Inset day

An inset day, originally an acronym for IN-SErvice Training day,^[1] and sometimes known as a Baker day,^[2] is one of a series of five days in most English, Welsh and Northern Irish schools during term time but on which school sessions are not required to be run, and the pupils do not attend school.^[3] On the inset day, the staff are required to attend training or complete administration tasks.^[3]

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,^[2] including the introduction of the National Curriculum. For this reason, they were originally, and are still occasionally, referred to as Baker Days.^[2]

Attendance

Teachers in state schools are required to undertake 5 inset days in addition to the 190 teaching days they are required to deliver each year.^[2]

Controversy

This development of moveable teacher training days is thought by some education bodies to cause additional disruption^[4] and burdens upon working parents who do not have easy access to flexible alternative third party childcare. 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.^[5]

References