Two extra training and development days added to the start of autumn term for States schools

The autumn term for States schools will begin with two additional inset days to give staff an opportunity to have training and development time that they missed in recent months due to COVID-19.

The two additional inset days will be Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th September (the 1st and 2nd were already planned inset days).

This means the majority of students will begin their autumn term on Monday 7th September, instead of Thursday 3rd Sept. However, there will be additional transitional time for some year groups in the secondary sector on Friday 4th September.

Regular training time is an essential part of a teacher’s professional development and is critical to school improvement, so the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture took the decision to carry forward the two days to ensure staff did not miss out.

Deputy Matt Fallaize, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said: ‘Staff in schools have been an integral part of the island’s response to COVID-19; firstly by keeping sites open for vulnerable students and the children of essential workers and then delivering a successful distance learning programme.

'One of the impacts of the pandemic was that staff missed two inset days, which are used for training and professional development. We know how important inset time is in providing our children and young people with a skilled and well-prepared workforce and so took what we considered to be a pragmatic decision to add the two inset days missed during lockdown on to the start of the autumn term. This will mean that most students will now begin their autumn term on Monday 7th September.’