Why are the terms shorter at private schools?

[wildscaryface]

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

Lots of time free for marking and planning during the day though.

Er no. I don't believe state teachers finish at 3.30 but they're not teaching until 4.30. I appreciate indie teacher maybe have free periods in day to mark etc but the contractual school day is longer.That's my point

What difference does that make? Neither set of teachers end to stop work when their respective contractual hours stop, so neither set of teachers work harder or 'deserve' longer holidays.

tend

But as a state school teacher I don't have that free time (apart from PPA) and have to do it after school. This makes my day longer by shifting the planning/marking time iyswim.

I also run three lunchtime clubs, which also extends the hours I work.

I don't know whether indie teachers get more PPA time or free time. I'm only surmising they do. My point is that if your lessons end at 3.30 you have more time in the evening to do the rest of it. 8.15 to 4.35 is a longer day unless you're suggesting state teachers actually have more marking, preparation and evening functions than indie teachers?

Indies teachers also do lunchtime clubs - at least, they do @ DS's school - what is this - a competition?

I'm suggesting that most teachers have more marking, planning, prepping, concerts, residentials, netball matches, parents' evenings, governors' meetings, etc, etc, than is humanly possible to fit into one working day, ONHWG.

You're the one stating one set has more than the other. Most people recognise that most teachers work just as hard, in whatever sector.

My observations at DD's prep:-

1. Teachers don't get PPA at all, when their class is with another teacher they are teaching another class
2. Teachers never get a lunch break as they eat in the dining hall mingling with the kids
3. Sports/Music teachers are running activities and therefore teaching until at least 5pm every night
4. Many are married to teachers at the senior school so attending functions & school events with them in their time off
5. Most are paid far less than state school teachers

Excuse me if I think they deserve the extra time off!

Pupils are generally in school 8.30-5 every night si I think they are deserving of the break too!

I personally teach in state too so know how unreasonable the state teachers with a gripe are being.

No, I'm saying that Indie teachers have more free time - they generally have specialist PE teachers and music teachers (for example), so the class teacher gets time off during those lessons, which enables them to finish their marking, etc during the school day.

That's my whole point stoat - DD's teachers do not get that time to prepare as when their main class is elsewhere they are teaching another class.

pugsand seals - your dd's prep must be running out of cash! My friend teaching at Indie has PPA plus a total of 1 1/2 days free for marking due to specialist teachers (music, PE 2x per week, ballet and science) coming to take her class. She didn't have to teach any other classes. And she was being paid more then me!

No they just live within their means! A rarity granted, but something to be proud of IMO.

Hardly the norm though.

Seems to be outside of the cities I'm afraid!

You just said it was a rarity!

My goodness this discussion is becoming really quite heated and not altogether very nice.

Both my children attend a wonderful prep school that offers the care that I need for them to allow me (now as a single parent) to work in the state sector.

My pupils at my state senior school start at 9am and finish by 3.20 and with their hour lunch break and 20 min morning break taken off, the pupils work (very hard might I add!) for 5 hours.

In my childrens prep school the school day is much longer. They start at 8.30 and the day finishes (for my son yr 7)at 6.00. They have 50mins for lunch and half an hour at morning break. So they are working for around 8 hours.

Over a period of time this difference in working hours for the pupils does add up and it is this that enables the private schools to have shorter terms and longer holidays. Most state school children will do about 25 hours in education per week.

Private or state teachers all work exceptionally hard whichever sector they teach in as do the pupils. Can the nastiness on this thread stop now?

I don't believe that anyone is saying that state school teachers don't work hard or that private school teachers all have it easy.

I dont benefit from having cheaper holidays as I am always still at work in my own school!

I teach in an independent school. I wouldn't like to say I work more hours, or harder, than my counterparts in a state school. I don't know.

Our holidays are longer, I assumed to give our boarders more of a chance to go home. We teach until 4.30.

NO-one is disputing that the children attend school for longer hours (a 40h wk fgs ).
I am saying that the teaching/planning hours per week will be about the same (in primary - don't know about secondary) because specialist teachers comein to take particular lessons, which gives the teacher time out. So.... whilst we are marking, etc after school, they are marking, etc during school hours. Then they get 6-8 weeks more holidays.

Hi Stoats

Yes I can see that, but the initial question was why are the terms shorter at private schools? and the question in fact isn't related to the teachers at all (no?) but how, many moons ago, an awful lot of private schools were boarding or fed into boarding schools. The pupils spent longer hours in a day being educated and would often have to travel further to return home at end of boarding term thus it is the pupils learning hours that determines the shorter terms.

All teachers have to put in lots of hours surely? I know that at my state school we all put in over and way above what is expected of us, but then that is part of the job.

And yes if my children didn't attend for 40 hour weeks I couldn't work effectively at my school.... its all swings and roundabouts. At least when we all get home I get to enjoy the time I do have with them without homework etc and once they are in bed, my working day starts up again [hsmile]

So I guess it's all historical. Private school holidays are organised around Edwardian boarders and state school holidays are organised around the agricultural year and Christian festivals. And all children attend school for approximately the same length of time per year.

Christ, get the teachers bitching.

Frankly, I don't give a feck, if DCs teachers get or deserve more holiday. If they can mark in the day. Or if they attend more meetings. That is not my business.

My business is my children, who are having a wonderful education ( long days and lots and lots of extra stuff eg matches, clubs, training, choirs, orchestras etc), but also seem to thrive on having long holidays.

Kids happy. Teachers happy. Results speak for themselves. End of.

The teachers are not bitching - we all agree we work just as hard, apart from one who was obviously in the wrong school. I don't recognise any of my colleagues in her description of the state sector. It was private school parents claiming that private school teachers deserve longer holidays because they work harder. And - shock horror - a few state teachers got a bit cross at the suggestion.

I am a private parent and a state teacher and happy with my lot!

Looking forward to my week off now where of course I will do nothing! [hgrin]

I still maintain that even though they work less weeks, the teachers at our Prep work the same hours overall. And judging by the cars in the carpark, those in the state sector are far more well paid! (including myself, at least I get a pension)

And for those that criticise, we all have options as to where we work. Stop complaining that these indie schools have it so easy. It's not right IMO