Primary Teachers - What class prep do you do in summer hols?

[SummerHolsClean]

I'm due to start a new role in Sept and feel I have lots of prep to do before any pupil sets foot inside the class. On another thread it was mentioned there is very little to do, so it made me curious what other primary teachers do over the summer hols to prep!

So far on my list:

1. Clean and declutter classroom from previous pupils/teacher
2. Label all new exercise books for new class (8 books per pupil)
3. Re-label all resource trays as labels are missing/torn/tatty
4. Tidy said resources - check they are complete
5. Label cloakroom so each child has own peg
6. Create tray for each new pupil with own pencils, ruler, rubber etc as they must now have their own items and not share
7. Create new displays for each subject

Then after that, I'll be reading through guidance I've been sent by senior management on how to bridge the gap lost in this years learning, how to support pupils mental health due to lockdown, as well as read through the first terms plans and checking I have the resources needed - if not, I may need to create them.

Does everyone do pretty much the same? More? Less?

I do literally nothing until inset day where I stay a bit later and get things sorted out.

All of the things on your list were done before we broke up apart from the displays. All my boards have been backed but I can't put anything up until the children have done some work.

I finished on Tuesday and I went in on Wednesday to tidy the classroom. I do need to make new tray labels but will do that on the INSET day. I am going back to FT in September so I will spend some time over the holidays looking through planning and making sure I know what I am teaching for the first few weeks.

I never move classroom because I run a Resource Base, but all of the things on your list are done at the end of term at my school. We almost always have an INSET day on the last day of term and the deal is that you only have to go in if you still have classroom prep to do.

Since breaking up I've made Knowledge Organisers for the first term and worked on my assessment software to make sure baselines etc are set for September.

I did all that stuff before we broke up. Always do - before every holiday in fact. Anything left over on inset, or for TAs on first day back.

This holiday I will sort out some planning for science and history, probably 2 days work in total. Nothing else.

As you stated above, then planning on top of that. Couldn't get in my classroom before the holidays as I was I was in a different bubble, and things like exercise books hadn't arrived. In terms of planning, updating medium term plans (which I had to do from scratch last year) and planning all topic/science for the half term + maths and English for the first couple of weeks. I have no one to share planning with and we are on a four year topic cycle. Such a difference to being in a two-form entry school doing the same topics annually, as I have done in the past. It's perhaps 3 or 4 full working days' worth in total.

Our lovely TA's have done the peg labels and book labels and backed my boards. I have done two days tidying and sorting (wouldn't normally but I have moved classrooms this year). My new room was a bit tatty and unloved so it's taken me a bit longer than usual. One more day of sorting and I will be done in my room until Spetember (we have 2 INSET days at the beginning). Then it's just planning and CPD.

I'm moving schools and will he in a brand new classroom. Not sure whether there's any backing up, yet. Not sure about the resources. We'll see. Im meeting with one of my new colleagues next week to have a look at it and perhaps get some things ready.
I've started to look at the planning overview, although I can't do much until I have the actual schemes of work. I have my resources for Maths and have a copy of the scheme.
Don't have my timetable, yet, which means I'm not sure which subjects I've been allocated. I only know I won't be doing German or Music. I might take some other class' PE or Art, though.
I'll make some tray and peg labels once I know what furniture I've got and will start some displays but will have to wait for the children to actually do some work first.
I've got INSET for 7 days and there's some time to sort out the rooms, too. I basically start back in the 6th August.

I am a TA and we had an inset day last Monday to tidy up and get classrooms ready for September. A lot of our teachers are moving classrooms so there was a lot of decluttering going on. Things like book, draw and peg labels are always left to the TA’s as well as taking down displays and backing boards etc. We have another inset day at the beginning of term to finish off but most classrooms are ready so not much left to do.

I do all of that before breaking up for the summer. No intention of doing anything until the inset day in September, when I'll plan up to first PPA.

My first few years, my holiday list matched yours.
When I moved classrooms I've spent a day or two moving my stuff and making the place my own.

Otherwise, like many others, I multi task and spend the last month of school slotting in those jobs in between what I need to do normally and make sure I get them all done before we break up.

I then might spend up to a day faffing and tidying once the kids have left, but usually find myself at a loss for meaningful stuff to do if I do go in.

This year I'm definitely not going in. And there's no holiday club meaning the school is just open anyway. We have 2 training days AND 2 prep days before opening to kids the 2nd week back, so there's plenty of time this year.

I'm starting my NQT year in September and I've already been in four mornings since we finished doing all the jobs you listed and extras.

Slowly getting my new room sorted - I think another two mornings and I'm there. Take home planning to look over.

Planning and associated things: topic web, parents' letter and resources (if I can be bothered) during the holidays
Book labels
Tray labels
Backing paper
Any associated admin to do with groups - Tolsby frames, folders etc
Moving the desks and putting everything back where it belongs - finally having my classroom repainted so everything's in the middle of the room. I'm not complaining - I'm so happy it's finally being done!
Also reading around a health issue one of my new class has and thinking about how I'm going to adapt my teaching to them.