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.

@DBML

Yep, if I was education secretary I would put in place:

• Smaller class sizes (cap at 24)
• Additional staff, teachers and TA’s
• Opportunities for ALN learners
• Money for resources; experiments; trips; books etc

Then for the holidays have council run playschemes that focus on fun and exercise and have nothing to do with school staff.

Completely agree. Brilliant

One it’s not fair on teachers and 2 it’s not fair on the kids. I also have a holiday that was moved from last year which I may have to move part of it again if they can’t provide certain services as my son has asd. Ridiculous ideas once again.

I can’t see this story in the news but I don’t think this could be mandatory at this late stage!

Stop reading the MSM !

Wait for official announcements

@lunapeace

Private schools will most likely extend their terms (they tend to break up end of June anyway). I can't see this happening in State Schools.

I don’t think everyone would be happy with that. My dd is at an independent girls’ secondary and she is working harder than ever before. A full day of live lessons followed by homework and revision for constant tests. I am keen for her to have a long summer break, to read, relax, spend lots of time outside.

It would help if the government didn’t make its official announcements via the MSM.

They are terrible for it.

Absolutely agree with @MrsHamlet that the kids that need to attend won’t, but just to add my 2p to the fire.
I worked for 5 hours today ( Sunday) I will do 2 unpaid, unrecognised sessions after school tomorrow. I have worked (despite covid restrictions) 5 weekend days already this year. I worked during the easter holidays and summer half terms providing key worker kid cover. I am bloody good at my job, my kids consistently get the best results in my subject at GCSE and A level, year on year. I run 3 extra curricular activities and lots of enrichment/ personalised extra help stuff, week on week, year on year.
My second son is an FY1 doctor, you know saving lives on Covid wards, a national hero. He works less hours than me and definitely does not consider his work to be a vocation, He also earns the same as me.
My DH is a senior consultant in the NHS, also doing this saving lives gig. He repeatedly says he cannot believe how hard teachers work ( I have only been teaching to 15 years, career changer) I work much longer hours than him, earn approx 1/3
Please stop swallowing this government/ daily mail shit that all teachers are useless scroungers. Its bollocks and you are being sold a lie to keep you off making a fuss about other major government failings.

Teachers have contracts just like everybody else. They are not responsible for the pandemic. They have been online all day teaching lessons then spending all evening adapting the lessons they have already spent time planning so that they can be presented on line. Pupils' mental health has been affected by total lockdown. Parents teachers and pupils all need some down time. We can't get this year back we can only move on.

The extra two weeks of term in the summer would be a good start but doesn't go far enough. Far more fundamental changes to term dates needed or everyone repeating the academic year.

Last year my DCs were among those off from March to September. After four months of home learning already that six week holiday stretched endlessly ahead. They struggled. This year after another lengthy period off it will probably take them most of the summer term just to settle back in to classroom learning with their peers. Last thing they'll then need is another long break.

Glad ideas like this are being discussed by the DFE.

Absolutely. Full online timetable for both lockdowns from day 1. Including 8.30am -or 8.15am registrations!! Virtually no absence (maybe 1 kid in 1 of my classes each day (5-7 classes). My teaching load and the learning of the kids at my school (Yr9-13) has been pretty much normal!

I think an extra two weeks tagged on to the end of the summer term might be very useful for children to catch up on things, but I think that parents who choose to take their kids out of school should be allowed to do so, without incurring fines or any other pressure.

Something I've noticed every year, during the summer school holidays, is that during the last two weeks there seem to be more very young children out and about, with no parent nearby to watch over them. Also, there seem to be more parents shouting at their children then. Even worse, there are often horrible tragedies involving young children accidentally drowning, or being murdered, during those final 2 weeks. I've long held the belief that for many families the summer holidays are just too long to cope with, especially for those with limited resources and patience to keep their kids occupied.

Nope, no chance. I work in a primary school. Our last day is 23rd July and on 26th I'm away visiting family at the other end of the country for 2 weeks. Hotel already booked. Dh is nhs and can't change his leave dates due to staffing. So many other people will be in similar situations. Not gonna happen

I would be very happy with this, but this is yet another thread on MN where any idea suggested is met with a big fat NO.

@Unsure33

Stop reading the MSM !

Wait for official announcements

I don't have TV licence because it gives BBC the monopoly. So, I miss out on live transmissions.

Politicians are public servants so we should hear what they have to say - gratis.

There needs to be another method .
Especially for the current state of affairs.

@Defenbaker omg no, it can't be voluntary! If I've got to work two extra weeks I want all my class in! I'm not going to be happy giving up part of my holiday if half my pupils aren't bloody there and have buggered off on holiday (like I'd like to)!!
Plus you can guarantee that those children who would benefit from some extra will be the ones who don't get sent in!

@noblegiraffe

It would help if the government didn’t make its official announcements via the MSM.

They are terrible for it.

This ^^

@Aab1234

Anyone who has booked a summer holiday that is non refundable is foolish.

Some of us moved our cancelled 2020 holidays back by a year thinking would surely be out of the woods by then

What would be the purpose of this?

@Macaroni46 No, of course I can't guarantee anything... I have no influence on anything. It just seems like a reasonable idea to me, and might be a help for many families. Of course any teachers or T/As should be paid extra for working an extra 2 weeks. Perhaps some of the people who run summer school holiday clubs could be involved... are they usually qualified teachers?

There's no perfect solution, but I've read enough posts on MN to know that many parents are struggling with home schooling, after 4 weeks of it, which followed the Christmas break. After 6 weeks of full time childcare over this winter, many parents are keen for their kids to return to school, so perhaps many of them would welcome a slightly shorter summer break.

I think this is (unfortunately) unworkable in the UK.

Better to spend money on targeted tutoring for the worst affected kids.

@Macaroni46 Oops, just read your post again, and realised I misread your words. Why do you feel that the children who might need the extra weeks would not be sent in by their parents? Just curious.

but I think that parents who choose to take their kids out of school should be allowed to do so, without incurring fines or any other pressure

I have a holiday booked for the day after we break up. Postponed from last year. On what basis do you get to decide you don’t want your child to receive extra education but that I have to sit there in case you change your mind?

@MrsHamlet

We are kidding ourselves on if we thing education is still happening! Because?

I’m not saying teachers aren’t working. They are. But the majority of children won’t be having anywhere near the standard of education they would be in normal circumstances.

Certainly in my local authority children are getting worksheets, sumdog, weekly spelling. But no real teaching. Let’s be realistic here. Never mind children who don’t have digital access, parents working so can’t support, parents who don’t care, parents thinking they know best. The list goes on.