Inset days....again!

[Zarbi]

I was dismayed to learn that my son's primary school has suddenly added on 3 inset days to the end of the summer holidays. I have no annual leave left, no family locally and by then I will have surely run out of favours with friends & neighbours. Why do schools never consult with parents about how we prefer inset days to be allocated? (ie in blocks added to holidays or randomly scattered throughout the year?) Schools expect so much support from parents, yet they make decisions that impact on childcare without the slightest attempt at consultation. Apart from a general moan, does anyone out there have experience of a school that really tries to actively consider the needs of working parents (for inset days, attending daytime performances and assemblies, etc)?

You cannot be serious!

You mean you really feel that being invited to watch your DC is an imposition on your working hours?

We are told ours at the beginning of the school year but they are sometimes (rarely) changed.

I think they are a fact of life. Zarbi you haven't left yourself much roomfor manoeuvre here. What will you do if your child is ill?

(JohnPeelwasmyhero like yoUr name - he was mine too and I really miss him on the radio>

MaamRuby, it was all to do with the old government and a new curriculum. The new curriculum is no longer coming in, but the INSET day which was added for training in the Summer term of 2010 is to remain as it had already been agreed and was legally required.

MaamRuby primary schools were given an extra day to prepare for the New Primary Curricuum which has now been scrapped.

Curriculum

Zarbi, what work do you do? Are you a journo by any chance? Genuine question.

Are you suggesting that because some working parents find getting to assemblies hard that the invitations should not be issued?

So that in all the families where one of mum, dad, grandma, uncle, aunt CAN make it will also lose the chance?

Zarbi - I hose to work PT and term time only once DD was school age. I now, due to nature of my job (I work as a TA in an infant shool; was a teacher) have some flexibility with my hours.

For example - DD has prize ay mid July for an hour or so in a morning. I normally work mornings. However, in a couple of weeks school have asked me to work two additional afternoons to help on school trips - I have said yes, and they have agreed to the hours swap re the priize day. By choosing to have a flexible PT job I can make most ofDD's school events - and if not, DH can go - sometimes we both manage it.

I'm not a journalist. This is my first 'mumsnet' outing, in fact. I was quite surprised by how dismayed/angry I felt when I found out about these 3 inset days, and how they have thrown my (carefully juggled) childcare arrangements into disarray. Coupled with impending/recent attendance at a sports day, class worship and a music exam, it did make me question whether schools are expecting too much from working parents. I thought mumsnet was a good forum to quickly find out if my feelings are shared, or are an over-reaction. So far, opinion mainly seems to be this is the way things are in schools, put up with it. (Incidentally I'm a careers advisor!)

Zarbi, this IS the way things are, and you DO have to put up with it.

I'm a teacher. My DTDs are starting Yr R in September. Both their school and my school has INSET days at the beginning of the school year, but I CAN'T miss mine to look after them. Everyone has to deal with this - it's not like your DC's school is doing something out of the ordinary.

Chances are Zarbi, that the person making these decision in school is a working parent her- or himself. Honest.

Would you rather....

a. Your children did not do assemblies/concerts/sports days etc.

b. They did the events, but you were not invited to attend?

c. They did the events, and you decide whether or not you are able to attend.

I'm sorry, but I think you are being unreasonable. You have been given 3 months' notice about the INSET days. Your children are being given the opportunity to take part in activities which will interest and excite them. You have been given the opportunity to attend them and yet, you're complaining about all of it.

Honestly, schools just can't win, can they. No, I don't think schools are asking too much of working parents. You are not forced to attend any of the events. You have 3 months to sort childcare. It's not like they've only given you a week's notice like some schools mentioned on Mumsnet seem to do.

We book our INSET days to cause the most disruption to parensts, usually they are booked if we hear that there is something good on TV that afternoon or if a local supermarket has a sale on bisuits. That is offcourse all we do on INSET eat biscuits while laughing about the misery we cause parents.

at katycarr

I have of course typed off when I meant of. Best book an INSET in next week to sort out my spelling.

Can primary schools use an inset day for teacher parent sessions? I thought inset days were for teacher training where pupils don't attend however, our primary school has decided to use it for parent/teacher meetings instead of arranging after school times, this has upset alot of Y2 parents who want to take advantage of a long weekend but also want to discuss SATS with their teachers?

Although I appreciate that schools can't please everyone, Zarbi you have my sympathy regarding the three days at the start of next term and it would have thrown us, too. Had we known previously, we'd have booked our leave (and our holiday) to coincide with the INSET days - as it stands, if this had happened to us we'd be back at work for two weeks and then asking for another 3 days off - not good.

Fortunately the holiday club often runs on INSET days - not on all of them, but if demand is there they'll often open.

I imagine the situation is harder still for teachers with DCs of school age.

It seems to have escaped your notice that the INSET days are taken in our holidays, your children are being taught exactly the same number of days as always, it is teachers who have lost 5 days holiday!

Fair point - any comments on the others? or are they all correct?

Teachers may be working parents too, with full time jobs and no relatives nearby, the difference is they CAN'T take holiday to cover childcare on INSET days ( or at any other time either!)

dddangermouse, I don't understand your message

Are you suggesting that teachers train via online training whilst simultaneously teaching your children or that they have up to date training during INSET days? If the latter, how does this help your argument?

Don't forget that teachers never have any choice over their holiday dates.

Plus, what spanieleyes said.

No just making postive suggestions for more "effective" training times rather than using term times.

The response is somewhat silly no I don't expect teachers to do two things at once, but to train during the school breaks which are long.

Why do all levels of staff need the same training, in no business would this happen - It would be effectively tailored to each teachers levels and understanding. which could be done and managed without shutting the entire school.

And also I'm fairly questioning the need for all of this training? does this mean teachers are not learning the skills needed?

Spanieleyes teachers choose to be teachers so the response about not being able to take holiday isn't really related to my post??