Zoom Sessions - Primary aged dc.

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Can I just ask if anyone's primary aged dc a) benefits from these zoom sessions or b) actually becomes a bit distressed by them (dc very rarely says they miss school/friends and seems happy day to day but then seemed a bit sad at the end of the last one)? I can't decide whether they are a negative or positive thing and looking for other peoples views.

Our local primary seem to be upping the zoom sessions and I'm not entirely comfortable with them. It is not always convenient to attend the zoom sessions because we are juggling work set for dc around dh's work schedule and me looking after a pre-schooler. I don't like being tied down to a specific time. We have a routine whereby we get most of the work completed in the morning/just after lunch with reading later in the day - it has been working really well up to now and dc has had some quality one to one time. I find the whole idea of zoom intrusive too (we have nothing to hide) but it just doesn't sit comfortably with me. Anyone?

Good question.
We had our first one on Monday and it really distressed my DC. School are planning to do them as a weekly catch up (informal so no teaching component). To be honest I think I will talk to the school and then give them a miss.

We also have a routine and are getting through the work set as best we can. Plenty of pre-recorded video in the learning modules and teachers are providing feedback online.

We have one or two a day and they seem to get a lot out of them. Keeps them quiet for 30-45 minutes so I can do some work.
Maybe it depends on their age, mine are 8+.

Schools are offering these sessions because they came in for a lot of criticism for not offering live sessions during lockdown 1. They're also a useful way of checking in with students rather than making lots of phone calls home, and if they don't attend we can flag it up with senior leadership.

I'm seeing quite a lot of complaint threads about them. We can't win, basically. (I'm secondary but offering 1 live tutorial per week for exam classes, non-core subject).

I would definitely have a chat with the school and let them know that you'll try to do live sessions but can't always fit them in; they should be understanding.

My child benefits from a very short, structured zooms with a specific purpose, that are not too frequent.

The biggest success has a weekly zoom targeted at social interaction. So they have meet for 15 minutes or so to play a specific game. They have done things like charades, and writing a name for every letter of the alphabet and seeing who go what names. Then they have a little chat and off they go.

I like the online zoom sessions, it keeps structure to their school day and connects them with their peers.

My child hates them and was getting quite upset about it, so we've stopped doing them.

To be fair the schools can't please everyone so I haven't complained or asked for anything else, we are just doing our own thing instead.

My primary child (yr3) has 5 zoom lessons a day. They’re working really well for him.
Last time it was a battle to get any work done. This time he participates in the zoom lesson and then does the work set for that lesson.
The feedback from other parents is generally positive. There were issues with access to devices but there been a great spirit in lending excess devices to others

Thank you for your responses.

I think there is a big difference between EYFS, KS1 and KS2. I have two children in KS2 (Y6 and Y4) and they have Teams lessons pretty much all day, with their normal breaks for lunch etc and a small amount of independent study time. It is working brilliantly for them (and us, WFH) because they are old enough to cope and have been in school long enough to understand the routines and what is expected of them.

I can imagine I would feel very differently if they were younger. The idea of 4/5/6 year olds on screens all day doesn't sit right with me and I can easily see why some children might find it quite distressing.

My Y1 has a daily welcome and 2x stories/show and share/play games/sing songs. Only 10 minutes each time and you're not expected to join every one, they wanted to do a range of times to make it easier to find one.

She loves them, because they are fun and they can all wave at each other. I don't think she would be quite as enthusiastic if it was a maths lesson

The lessons are on video and she rarely sits through a whole one, she just can't or won't concentrate for 15 minutes