How often does your primary school child watch DVDs at school?

[PavlovtheCat]

I am becoming increasingly annoyed with DD coming home to tell me that she has watched Alice in Wonderland instead of going outside at playtime, or that for their 'choice' time or whatever it is, she chose to go to the DVD room to watch.

Not educational dvds, things they watch, learn about then do a project on or something like that. But instead of reading, writing, drawing, counting, playing.

this morning she told me that she could choose between going out to play at playtime (extended playtime that they have every other day or few days or so) and watching some of Alice in Wonderland. She chose to watch the DVD. It was a lovely, still calm, bright, crisp winter day and perfect for going outside.

I am just amazed at how often this happens and wonder if I am just being uptight about it. Is it now normal for this be 'education'? and I am being out of touch, or am I right to be concerned that this passes for learning these days. It seems pretty lazy to me.

she is 5, does not have any illnesses that mean she should be indoors ratehr than running outside with her friends getting air and exercise (i know that some children, some of the time, and some all of the time, cant do this freely for various reasons, illness or whatever).

[PavlovtheCat]

this morning she told me that yesterday she could choose between going out to play at playtime (extended playtime that they have every other day or few days or so) and watching some of Alice in Wonderland. She chose to watch the DVD. It was a lovely, still calm, bright, crisp winter day and perfect for going outside.

Sorry that was not clear.

[PavlovtheCat]

and of course, when I say 'annoyed', i don't mean with DD, i mean with the school!

[mrz]

It isn't usual practice

[fluffypinkcurlygirl]

I dont think they watch many dvds/tv apart from the educational ones and the odd film at christmas at ds's school.They actively encourage the children playing out from what I have seen.

[PavlovtheCat]

i don't mind on occasion, everyone has a Bad Day, including teachers. But, this seems the norm, weekly, a regular activity that they can choose from amongst others when they have free time/play, rather than a rare treat at end of term etc...

[fluffypinkcurlygirl]

that does seem a bit odd. even on a fri afternoon they are ebcouraged to do creative activity play in their reward time or 'golden time' as they now call it.

[sittinginthesun]

Don't think this happens at all in our school. The whole school sit in the hall and watch a film once a year, just peyote Christmas, but that's it. In fact, we had a letter home yesterday reminding reception parents that children learn more from conversation than from electronic devices!

[sittinginthesun]

Before Christmas.

[PavlovtheCat]

fluffy yes golden time! thats what they call it at DDs school. During golden time they can go out to play, or watch a DVD of Alice or that type of children's film. I have asked DD to chose going outside to play as she can watch films at home.

I am going to speak to the teacher. but I don't think this is a 'teacher' thing, as it seems they watch the films with other classes too.

[ShowOfHands]

Never.

[mrz]

Golden Time is a school reward system... children can choose what they want to do during this time.

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

very rarely
last term she watched a DVD once, during the wind down for Christmas.

[megapixels]

I think it depends on the teacher. DD1's Year 1 teacher used to do it practically on a daily basis. A bit of cbeebies on iplayer most of the time but now and then DVDs too. It's not the norm though, I have never come across a more useless teacher.

[DorisIsWaiting]

Very rarely , dd's have smiley time but get to choose an activity. They have very occasionally watched a dvd before christmas or in between being on stage for the summer perormance. It is a very rare event though!

Our school PTA has just invested a huge amount in playtime equipment (not just sports stuff but creative or imaginative play too), on the basis that children who get outside and recharge will work better in the next session.

I have to say I really wouldn't be happy with this, it reflects badly on the teachers.

[sleepwouldbenice]

As you say I would not be happy with frequent use of DVDs instead of teaching - occasional is perfectly fine to cover adhoc situations, training issues, unplanned absence etc

But this is a little different - this is golden time, as a PP said this is a national (?) or at least widespread reward time being used in schools - I am sure someone can expand more but essentially kids do get to choose what to do as a reward - having said that in our school they have been better choices - PE options such as tennis, or cooking, sewing etc. They have done DS time and computer games in KS2 and I was a bit skeptical but tbh as ours is last period on a friday it does seem to fit in well as being a reward for working hard all week (and I dont feel guilty if I take her out early for a weekend away either!) and many of the activities I have listed require teacher effort, planning and support so its not lazy at all

SO maybe you could approach it bearing this in mind and suggest a wider range of golden time actvities instead?

[mrz]

We don't have Golden Time and it certainly isn't used in all schools

[PavlovtheCat]

I am happy with her being given some choices of fun rewarding things to do, but there are so many fun things to do that do not involve sitting in front of a DVD. I just don't see why that has to be on the list.

At DDs school, it seems there is golden time and another time for them to choose activities. Golden time seems to be additional outdoor play, with the option of a DVD if they don't want to go outside. I would be much happier to encourage DD and the other children to go outside and if they don't want to, do something indoors that continues to expand themselves, drawing, colouring, roleplay, mechano, use of computers etc. and a 5yo does not have to have complete choice. they can be given two options, and one of them just does not have to be TV!

[becstarsky]

I got fed up with my DSs school about this too when he was in Reception. He was having one short-term substitute teacher after another, and kept coming home saying he'd watched 'Peter Pan' or some other disney movie. When I mentioned it (very carefully not wanting to put backs up) to that week's Reception teacher she say 'oh yes, they get so tired don't they?'. Which irritated me as DS was coming home full of beans, climbing the walls with energy which hadn't been burnt off in the school day - just not enough 'running around' time. And I had to do a lot of work and support with him at home to help him stay on track with reading - he was really struggling and needed practice. That was in Reception though. He hasn't watched a DVD since he started Year One now that he has a fixed class teacher instead of substitutes. I don't think a good teacher would sit kids down in front of a disney movie apart from maybe end of term or some other big special occasion. I kind of wish I'd made more of a fuss about it at the time tbh. But I'm always conscious of what a tough job the teachers are doing, and how much flak they get so I don't like to be one of the awkward squad.

[PavlovtheCat]

Thing is, I would give the teacher more slack if I thought it was a teacher thing, as she is pregnant. However, other classes do it too, and it has happened since she was in reception class. And, there are two teaching assistants in the class, and a student teacher, so not short of support to help children do more than just watching a film if main teacher is not feeling great due to pg.

And, if they get tired, settle them all down and read them a story. Have a big book and read a chapter a week or something. If DD is going to watch a dvd every friday afternoon I will take her out of school that afternoon and I will take her swimming instead (don't work friday afternoons).

[mrz]

Golden Time will be a whole school reward system nothing at all to do with individual teachers. The school could be using it to cover teachers PPA (with no teaching happening - bad practice IMHO)

[BendyBob]

Regularly defaulting to dvds is unimaginative and doesn't give a good impression. I would ask for clarification Pavlov.

As you say, what's wrong with reading to children?

[PavlovtheCat]

bendy not just unimaginative, it is not what i send her to school for.

[mumblesmum]

Our KS1 children (4 classes) have the choice of outside play, construction, drawing/painting and dvd for golden time, which is held for half an hour at the end of a Friday afternoon.
I see no harm in this whatsoever. The children choose what they want to do and some choose to watch a dvd because they just want to chill out after a hard week.
The children understand that this chill time is a reward for keeping the rules and all of them look forward to it.

[TuftyFinch]

They have Golden Time at DS's (reception) school but it is once a term. The class decide together what they do. This term they all chose to bring bikes/ scooters in to ride in the playground and bring food in to share afterwards. They last time they watched a film was Christmas.

[DorisIsWaiting]

mumblechum I DO see 'harm' in DVD's every week. There are some MANY MANY more imaginative things that KS1 (especially) could do in that time. Sitting infrot of a dvd should NOT be encouraged by the school there are loads and loads of other quiet play activities for children.

It really is poor teaching...as for children looking forwards to it, children look forwards to all sorts of things they don't appreciate whether it is the most appropriate use of their school time.

It also sets a really bad example.

If this was happening in the DD's school on a regular basis (thank god it's not) I would not be happy and would probably apprach the head or the governors.