A “well being” day instead of remote learning lessons once a week?

[Mumba0111around]

Just found out children’s school is planning on introducing this for the rest of lockdown. Instead of remote learning, one day a week to be a “well-being” day with no formal lessons (suggestions instead include activities such going for a walk or BBC Bitesize). Rest of the week to be pre recorded video lessons for different subjects, worksheets same as currently etc (no live lessons)

What do others think of this? I would be particularly interested in hearing if any other schools have put this into place, and experience of how it was going.

My school does a screen-free afternoon each week, after lots of parents complained that their kids were suffering with too much screen time and getting sore eyes, headache etc.

We've got one this Wednesday. I'm pleased as they are constantly on live lessons and by the time the live lessons are finished it's dark. Then at the weekends the parks and woodland where we live are packed with people.

I can see that on screen all day is a lot, rap for small dc.

But we don’t have any live and very little video so not so bad

Rap = especially

We have a day a week where no new content is taught and instead there is time to catch-up, so crafty things, more exercise and stuff that is meant to be transferable across all of the years in school so siblings can do the same thing. I’ve got a school place on that day so don’t know how it works in practice but it seems like a good idea.

I'd very much welcome that and be comforted by the fact their peers were also having a break that day so no guilt for falling behind etc.

I would love this personally.

[quote KeyboardWorriers]@Kolo i can totally see that. Do they not have breaks when they would have had PE etc though?
DSD is at secondary but finishes live lessons at 2.30 so we can get her out with us.[/quote]
Even PE has tasks set! Like fitness tests to complete. The school day had been altered in September to allow for staggered starts and lunchtime is now only 30 minutes; not long enough to eat and get outside too. He finishes at 3.30 and until very recently, we didn't even have an hour of daylight after school. Sunset is about 4.45pm at the moment.

We have started doing this on Wednesdays.

Also live tutor sessions every day and collective worship. 20min break each morning, 30 min lunch. I think it's too much.

Following on from our contact with parents and students this week we are introducing this for an afternoon each week starting Monday. So Monday this week, Tuesday the week after.... then Wednesday and so on. It is for students to have time to be away from their laptops and complete an alternate activity school sets (which is optional) it gives staff the chance to make contact with parents too for welfare calls.

[quote ineedaholidaynow]@Amummyatlast can't you organise a zoom meet with her friends? Some Primary schools are encouraging group of friends to 'meet' up and work on topic work together[/quote]
We’ve tried, but most of her friends have siblings and busy parents, and so it just doesn’t happen. I was reading another thread talking about arranging a walk outside play date as though it was really easy, but most people here are keeping to themselves. It doesn’t help that DH did the school run, and so we don’t have all that many contacts (not his fault - there are some mum cliques).

I'd love this

Sounds great to me. We had an inset day recently and the extra day off made such a difference to us all.

My children's secondary have started something similar this week, but its only for one lesson, so 1 hour, and its a surprise when it will be. They only find out when the lesson is due to start. Its a no screen time thing - so they have to do something else, like read a book, exercise, do something creative. Teachers are doing it too - photos on social media etc.

My dc's primary school is doing it on Friday and I'm pleased. I don't work Fridays so I can do stuff with them.

I hadn't realised so many schools were doing live lessons. Ours have videos and tasks on Teams but it doesn't take up the whole day, maybe 2 or 3 hours.

Sounds like a day off for teachers. What are the parents and their employers supposed to do?

Xmasbaby11
It's a very mixed picture and individual school provision will depend on a range of factors.
What you'll tend to find on here is that the loud voices are:
People who have live lessons for their DC and think it's great
People who don't have live lessons but want them and will insist that not having them is the end of the world, even though Ofsted and researchers have said otherwise
People with genuinely poor provision who are wanting support and advice on how to complain.

@Cocoabutterkim just an idea. If you were in this position, then of course you could follow the guidance to have a wellbeing day. Put the Telly on, get some craft stuff out, get on with your work. I don’t see how this is more effort/time than getting them sorted with school work. There’s always oak academy, khan academy or bbc learning programmers- stick that on.

@Splodgetastic shows you know very little about teaching and the current situation/added pastoral responsibilities.

I'd love this, but mine are 5 & 6. I'm finding it difficult to get them outside this lockdown due to the Zoom and school work schedule (and my work and 14 week old puppy). Lockdown 1 we were outside all the time.

@Muchtoomuchtodo. She could, she’s mature and sensible , but she won’t especially at the moment. It’s just the two of us , she has only my company 247 . We bake together always as it’s more fun. We walk and talk daily late afternoon. She won’t want to do those things along as she likes to chat. It would be a negative well being experience for her so I won’t make her.

The main issue for her in lockdown is loneliness so I won’t be forcing her to do anything alone. However she will be happy to read.

If our school did this weekly I’d be complaining. But it’s just this week then once more next half term. No real issue with that.

@Doje

I'd love this, but mine are 5 & 6. I'm finding it difficult to get them outside this lockdown due to the Zoom and school work schedule (and my work and 14 week old puppy). Lockdown 1 we were outside all the time.

Don't you have lunch breaks? And if its state primary you must finish quite early?

Dd has prep lessons and games lessons and the school has a long lunch break anyway as normally they'd do sport at lunchtime. Sometimes she has a 2 hour break in the middle so she'll go for a run or we'll walk the dogs.

Sorry, I've just seen your work as well. I fixated on the puppy and missed it. Ignore me.