OK, so if *you* were in charge of school holidays, what would you do . . .

[Takver]

My plan if I were dictator for life Education Secretary:

1. Give all dc an extra 3 weeks of holiday, 2 of them at the start of the summer hols (ie break up start July),

2. The other extra week goes to break up the long autumn term, so a longer (say 10 days) half term early-mid oct, then a long weekend with 2 days hols end november.

3. Sorry, teachers, but then all school have to offer 3 x 1 week summer camp in the long summer holidays.

4. These are optional, so if parents want their dc can have the full 8 weeks. The weeks are mainly extension activities like you get at the end of term. So eg primaries might do a sports week, a storytelling/drama week, a craft week. Secondaries might offer some academic options (eg study skills week for those going into 6th form, catch up maths etc), and some fun stuff again like end of term weeks.

I'm sure there's all sorts of problems with this (!) but I reckon (a) working parents don't have any longer childcare to arrange, and (b) it would break up the summer holidays for those that need without getting rid of the option of a long break for those that it suits.

Obviously it is more work for teachers, particularly in the first few years but I guess the pay-off is that you'd probably only have about half the dc there (maybe less in some schools? I suspect few would do all 3 weeks) and it would give a bit of 'time off' from the curriculum to do fun stuff.

What would you all do? (Especially if you are a teacher )

We are one of the only schools to run a holiday club in the local area. It is incredibly difficult to get students and staff to run this ONE club! Goodness knows how you'd recruit enough people to run the clubs in ALL schools!

Not all students want to work with children on a minimum wage. TAs have children of their own. School staff go on holiday at staggered times over the 6 weeks (how could they all cram their holidays into 3 weeks?)

'Fun activities' have to be planned - usually more carefully than a lesson in school, because you have ensure all children are gainfully and appropriately employed (otherwise you will have TROUBLE!!) Who would do all this planning? Who would be supervising?

There is a large children's camp run locally for one week each summer with loads of student/school volunteers. I know for a fact that the organisation takes months and months and months, with a hierarchy of co-ordinators, leaders, etc. It is a massive enterprise!

I can well understand what iPad quietly is saying-the risk assessment, planning and organisation required for small outings at school are v time consuming and arduous. For weeks of 'fun' activities, they'd be horrific. Who would want to do that for minimum wage? Would it be done well as you can bet your bottom bollar there would parents suing left right and centre if it wasn't! Could you be sure they'd even turn up? CRB checks would also obviously be needed well in advance which would by time consuming and expensive.

Ideally, there would be superbly-planned, organised and fun affordable childcare for all parents who wanted to work but realistically this is just not going to happen. There is no simple solution and whatever changes are made will make life difficult for somebody.

ipad and redlocks - we need more of a "can do" attitude please.

Just injecting a little realism, sorry.

Bog off newcupboards. Or organise them yourself. As I said up thread, a friend of mine runs holiday camps and it is his full time job. Expecting TAs, teachers or students to organise and run them would be a massive enterprise. Organising one week of activities for our last week of term activities week was enough, thank you.

"Organising one week of activities for our last week of term activities week was enough, thank you."

Yes, I can imagine getting the kids to watch yet another DVD whilst you dismantled your displays before legging it out the school for six weeks of holidays was very taxing, Evil.

I'm a TA. I don't want to run them. I don't need the extra money and I have my own child to look after in the holidays thanks! If it isn't compulsory for teachers then it shouldn't be compulsory for anyone!

Clearly newcupboards you have not got the faintest idea of how most schools work if you think that is the extent of planning in an activity week!

Apologies; I didn't mean to say "holidays" I meant planning, making resources and general preparation for the coming school year.

These activities realistically take longer to plan because you would have to cater for a range of ages, a range of abilities and a range of activities. You would have to be able to fund all the resources required for three weeks of activities. You would have to keep all children occupied all day, every day, for fifteen days.

How would you deal with SEN children (particularly those assigned 1:1 TAs)? How would you assure all activities are covered by proper first aiders? When (and who) would advertise for holiday staff? Who would do the planning of each activity? What activities would you offer to cater for all children? How would you deal with the varying attendance - taking account of children's holidays and time out with parents? Who would deal with the funding issue for the children with 'vouchers?

'Can do' attitude?
Get real.

I would have 4 equal length terms with 3 week holidays between each term. Stick in a long weekend mud term to get up to the 13 weeks holiday we currently get.

Although I'd actually like 4 weeks holiday each time as I rather enjoy the school holidays and don't have to worry about childcare.

I like the sound of a long-weekend mud term!

us poor playworkers are trained to put on playschemes and run holiday activities, am sure the teachers wouldn't want to do our job and we wouldn't want to do theirs!

the summer hols are just about righ, remember there are only four weeks left already!

by 'trained' i mean highly qualified!

quote :'Ideally, there would be superbly-planned, organised and fun affordable childcare for all parents who wanted to work but realistically this is just not going to happen'

we had this before the tories cut the budgets to local governments. our counties 'play' department was cut completely. the out of school, wraparound care plan was starting to reach fruition quite nicely until cameron et al decided that it wasn't needed.

unplanned long holidays are great as long as children are allowed to take back the time for themselves and are in settings which allow them to just be kids instead of learning this that and the other.

What a twattish thing to say, newcupboards. I would invite you to view the school website for a full report of exactly what went on during activities week, but obviously don't want to out myself. It's ridiculous posts like yours that wind people up and contribute fuck all to discussions like this one.

Grow up.

And telling someone to "bog off" is so grown up, Evil

Whatever (mature)

Would have gone with something stronger, btw, which is what your post deserved, but didn't want to get deleted before I could make my point.

and your point was?

That organising decent holiday activities would take an awful lot more time and effort than some people think and that organising proper (that's right, not DVDs) activities for activities week was enough. Stop being so bloody facetious.

Sorry, Miss (you really can't get out of patronising-teacher mode, can you?)

I appreciate that a lot of organisation would be required to run summer schools but don't think it's an impossible task. Clearly you do.

I don't think it's an impossible task at all - if you bother to read he thread, you will see that I have a friend who does it- as a full time job. My point is that it should not be seen as something that can be tacked onto a teacher or TA's job.

And if you're going to harp on about patronising, I'll refer you to your previous post about "can do" attitudes.