’m happy to have the £30K to save!