Will school sport be banned?

[notevenat20]

Does anyone know if school sport is going to be banned? It seems odd to stop a group of children in the same school bubble from playing sport together but a lot is odd at the moment.

[Rowgtfc72]

Dds secondary school put a ban on pe lessons. All pe is now classroom based theory.
The two schools nearby are still doing pe lessons.
Work that one out!

[FippertyGibbett]

At my DS school it’s only years 7-9 and those doing it for GCSE that are doing PE.
I see no reason to stop it as they’re in bubbles anyway, unless I’m missing something ?

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

With this current weather, they'll need the PE. The only time my primary aged children are not in their classrooms, at their desks, is for break, lunch and pe. Bad weather, that's break and lunch play at their desks. So the 20mins or so they have for eating lunch in the hall, or to go to the toilet. PE gets them outside twice a week.

[WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants]

Back to school missive last night said that nothing is changing this term (unless something changes from the Govt) that it's still not possible to have matches with other schools but the inter school matches will continue.

It seems a bit mad to me. Decent size school. Smallish (boarding) house bubbles, but all get mixed up for sport, but can't have matches with kids from other school. Bloody school logo isn't some kind of guarantee against Covid. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Day pupils in year group bubbles in the house (

[Delatron]

It’s annoying. I also hate ‘rainy play’. Where they stay in and watch a film. No wonder we have an obesity problem. Just let them run around in the rain!

[Walkaround]

@Delatron - you can deal with the accidents, changes of clothes and concussion when they slip over or into each other, then!

[EvilPea]

My secondary it’s running only. Other local ones are doing full PE and clubs.

[horseymum]

My DD hates pe just now, if there the tiniest bit of rain they just watch a sports video instead, and don't get out at lunchtime. Or they get out but aren't allowed to run 🤔 She does triathlon so a bit if rain doesn't put her off. I have never seen a child slip on the playground, it's pretty grippy. It's so bad for them to spend all day sitting on one chair.

[borageforager]

God I can’t stand ‘wet play’ either! It’s hardly a surprise for it to rain, so watching a film all break time seems like a crap response.

[onedayinthefuture]

@Delatron

It’s annoying. I also hate ‘rainy play’. Where they stay in and watch a film. No wonder we have an obesity problem. Just let them run around in the rain!

I agree let kids be kids, wear wellies and raincoats and jump in puddles.

[CallmeAngelina]

We send our (primary) kids out to play in all weathers. It took the entire half term to get to the point where every child had appropriate footwear and coats sent in by adults who clearly didn't think it was necessary.
Even so, it doubles the amount of time spent getting ready to learn again after each break. Well over an hour each day is spent/wasted on such interim things.

[notevenat20]

How about rugby and hockey?

[notevenat20]

God I can’t stand ‘wet play’ either! It’s hardly a surprise for it to rain, so watching a film all break time seems like a crap response.

I completely agree! In Denmark you have to provide outdoor and indoor shoes for your primary aged child. That solves one obvious problem immediately.

[CallmeAngelina]

"I agree let kids be kids, wear wellies and raincoats and jump in puddles."
Yes, true, but even that's not enough to keep them dry. The "raincoats" many of them have are just not up to the job, and then they forget a change of socks etc... and have to sit in damp clothes in class.
It's an added stress to the day. Fingers crossed for a dry spell ahead.

[ClaudiaWankleman]

you can deal with the accidents, changes of clothes and concussion when they slip over or into each other, then

Do those things happen more in the rain? I never found the playground particularly slippery when I was at school.
Changes of clothes - wear a coat. Maybe shoes could get wet, but I think the current fashion for ridiculous slippers is a bit of a chicken and egg situation. What came first, the inability to go outside in the rain because your shoes will get wet, or inappropriate shoes becoming acceptable because no one goes out in the rain? Boys shoes manage much better!

[CallmeAngelina]

I can tell you for sure that running in wellingtons (which are required at our school in order for the field to be used at this time of year) is a recipe for accidents. But, I suppose they're learning...

[CallmeAngelina]

"Changes of clothes - wear a coat."

A lot of our parents/children have interpreted "wear a coat" as " oh, here's a thin hoodie. That will do."
I have had to put a message in everyone's planners stressing the need for a waterproof coat and spare socks/tights. A week on, 10 pairs of socks had arrived.

[Iamdobby63]

Yr 11 secondary school, doing sport but it’s limited. Very stressed about how my son is going to manage to do his GCSE PE video evidence when he can’t practice and access what he needs to.

[PickleWithEverything]

DD is in Y5. She has class-bubble PE twice a week in her "sheep pen " (the term the kids use for the subdivisions of her playground for each class).

I do think PE has to be cancelled in very wet weather. The playground surface gets very wet, and changing the whole class into dry clothes would be a huge nuisance for the teacher.

[Eccle80]

My year 7 has been and will continue to do PE, but all outside and non contact. We have just been told extracurricular clubs are cancelled for this half term (they ran last half term), and the school pool will be closed so no swimming which again they had been doing

[Delatron]

Fine call me and I’ll come in if my child falls over in the rain 🙄. Not happened in 10 years but bound to happen in the next few months...

Ridiculous. We know they need fresh air and exercise (and the virus spreads less outdoors). Big let’s keep them in just in case they slip.

[Delatron]

Maybe kids fall over less in Denmark?!

[Walkaround]

@Delatron - maybe children in Denmark are better equipped for outdoor activities!... I can promise you that accidents go up exponentially in wet weather. There are only so many head injuries, bleeding noses and ripped clothes that one school can deal with. Children turn up in utterly inappropriate footwear, no appropriate outdoor clothing and no change of clothes if they slip over and rip holes in their tights or trousers. Parents do not return the spare clothing the school has provided for their children. Have you not seen the ludicrously inappropriate footwear primary school children turn up to school in, particularly girls?

The advantage of he current situation is that there are fewer children at a time having breaks outside, as break times are staggered to enable bubbles to be kept apart, but in all honesty, most English primary school playgrounds are dangerous even in dry weather in normal times, because there are too many children and too little space, and schools cannot afford to pay for adequate supervision/nobody wants to be a playground supervisor. Now the main problem is, there are a safer number of children playing outside at a time, but more staff off sick, so still difficult to get adequate supervision.

[TheDrsDocMartens]

Ours now have waterproofs as part of school uniform. Doing PE & outdoor break whatever the weather.

[TheDrsDocMartens]

Primary.