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 write a post which asks questions, instead of making ludicrous sweeping statements about which you know nothing.

And it's Feenie, dddangermoose.

Dangermouse

We had an inset day at the beginning of this term. We spent most of the day doing first aid training, then we spent an hour with an advisor from county looking at the new curriculum. Then we had a diary dates meeting and decided on dates for events throughout the year, so we could send out a comprehensive list of dates, for working parents so they can book any days off necessary.

We have another inset day booked for the first day back after half term. We will spend the morning with yet another advisor from county as we are piloting a new scheme of work for a specific subject, then we will spend the afternoon at a local ict base, so we can decide how best to use the facility over the next year. Then we will return to school to write up the related plans for the rest of the year.

Is that enough for you?

I prefer dddangermoose!!

"why is there not the open communication with regards to what is being taught"

Why does there need to be?

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

You don't think that is an insulting way to speak about the teaching profession?

If you hadn't come onto this thread in such a hostile manner, posting ridiculous petitions, and asking stupid questions like "why don't teachers train during the holidays", which FULLY demonstrate that you don't know what you're talking about, you might find I'd be a bit more friendly towards you.

I have absolutely NO patience for people who lazily condemn and question the teaching profession because they haven't bothered to get their facts straight. Sorry.

Dddangermouse - at my school, we're having three twilight sessions this term instead of an INSET day at the end of half term. Does that make you happier? Thing is, the kids won't be going in on the Monday after half term, because THEY NEVER WERE. I will also be staying at home. I expect I'll have a lie in then catch up on TV. There you go - an honest response. But the main thing I would like you to take from this is that it does not alter what the children were doing. We as a staff have agreed to do three early evening sessions instead, but the children will be doing EXACTLY THE SAME as they would have been doing anyway.

The three evening sessions are (just so you can see that they're useful):
A session shared with another school (we're secondary) with a particularly brilliant speaker (Jim Smith, author of "The Lazy Teacher's Handbook" if any teachers are reading - he's fab)
A numeracy session to develop approaches to whole school numeracy.
A literacy session to develop approcaches to whole school literacy.

All useful, and interesting, and, as a parent as well as a teacher, focusing on things I would want my DTD's teachers to be completely up-to-date on.

Teachers aren't paid for their holidays.
Would you rather they weren't being brought up-to-date on the latest child protectiion procedures so that you can have an extra day free childcare?

dddangermouse teachers are contracted and paid for 195 days which mean that they don't have 13 weeks leave

if its such a great crack then train to be a teacher. Seems like a thankless job at times. i do wonder about some parents!

dddangermouse Mon 19-Sep-11 17:39:55

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

It has already been pointed out to you (but either you missed it or are ignoring it) the training days are not using term time they are taken from teacher's holidays.

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.

Because all levels of staff have to deliver the same curriculum perhaps

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

You could suggest the government stops introducing new initiatives and making changes to the curriculum and making new laws regarding pupil welfare and child protection and out of school activities .......

"Spanieleye I haven't actually said that I have children"

If you don't, why do you have to take 6 days holiday to cover childcare for inset days?

Good question

I thought it was just worth reminding everyone that Inset days historically came out of the summer holiday anyway. Back in the 1980's, Lord Baker took 5 days out of the holiday and converted them into training days for teachers.

So, without the Inset days, you would still have to find a week's extra child minding anyway across the year.

The thing is EvilTwins even though you are doing your training after school your pupils will still only attend school for 190 days so dddangermouse will be no better off if her child is one of the pupils

I would like to know what there is to complain about given that the inset days are not days lost out of a child's education. Has DM said or is s/he studiously ignoring that point?

As an aside, we still call them bug's days after DS1 thought they were insect days when in reception.

mrz- that was my point Whether we did our training after school or for the full day after half term, it makes no difference at all to the children.

Maybe there is a confusion between education and childcare.

Blimey you all still going??

Well, you can't - your silly petition link has been deleted.

I can still follow comments and thanks for getting it removed - well done ;) it's great having fair comments and debates on teachersnet.

Really enjoyed it so thanks all for the information and the insight into teachers lives and opinions, I've learnt lots.

www.teachernet.gov.uk/ there you go dddangermouse

I'm afraid it wasn't me who reported your post. Having a post removed doesn't mean your username is deleted. And reporting a post does not guarantee its removal, either - MNHQ have to agree that it breaches their policies, so perhaps you should speak to them if you think that it was unfairly removed.

Good luck with that

I'm not sure but someone said on another thread that MN terms excludes petitions ??

yes, they do!

I started a thread about the Hillsborough disclosure petition and included a link. and MN politely pointed out I shouldn't have done that

Dangermouse, are you going to bother to explain where you stand now you know that inset days do not come out of school time? Or are you just going to ignore that rather important fact?

Soupdragon - I posted to say thanks to you all - for pointing out the facts -

Still amazed by the hostile amount of comments, name calling and general attitude - everyone seems very defensive, and spiteful not sure if that's just teachers, mumsnet or you lot??

The reason I posted in the first place was to defend the poor lady who posted first Zarbi - she was just having a moan and got shot down in flames!! maybe you should read it from an outsiders point of view, take step back and see how it reads.

I still am allowed to have my own opinion with the fact that the red tape that is training & Inset days, I understand now how they work in terms of holidays etc and that the training is needed? I'm not in doubt as to the value of the training, but the red tape that exists theses days wasn't required back in the day and I also still question the fact that most teaches would prefer to do without the read tape. A fact that has been pointed out to me that a huge percentage of new teachers leave the job in the first 3 years.

Newrumpus - The education / Childcare? don't really mind what is said there the simple fact is while the children are at school the parents can work?