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.

DS2 is Year 11 and his school have just introduced this.
After all the upheaval, disruption and vast amounts of face to face teaching time lost, with assessments of some sort looming I'd rather he was being taught and catching up.
The head sent a reading list. If he seriously thinks Year 11's aren't going to just spend longer in bed or on the Xbox instead he's mostly mistaken.
More disparity.

@Mumba0111around

Thank you. I guess I’m worried that it is going to be even harder for them to catch up covering the Curriculum, one whole day a week without actual teaching from their teachers going forward seems excessive through lockdown!

And there it is .

My sons school have implemented a well-being afternoon - they spend 15 minutes chatting about something the teacher has decided, last week was my favourite Christmas present, in small breakout groups with a teacher or ta and then a whole school assembly on well-being with a follow up activity for them to do themselves like baking, forest walk. To be honest I'm prioritising well being anyway and trying to fit school work into the mornings as much as possible so we can get lots of exercise or do something together in the afternoon. My son is only reception though and I have the time to do that at the moment.

And there it is

There what is?

What’s wrong with the pp concerned about catching up

Are the private sector doing this

The school my DD is at has "Fun Friday" where everyone afternoon we are encouraged to have no screen time and just play/read/walk/paint etc. Then once every 3 weeks we have a wellbeing day which is just that really. So I am saving up bread baking (DDs love it), finger painting, play doh zoom session with friends etc.

I think it's a lovely idea!

It is Well-being week this week so I assume most schools will be doing this for at least this week.

What’s all this ‘private sector don’t do it’ nonsense? The state sector doesn’t need, want or try to emulate the private sector. It’s comparing apples to pears and is irrelevant.

@parrotonmyshoulder

What’s all this ‘private sector don’t do it’ nonsense? The state sector doesn’t need, want or try to emulate the private sector. It’s comparing apples to pears and is irrelevant.

Not at all. You might think so but I don’t see the point in state lagging more.

Secondary here - I would love this but I’d like it to be at school on the playing fields doing sport, drama activities, seeing friends. I think they need that more than yet more screen lessons.

Any chance of that?!

Well-being Wednesday introduced here too, on paper a good idea, however ds just wanders around with nothing to do as we are both working. The structure of lessons has been good to keep him occupied. I would rather they had some fun interaction with the school, so online quiz, form chat etc rather than me trying to find activities that he might do. We have spent a year baking, trying projects and we have lost all motivation.

In principle it's not a terrible idea at primary. In reality me and my dh are trying to work. I can manage supervising school work while working. I can't manage wellbeing activities like cake baking or walks in the woodland. So in reality the kids would probably end up having more screen time and (yet again) we would have no photo of (insert fun activity here) to submit for the newsletter. And yet again I would be explaining why they haven't made it into the newsletter....

What’s all this ‘private sector don’t do it’ nonsense? The state sector doesn’t need, want or try to emulate the private sector. It’s comparing apples to pears and is irrelevant.
Because some people on here are obsessed with what private schools are doing and will claim to care about educational inequality/disadvantaged students when what they actually mean is 'my child is privileged but we can't afford/don't want to pay for private but want state schools to prioritise the few at the expense of the many'. They claim to care about disadvantaged students in the same posts where they propose lots of live lessons that require enough devices for several children to be live at the same time. Then when anyone points out that this plan excludes disadvantaged students, those posters lament that it's a rush to the bottom and why should their nice children with nice parents not have access to all these lessons just because others can't.

In an ideal world I would much prefer my DC to have a prep style EYFS and primary with no phonics screening, no SATS, more outdoor time (like our local prep) and a more holistic provision. The reality is the ability to do lots of discovery learning and less structure is something our children would benefit from but millions others wouldn't because the educational gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children is already huge by 3 and state schools have to consider that.

@LolaSmiles

What’s all this ‘private sector don’t do it’ nonsense? The state sector doesn’t need, want or try to emulate the private sector. It’s comparing apples to pears and is irrelevant. Because some people on here are obsessed with what private schools are doing and will claim to care about educational inequality/disadvantaged students when what they actually mean is 'my child is privileged but we can't afford/don't want to pay for private but want state schools to prioritise the few at the expense of the many'. They claim to care about disadvantaged students in the same posts where they propose lots of live lessons that require enough devices for several children to be live at the same time. Then when anyone points out that this plan excludes disadvantaged students, those posters lament that it's a rush to the bottom and why should their nice children with nice parents not have access to all these lessons just because others can't.

In an ideal world I would much prefer my DC to have a prep style EYFS and primary with no phonics screening, no SATS, more outdoor time (like our local prep) and a more holistic provision. The reality is the ability to do lots of discovery learning and less structure is something our children would benefit from but millions others wouldn't because the educational gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children is already huge by 3 and state schools have to consider that.

I don’t want live. We have a very mixed primary. Live isn’t right and neither is extra time off. If you think it’ll be baking and walks for everyone then think again.

But private schools DON'T do this. And private schools - generally - get better results. A wellbeing day at secondary when kids have missed so much is just ridiculous!

If you want to help dc get them in for an outdoor PE session.

Not this ridiculous wellness break.

I don’t want live. We have a very mixed primary. Live isn’t right and neither is extra time off. If you think it’ll be baking and walks for everyone then think again.
That's a valid point and I actually agree with you. I think it should be an afternoon and there should be lesson/enrichment materials available for those who want to do that instead.

My issue is that some posters seem to think that the validity of a state school doing something/not doing something is whether a private school is doing it.

There are many very reasonable questions or challenges to a whole of no lessons, 'but the private schools don't do it' isn't one of them.

Pp missing a whole day in year 11 is unbelievable.

A lag that will be behind state too, never mind private.

Pre recorded lessons are shit.

DS’s private school are planning wellness activities this week as it is Mental Health week. We haven’t been told what they are yet.

The reason meant private schools probably aren’t doing this as a regular thing especially in Secondary is that they feel they have to justify the fees. Give pupils a day off and some parents will be demanding a refund.

We had a fee discount in the Summer Term, but haven’t had one for this term yet.

There are many very reasonable questions or challenges to a whole of no lessons, 'but the private schools don't do it' isn't one of them

Well perhaps it should be. A missed day a week from year 9 to 13 is unforgivable.

But private schools DON'T do this. And private schools - generally - get better results.
Correlation does not equal causation.

Private schools have smaller classes
Private school cohorts differ from your typical state school
Private schools will have a disproportionately high number of affluent parents
Children from more affluent backgrounds are often ahead of their peers by the age of 3 due to the levels of language in the house
Affluent families have the money to spend on enrichment and educational activities, both in and out of school
Private school families are much more likely ro have enough devices so their children can access a full live timetable
Private school families are more likely to have the means to afford tutors
Private school families are evidently invested in their child's education otherwise they wouldn't be parting with the cash
If you're spending thousands on an education, you're going to be promoting education at home too.

See again, saying 'but the private schools...'is a silly argument most of the time.

Well perhaps it should be. A missed day a week from year 9 to 13 is unforgivable

I'm not in favour of a day a week off timetable.

I just think bleating on about what private schools do is a fairly stupid argument and only highlights privilege, ignorance or both.

Yes, yes we all know the advantages of well off parents and small class sizes.

How on earth does missing a full day of education help with addressing the gap? It absolutely doesn't.

How many threads/reports are there about teenagers mental health at the moment? If schools feel that having a day where that is given more focus than maths, is that wrong? I assume schools won’t be forcing pupils to do the wellbeing activities, otherwise that will defeat the object, so pupils can do some private study instead.

Private schools do this.

My daughters school is private.

Many private schools have had a sports/activity type afternoon for years in normal times too.