Inset day

An inset day, originally an acronym for IN-SErvice Training day, and sometimes known as a Baker day, is one of a series of five days in most English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish schools on which school sessions are not required to be run, and the pupils do not attend school, but the staff are required to attend for training or to complete administration tasks.

History

Inset days were introduced in 1988 under a Conservative government, by the minister then responsible, Kenneth Baker, as part of a series of reforms, including the introduction of the National Curriculum. They were originally, and are still occasionally, referred to as Baker Days, because Kenneth Baker introduced the requirement for teachers to attend training in addition to the 190 days previously required.

Attendance

Teachers in state schools are required to undertake 5 inset days in addition to the 190 teaching days children are required to be in school. The days are determined by the Local Education Authority, though Academy and Free schools have the freedom to set alternative dates.

Controversy

This development of teacher training days is thought by some education bodies to cause additional disruption and burdens upon working parents who do not have easy access to flexible alternative third party childcare. However, this misunderstanding arises because it is generally forgotten that the 5 training days were introduced as an addition to teachers' attendance days. The total number of days chidren are required to be in school has not been affected by the introduction of Inset days.

Teachers who are parents themselves may have greater problems than other working parents as they are unable to take ad hoc days off to look after their own children whenever an Inset day is scheduled at their children's school.

See also

• Inservice program