INSET nightmare

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We have just been given four days' notice (in the form of a reminder) of an Inset day. Both myself and partner have work commitments that we cannot get out of and would not have booked if we had known in advance. I'm gutted that I cannot spend the day with my son and also now face the dilemma of having no childcare available. Why can't schools give better notice? It doesn't help that the Head has written a rather glib message and I feel like being really stroppy!

were you told at the beginning of the year?

INSET days are generally arranged at the start of the academic year and the school should notify parents with these dates, along with other important dates, at the start of the year also. Sometimes schools do add INSET days (very rarely though - our school did after a bad OFSTED) but I am sure there should be a much much longer notice period. We gave parents about a month or so's notice. I think you are in your right to speak to the Head and complain of lack of notice. If such short notice is being given the school ought to have provided somewhere for the pupils IMO.

No we weren't told but have just had an apology from the Head and notice of an inset day on 25 July. I will ask for all inset days to be given to us in September.

Glad the Head has seen sense! Your school is open late BTW - we finish on the 18th.

we close on the 23rd

that's very late, we close on 11th!

Private?

why in private school s do you get less term for your money?
Makes no sense to me

yup.
dunno - to allow everyone to go on long expensive holidays?
except me of course, grounded and staying in Wilts

In my dd's private school , they do a longer school day which is why they have longer hols - don't know if that's the 'norm' though.

I had them when I went to a private school - used to find them a bit boring...

Ooh, DD's at private school and breaks up this Friday - the 4th

I'm so pleased - I love the holidays. Call me weird..... 2 months off. No school until September 4!

Can never understand why private have more holidays than state schools, even though you are paying for it. School DDs name is down for have about 3 weeks more than the state school I teach at.

In the school where I used to work we used to have a longer day by an hour ... half hour at the beginning and half hour at the end ... If you add them up over a term it makes quite a few hours more than state schools. I think that is one of the main reasons why we had longer holidays.
Mind you we had I think an extra 3 weeks throughout the year ... one at xmas and 2 in the summer (maybe a few extra days at easter) ...
Also ... we NEVER had INSET during term time. All our training days were in holiday time. We had at least 2 days before the start of every term ... 3 or 4 before the start of the new year.

This is getting my goat at the moment - we've had Parent's Evening today - take the appointment you're given, with no consultation, or you can't come. And they "forgot" to do appointments for the nursery (first year that they've had a nursery), so we have to go back again in 2 weeks for that one - again, no choice for the appointment time and "please don't bring your children" - well sometimes I have no choice, I don't want to, but there's nowhere else I can send them. And nursery is breaking up 2 days before the main school (nursery 15th, school 17th) - just been told that today. We got a letter from the main school about 10 days ago giving us the end of term date (but not for the nursery), the dates for the parents evening (but the appointments came a week later), the date for sports day (tomorrow) and a snotty comment that now we've had the dates, please put them in our diaries, to avoid unnecessary calls to the office. Well if they told us the dates a bit sooner, we wouldn't need to phone them. We are always notified of everything with no more than 1 week's notice, and told we need to reply / pay by the next day.
Phew! that was a rant and a half - I just can't believe that they don't know these dates more in advance, and that they're so inflexible. But I do actually love the school, as do dds. It's just a little annoying when they're so inefficient.

emieswill, that's dreadful.

We have already had term dates for at least the next academic year = got them months ago. We get a termly calendar at the end of the previous term which includes details of when class assemblies will be held, sports days, sports matches, parents' evenings etc.

WRT to hours - DD starts at 8.40 and finishes at 3.35pm at age 6. I pass the local state school children going to school as I walk home and they have already been let out when I walk to collect DD so I guess we do about an extra half hour each day.

On parents' evenings, there is no additional childcare in addition to those children who are already regularly booked in to after-school care but children are often taken along. Parents remain responsible for them but I have left DD outside the classroom with a book to read. We are sent a list of sessions about a week or two in advance and have to tick off a minimum of three half hour slots that are convenient. The school will ensure that siblings appointments are arranged around the same time.

I know we pay but this is common courtesy and a little forethought. There are state schools that get it right too.

emsiewill - that is dreadful. My daughter's school openly encourages you to bring your kids to parents' evening - the hall is opened and the head sort of supervises. Plus got next years term dates ages ago. Don't finish until 25th.

Why can't inset days be in the holidays? This really, really bugs me. It means another week (over the year) of childcare I have to sort out and pay for. I know, I know, I know teachers will say that I am not expected to work during my holidays but can't the holidays just be a week shorter? Or teachers get a weeks more pay?

we've just been given the dates of our INSET days for all the next academic year.
I am sure most of these days are set far in advance so emsiewell, your school sounds very inefficient to keep the information to themselves for so long.

I agree, it would be nice if INSET days could be fitted in at the near the beginning of the school holidays - with teachers getting more pay.

What annoys me slightly is that my son's nursery only opens for a half day at the start of every new term and often the first day back after half term. (ie 3 hours in the afternoon). Over the year thats a lot of half days. For working parents, that usually means taking a whole day off work.

Calmed down a bit now!
To be fair, it was only the nursery that asked us not to bring children along - and with dd2 it is true that it's hard to concentrate when she's running amok. I think we'll bring both along and dd1 can "supervise" dd2.
Found out that the reason that the nursery is closing 2 days early is that next year's intake is coming to visit. But they MUST have arranged that a while ago. Grrr.
Got a letter yesterday, with information about the activities taking place next week to celebrate the school's 10th birthday. Which involves more juggling of work/childcare etc. Again, I can't believe they've only just decided what they're going to be doing.
So actually I haven't calmed down much at all.

emsiewill - is it a state school? If so, the term dates for the LEA may well be on their website. I know Doncaster's term dates are on the Doncaster LEA's site. I got them from there to book a holiday and we don't get them until September (I am a teacher BTW).

Most INSET dates are attached to the start and end of terms around here, like they sed be to a long time ago - they just weren't called that; and it always seemed that summer holidays were about 6 and a half weeks long, rather than just 6 like know. We do have the odd ones in term time, usually on Monday and Fridays but parents should be informed of these at the start of the year. We have a couple in term time so that the information is arounf the time of special events, like exams and coursework deadlines times, etc. or are used partly for moderation of pupil's work before they go off to exam boards. I know it must be a little inconvenient for parents but decent schools should tell you in advance (well in advance). Even our school does that it is is not great at all!

yes, it is a state school, and the term dates are on the council website - got them pinned up on my board at work. But that obviously doesn't help with the inset days. Trouble is the secretary is ao scary that I hate to think what would happen if I tried to suggest they were more efficient with passing on information. Even the head is scared of her!