What teachers really do over the summer holidays

Already we’re deep in the school summer holidays. Hell for parents, who still have to keep their kids occupied for weeks on end; heaven for teachers, with all those weeks off.

For those of us fortunate enough to teach in independent schools, the holidays began on 1 July, which by now seems an age ago and we don’t go back to school until September. Two whole months off, on full pay. Long enough to forget about troublesome teenagers; long enough to dream dreams of new careers. A sense of space and peace that lasts… well, until A level results day on 17 August, when reality bites again.

So what do we do with all that time? Sadly, the old cliché – that sir and miss head straight off to France before the crowds and do nothing but sip rosé – is largely true.