Extending school term at end of July

[NeverForgetYourDreams]

That's not going to work. Another ridiculous idea. What about all those people that moved their cancelled holidays for 2020 by a year. Summer holidays may go ahead if vaccine roll out happens and who is going to cancel and lose their money - I'm not. Will be lots of absent children.

[quote bananasplitsallround]@callmeangelina you clearly have no idea how little work children who have two full time working parents are actually doing![/quote]
Well, according to the audit we've just done in our school, we have 91% engagement with remote learning.

[quote Italiandreams]@palacegirl77 how old are your children because primary school children will be exhausted after two seven week terms after Easter. They will not be receptive to a nine week term, anyone that works in a primary school will tell you any terms longer than six weeks are seriously hard going.[/quote]
Yes I get that, one daughter is 12 and I was referring more to my 7 year old. I appreciate they get tired but do you know what, even just an extra couple of weeks being able to socialise with interspersed bits of reading and writing would be so beneficial. Im sure it wont happen though so its all hypothetical.

Is this another one of Gavins ideas? 🙄

even just an extra couple of weeks being able to socialise with interspersed bits of reading and writing would be so beneficial. Im sure it wont happen though so its all hypothetical.
But that's not schooling. What you want is proper old school "summer school" which would be great.

Oh hang on, so teachers never post on a working day?
I cannot be arsed to look at the Staffroom now, but I’d be surprised if it was dead on a weekday during teaching hours.

@palacegirl77

You could always get a tutor in.

No need to expect staff to volunteer or give up their free time.

Well, whilst it's got fuck all to do with you how people organise their working hours, there are a lot of teachers in the staffroom who are part-time. Officially. That OK with you?

@MrsHamlet

Where have these 9 mythical months off come from? It's more accurate than the 18 that were being peddled the other day, admittedly, but still!

I was speaking about my children who were off March - July and Dec - March (Maybe later? - their bubbled locked down 2 weeks before term end) so yes, may daughter has missed 9 months at least.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

Why don’t you do an audit?!

Don’t forget to check if they are part time or on their break times!

Well, she will only have missed that time if you've made no attempt to do any of the school work set. No one has ever said it needs to be done between the hours of 9 and 5 or whatever your working hours are.

But of course, and they all manage to work all their hours.

@HarrietSchulenberg

Schools have moved all learning online so education is still happening. Teaching contracts do not cover holidays so it would have to be staffed by teachers agreeing to additional hours, which many would not do. Ditto school support staff (TAs etc), caretakers etc. I work in a school and will not be working additional weeks unless I am forced to, at which point I would consider resigning. My children will not be attending for additional days or weeks.

Education is only happening where the parents are able to at home. A lot of children aren't missing anything but I know mine are

[quote DBML]@palacegirl77

You could always get a tutor in.

No need to expect staff to volunteer or give up their free time.[/quote]
I would if I could afford to. Unfortunately we dont have the means as running our own business we have lost a lot of income and are barely making ends meet.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

But of course, and they all manage to work all their hours.

Yep. And WAY beyond!!

@CallmeAngelina

Well, she will only have missed that time if you've made no attempt to do any of the school work set. No one has ever said it needs to be done between the hours of 9 and 5 or whatever your working hours are.

I have done every piece of school work set. However, Im not a teacher and have no idea what certain things are and lets be honest, how many children want their parent to teach, but Im trying my best.

I thought this was a good idea last year, ie before the academic year started flip the Christmas and summer holidays in length. Possibly increase the summer to all of august. Everyone knew winter was going to be bad and highly like we would need some sort of lockdown.

But it’s too late now to be reducing holidays. People will have planned holidays, booked time off work etc.

I don’t mean to be blunt, but seriously, it won’t make any difference academically. It may do socially , and I’m not saying that wouldn’t be great but academically two weeks tagged into a long term will make no difference to long term educational outcomes for primary children ( I can’t comment on secondary because that is to my area of expertise)

Easter booster used to prepare pupils for SATs but made no difference in the long term just made them test ready. And with children then having four weeks off and moving onto the next year group it would make no difference.

The best thing the government could do would be to provide money for additional adults to provide targeted support through interventions and in class support. That would have a far greater impact long term.

@palacegirl77

Well I’m sorry, but it’s not my job to subsidise this. I’m not contracted to work the summer, end of.

"but Im trying my best."

Yes. I do believe that, and I know how difficult it must be. But you can surely accept that school staff are also doing their best. Everyone is.

So, how about a little empathy back this way??

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

Oh hang on, so teachers never post on a working day? I cannot be arsed to look at the Staffroom now, but I’d be surprised if it was dead on a weekday during teaching hours.

I’m part time. Lots of school staff are part time for various reasons including child care. I stayed part time due to the long hours required as a full time member of staff where I work.

@Italiandreams

I don’t mean to be blunt, but seriously, it won’t make any difference academically. It may do socially , and I’m not saying that wouldn’t be great but academically two weeks tagged into a long term will make no difference to long term educational outcomes for primary children ( I can’t comment on secondary because that is to my area of expertise)

Easter booster used to prepare pupils for SATs but made no difference in the long term just made them test ready. And with children then having four weeks off and moving onto the next year group it would make no difference.

The best thing the government could do would be to provide money for additional adults to provide targeted support through interventions and in class support. That would have a far greater impact long term.

I think this is a good idea. For me, the main area of concern I have is wuith my 7 year olds reading (i.e. she wont read to me without a lot of fuss, brilliant at maths but reading, hates it) if I though she could access more help in school time for reading Id be a lot less worried.

Schools get no extra money for cleaning or making schools Covid safe. There's no way the government are going to pay staff for an extra two weeks. It just won't happen. If I do overtime as a TA my school can't pay me as there's no budget for it. We have to try and take it as time off. (Which rarely happens so we end up doing it for free).

I'm planning on moving schools at the end of this year, so won't be available, like many school staff.
This is something else they haven't considered in this extremely ill thought out idea.

I hope not! My kids have been working hard like they all have through the miserable winter months and I don't want to cage them up when the weather is nice and they can get swimming and socialising outside again!

@CallmeAngelina

"but Im trying my best."

Yes. I do believe that, and I know how difficult it must be. But you can surely accept that school staff are also doing their best. Everyone is.

So, how about a little empathy back this way??

Ive never said theyre not. Its not an ideal situation. My best friend and both brothers are teachers. All I hear from them is that they want the kids back in school. I have a lot of empathy for teachers, but I also feel that having job security, no loss in wages and lets be honest, hero status now amongst those of us wondering what the hell pronouns of fronted adverbials are, it would be so nice to have heard just one teacher saying that maybe if it was feasible and would hlep theyd consider it but sadly all we have heard is "im not contracted etc". But do you know what? Im not contracted to teach my children and lose my income either but Im doing it, and keeping my child at home FOR YOU. So please dont say I dont have empathy.