The teacher strike is on the same day as DS's transistion day to year 7

[cottonwoolbrain]

He's already unhappy about the school he's been allocated but we've been selling it to him that he'll be much happier and everything will feel more real once he's been and spent the day there... he's the only one from his primary going so it was so it is more important to him than some others.

We've just about got him looking forward to it.. and now this. Wondering if there will be a transition day at all now.. I'm hoping it will be moved rather than cancelled. He's not even been inside the school only ever seen it from outside. He does not know a single person there.

We will wait to see what the school say before I tell him anything. Apparantly that week is transition day for loads of schools across the country... I'd like to think there was nothing deliberate about upsetting so many year 6s... but I feel as if there may be

Maybe they’ll reschedule?

I'm sure they will reschedule, if not this term one of the Insets in September.

Surely they'll just move it...

I think it’s transition day in a lot of counties. We’re in a similar situation, OP. I think the unions have put teachers in a tricky position with this date. (Teacher writing here.)

@pasbeaucoupdegendarme

You don't say whether you are a primary or secondary teacher.

But this is another day that teachers are expected to go above and beyond.
Writing lesson plans for last minute timetables, sorting out equipment and materials for what is often a last minute timetable with an unspecified amount of pupils with little or no guidance to the SEND requirement in the class.

I don't know if the NEU has targeted this day but it would make sense if they did.

I’m sure they wouldn’t intentionally try to create more stress than necessary for the parents and children. Goodness knows there’s been enough already. Those in government frankly couldn’t give less of a toss if they tried. State education can and will go to hell in a handcart for all they care. Why would they - they are highly likely to be sending their own to the best private schools . They just don’t want to take any action on this or the NHS. They don’t like the welfare state do they? Just pretend to shuffle a few bits of paper and pretend your priorities lie with the future generations. As long as they go to eton and form the next generation of government eh?

Transition day requires a lot of good will and puts staff under a lot of pressure. School must continue as normal (albeit with room changes, setting cover work, managing movement of children and disruption to their routine etc.) while meeting every need of every new parent and child.

The additional planning and pressure is something teachers accept for the good of the children, but if nothing is coming from the government for the good of the children, such as enough qualified teachers and proper funding as a minimum, perhaps people need to see who's doing all the hard work and what happens when they don't do all the extra with nothing to support or in return.

@FrippEnos I'm sure it will make perfect sense to thousands of upset 10 and 11 year olds who.are already worried about a huge change in their lives.

Will just have to hope they reschedule transition day. I need DS to want to go or we are in for a difficult time. He won't even look national the website with us.

Y6 teacher here.

Yep. I don't like this one bit. I feel that this strike is going to cause more disruption for the kids and, ironically, the teachers themselves. The Friday is also shit - loads of trips booked.

I cannot understand the rationale behind this one.

Why hasn't he ever been inside it ?
What about when you looked round before you chose it as an option ?

Another that can not understand it. 7th is transfer day, prom, year 7 and 8 trip.
Prom and trips are booked and paid for. Transfer day is organised across the local area, it will be very difficult to reschedule for everyone to move on one day.

From the OP I'd guess they didn't choose it as an option and instead it had been allocated.

It's not "transition day" everywhere.

We're in the same position; when the date was first suggested our secondary got in touch to say they'd make the day work come hell or high water. I'm holding they're able to stick to that but I guess it will depend on how many staff are actually off that day? It seems inevitable it will be pared down at least.

Our primary will close so the kids won't get their transition to the new class day which is annoying but overall much less impact.

I'm really, really hoping the union didn't target this date as a common secondary transition day as some have suggested. I've been a bit supporter of the strikes to date though they've been personally disruptive and inconvenient. That's fine, they're supposed to be disruptive. But this would be much more targeted at disrupting the children, which to me crosses a line. I hope it's not the case.

It's ds's college transition day. He's stressed enough as it is.

It's end of year, of course dates are picked to maximise disruption. Late June onwards is transition time.

I'm genuinely suprised this didn't happen mid A level and mid. GCSE exams.

I think it's totally intentional and will be hard for some teachers to decide and will lose a lot of public support. My children have their transition day too and one really, really needs it (has additional needs - the other will be totally fine without it).

I thought they avoided Mondays and Fridays so also feel the 7th was chosen to spoil trips/proms/sports days. Makes the Union seem spiteful rather than trying to get real change .

Tbf DS transition was during lockdown so didn’t happen; they all managed because they had to and were all in the same boat. We just gave lots of reassurance

This.

If transition doesn't/can't happen it is not ideal but also it tends to work out OK. For some kids the pressure around transition can actually hinder them.

Yes, but surely you look round all the possible outcomes, not just at your first choice?

It's end of year, of course dates are picked to maximise disruption.

That is the point of striking really. There's no point in the unions saying they will "strike on the last day of term so it doesn't disrupt anything" as how is that going to get parents to pressurise their MPs into getting the Government to do something about the terrible state schools are in ? If the union members are going to take another hit on their pay, it needs to cause as much disruption and headlines as possible (ditto nurses, doctors, lecturers, rail staff, and all the other people who are striking). It's terrible they have been forced into this, but as they have, there's no point in doing it if it doesn't really get noticed.

Neither of those dates clash with the Y6 induction days for a couple of the boroughs round here. One borough does have their day scheduled for the Wednesday but the schools my Y6s are off to didn't close for previous NEU strikes.

It's end of year, of course dates are picked to maximise disruption.

Like I said, totally can get behind maximising disruption to the parents and therefore wider economy/society.

But if this is intentional, it definitely feels like targeting the kids specifically.

Same for DD1 and she’s a child (waiting ASD assessment) who is going to need careful transition support.

It’s the sort of scheduling I expected from the teaching unions though.

Transition day isn't a national thing. DD's old school is doing it on 5th July.

I fully support the strikes and we'll, Teachers and school staff have got used to changing days and dates around with little notice after Covid disruption, and barely a word of thanks from the DofE or government.

In our case it's year 11 Leavers Assembly in the morning and prom in the evening which DD is going to. When I told them they shrugged and said "well if it's a strike about pay then good for them, we can wait for both".

Of course it's intentional, there would be no point if it didn't disrupt, why wouldn't they disrupt the children as that then disrupts the parents