Why are the terms shorter at private schools?

[wildscaryface]

They seem shorter by three weeks a term at least. Any reason for this?

[hshock] how utterly horrific.

My dds school has one more week off at october half term and two extra weeks in the summer.

Her school day is in total an hour and ten minutes longer than the local state school and she has to attend a minimum of two after school clubs a week (ending at 5.30) and cadets on Fridays ending at 5.

I think if the extra hours were added up they would easily add up to the extra holidays she gains.

Student teachers are mentored by the class teacher and have to teach to 'standards'. They are often more dynamic than the usual teachers and know all the latest developments. The class teacher has to observe a student teacher often.

Where else are they going to learn and what's the big deal?

We get 19 weeks a year :)

We have a longer day so that will cover any shortfall. There is still enough time to teach what we need to teach.

stoats - yes, that is what student teachers "should" do but in practice they are sometimes used as a cheap substitute for a qualified teacher.

"used as a cheap substitute for a qualified teacher." Not in any school I have worked in.

skippy, glad for you. And i know it should not happen. But it has happened at schools I know of. I guess it depends how stretched the school is.

I agree skippy. Maybe 10 years ago, but not today.

This was not 10 years ago.

Because the days are longer, Saturday school etc. There's some chippy responses on here from state school teachers. I don't think anyone said that state school teachers don't work harder but there's no doubt boarding school teachers have longer days.

What bloody nonsense !

I taught two Y6 classes when I was a student teacher, and I was bloody good at it. And it pisses me off no end that the state train the teachers then the private sector poach them - but that's a whole other argument .

ohno - I think you need to read Mrs Ghoul's eulogy of private school teachers on page 2.

I did. That's exactly what I mean by chippy responses. Just because she thinks her indie teachers are fab does not mean (and she certainly hasn't said) that state teachers are crap. Indie teachers very often do have to work longer days.

Knitting - sorry, didn't realise you were omnipotent and know exactly what is going on in every school. My mistake.

I am sure you were very good at teaching your y6 classes. But if you were doing it unsupervised you were not qualified and it is against the rules.

I often think it is simply because they can. Not many parents complain about it or alternatively these complaints are brushed aside. I hate waking up in the mornings so any excuse not to go to school is fine with me!

Bollocks. I was at a governors' meeting until 9.30 on Wednesday, and marked until 10.00 two nights this week after putting ds to bed at 7.30. My arse do indie teachers have longer days. Ffs.

Have that for your chippy response.

knitting, not all student teachers train in state, when I was on my PGCE I did train in state but quite a few got positions in private schools. Just the way the cookie crumbled! I never went into teaching so my experience ends there!

Just have one other thing to say, am married to an 'indie' teacher and he works very long hours BUT this does not mean that state teachers don't! I really think it depends on the individual teacher, my dh thinks teaching is the best job in the world and so turns up for plays, matches, fayres, open days esp if some of his form are involved, often dragging all of us along! He also helps when exam results are released so has a shorter summer holiday by about two weeks. But there are other colleagues who go off on the first day of holidays to some exotic place and then don't come back til the day before term starts! This doesn't make them bad teachers just less work driven I guess!

But Feenie you were at home to put DS to bed even if you had to work afterwards. If you were on duty in the boarding house until 10
you wouldn't be able to put your kids to bed.
Chill, no-one's saying you don't work hard.

I was not on the governors' evening night, nor am I on many other meeting nights. Or concert nights, or residential weeks.

Private school teachers get loads of time off when the little darlings pirouette off to ballet.

i think Indie teachers are under alot of pressure because the parents are paying customers. i have worked in both sectors.

If the school day is 8.15 to 4.35 with activities thereafter til 6, like it or not it is a longer day and they still have to do the parents evenings etc.

ONHWG - thanks - precisely - I was not dissing state school teachers, but unfortunately it seems everything has to be black & white on here. I have and have had DC in both state and indie, there are pros and cons in both, which is not the point here - the OP asked why indies have longer hols and that was my response.
We have had had fab teachers in both sectors - and they more than deserve the hols they get.

Thanks for the clarification, Mrs Ghoul.

OWHNG - "If the school day is 8.15 to 4.35 with activities thereafter til 6, like it or not it is a longer day and they still have to do the parents evenings etc."
It's only longer if you believe state school teachers finish at 3.30.