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)?

But adults choose to become parents!

But I am not paid for working in the holidays, dddangermouse.

Teaching is everchanging - not least because new initiatives are constantly brought in by whoever is in power. Training is therefore continually needed.

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.

But we DO train during the breaks, otherwise your children would be taught for less than the 190 days covered which we legally must teach

This is a ZOMBIE thread from 2010

Risen from the dead.

to train during the school breaks which are long.

Inset days were taken out of our holidays in 1988! Would you like them to be taken out of our holidays again!?

From the ridiculous petition:

Teachers are paid all year so should work like the rest of the nation, all year.

No, they're not.

10 signatures - ha!

What should mumsnet be renames Teachers net!! your all so funny

YES is the straight answer I do think the holidays of teachers should include the training - Yes I do think teachers get long holidays and should organise the business "school" more effectively and take on board lessons from the business world in effective training methods.

I think there is only passionate response to any debate when the people debating know that there is a tiny bit of truth in the statements being posted.

I just wish there was one honest teacher out there who would say - actually these days are a pain in the backside for all concerned.

Spanieleye I haven't actually said that I have children

Feenie at least you looked!! tempted to sign it... :-)

YES is the straight answer I do think the holidays of teachers should include the training

They do! Do you not understand this?

It's the Primary Education board on Mumsnet, dear - therefore, you can expect to find a fair few Mums who are teachers.

It's becoming very obvious that you don't really understand this. Your children get 14 weeks holiday a year. !3 of them are at standard times, another 5 days are distributed throughout the year.

We used to get 14 weeks also - however, a week was taken away from our holidays so that we could train in them. Therefore, we already train in the holidays.

Firstly, dddangermouse, this thread is well over a year old so you're being a bit of an idiot trying to reply to it and start an argument on it anyway.

Secondly, these days aren't a "pain in the backside", they are a necessary part of the job. Since you obviously aren't a teacher and obviously have no knowledge of the education system you perhaps won't understand why training is a regular and ongoing necessity.

New research on child development, new methods of teaching, new legislation, new government and approach to the curriculum - these things all require training time. Not to mention additional subject training - NOTHING stays the same even in traditional subjects.

I won't bother to explain any further because judging by your poor attitude, you will obstinately refuse to listen whatever we say.

You don't do the job, you don't have the knowledge to understand the job, and you're acting like a troll.

And I haven't said you have either!

That petition is literally one of the worst I've seen.

If you're going to start a petition at least make sure your information is correct.

To all the teachers inform us - so tell me the last 5 inset days that were taken what did you learn? Are they useful - Your all going to honestly tell me that they are all?? without any execption, that it's not been a waste of your day?

Talk about bees in bonnets - I've never come across a profession that's so easily rattled, it's like them against us.. why do parents not get told what is being taught / trained on the INSET day? maybe then it would be more open communication?

Teachermumof3 - based on your user name are you telling me that you welcome arranging childcare while you go for training??

Badgercub it's not mine!!

No-one says they are perfect, if given the option of an extra 5 days holidays or INSET training I know which I would choose! However they are a necessary evil, last year we introduced a whole school phonics scheme from Reception to year 6 which lasted two days,Paediatric First Aid training for all staff which was another two and the final one was a curriculum day which meant that we worked in teams to develop the school curriculum for the following two years. Which one would you prefer we didn't cover?

Actually, mine are usually very useful - staff are very involved in deciding what we need to develop, so it's always relevant.

And the person on the thread who seems the most rattled is you, dddangermouse - the person who has spent the day upping ancient threads to post a link to a daft petition that nobody seems the least bit interested in.

Spanieleyes thanks at last for a response that's not calling me an idiot and troll!! making assumptions about my profession or my experience with teacher training.

Going back to what I said why is there not the open communication with regards to what is being taught - this would put an end to the negative -"Teachers having too many jollys attitude." which is the norm and bothers the teachers greatly!! if this thread is anything to go on?

Badgerclub - go back to your cooking / cleaning / marking books whatever you were doing before throwing insults around. I haven't called anyone an idiot or troll and can't see your reason for doing so.

Midazolam training with epilepsy awareness, Oxygen training, Training for those of us who give feeds via pumps or bolus, Asthma awareness, Resuscitation training, Team Teach for those who needed refresher training, Administering meds including controlled drugs. New staff were given training in autism and it's impact on the learning environment.

dddangermouse

"I've never come across a profession that's so easily rattled"

Possibly because we come up against shit-talkers like you all the time, who have no knowledge of what is involved in the job yet for some reason have so many helpful suggestions on what we should be doing!

I would never tell somebody else how to do their job if I didn't know the first thing about it. Such arrogance.

Why would you assume that INSET days are not useful?

Some of the most useful training days I've had have been on SN and child protection issues. We have a high number of autistic children in our area with varying needs, and have introduced a large number of new strategies to increase inclusion in the classroom, not to mention provide reassurance for their parents that we actually give a shit and don't just see their children as a "problem".

The new government is pushing phonics so training on new techniques has been useful in that department...

Sometimes a new sport is introduced to school, or a new slant on an old topic.

Etc. Too many things to list.

I suppose we expect parents to appreciate that we are professional enough to spend our training days on just that! Not many parents equate INSETs with "jollys" and if you had to sit through some you would soon feel the same!

fennie - How you do find out peoples opinions if you don't ask?

Spanieleyes I have sat through some that's why i'm reading with interest the responses.

Then you should be aware of the usefulness of most ( although I would agree not all) training days. Those I find the least useful are the new curriculum training days when the curriculum is changed yet again the following year!