An inset day (an abbreviation of in-service training day), also known as a TD day (teacher development day), PD day (professional development day) or Baker day,
[ is one of a series of five days in most schools in the ]United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
on which teaching sessions are not run and the pupils do not attend school,[ but the staff are required to attend for training or to complete administrative tasks. Teachers can catch up with work and also have the opportunity to train for any new technology or new ways of doing things within the school.]
History
Inset days were introduced in 1988 under a Conservative government by the minister Kenneth Baker, as part of a series of reforms,[
]
Attendance
Teachers in state schools are required to undertake five 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
Local education authorities (LEAs) were local councils in England that are responsible for education within their jurisdiction. The term was used to identify which council (district or county) is locally responsible for education in a system wit ...
, although academy and free
Free may refer to:
Concept
* Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything
* Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism
* Emancipate, to procur ...
schools have the freedom to set their own dates.
Controversy
This development of teacher training days is thought by some education bodies to cause additional disruption and burdens on working parents who do not have easy access to flexible childcare, although the five training days were introduced as an addition to teachers' attendance days and the total number of days children are required to be in school was not affected.
Teachers who are parents themselves may have greater problems than other working parents since 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
* In-service program
An in-service program is a professional training or staff development effort, where professionals are trained and discuss their work with others in their peer group.
It is a key component of continuing medical education for physicians, pharmacis ...
References
{{Reflist
Teacher training programs
Education in England
Education in Northern Ireland
Education in Wales