Does your primary school give out a timetable?

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DC's primary has always released a timetable the week before school starts. This year they didn't, so we assumed the DC would be given one this week. They haven't been given one beyond P.E. music, IT and art i.e. any subject that is not held in the classroom. My DC are finding it awkward, DC1 for example is now worrying that every day will be double maths instead of knowing that it will be e.g. on a Thursday like last year. DC2's teacher has printed out a timetable for the kids to stick in their book, but won't update the online one the parents have access to. DC1's teacher won't even do this and says the day's lesson plan will be on the blackboard in the morning. I have queried on the basis of DC1's SN and that it states he needs a clear structure for his school day but they have answered that this will allow the teachers a greater flexibility to teach and won't be releasing a fixed timetable.

Is this the same in most schools? DC1 refused to bring home vocab or maths this week because he doesn't know which day to take the book back for.

Never had a timetable at DDs primary.

How old are the children? The teacher will tell them when HW is due back.

Never had a timetable

The only primary age kids I know who have a full timetable are at independent schools.

Yr 5 and 6. State school, always had a timetable up until now.

At my DD's primary school you only get a timetable on request and they always remind us that things can change if staff are unwell etc as they may save lessons to be taught by class teacher. Could you ask for one?

No - ours never had a timetable (eldest had just finished primary - English state school).

*has

I've taught in a number of primary schools and giving out a timetable hasn't been the norm in any of them.

Sometimes you start an art lesson and decide to carry it on in the morning. Sometimes you need to change up the day for your own sanity the night before.

In year 5 and 6 they should be able to listen to when homework is due back in - not refuse to take it home in the first place. This is an important step towards secondary.

You can take a photo of DC2’s timetable. You don’t need it online.

My child attends a special school and we get a timetable sent home. The staff also put up a daily plan in the classroom with any deviations from the usual timetable highlighted, so it still allows flexibility.

I'd say that given your child's SEN, having a timetable comes under reasonable adjustments.

We don't send timetables home in our primary school.

But what happens when the timetable changes? A mainstream primary won’t stick to a timetable - stuff happens

I'd say that given your child's SEN, having a timetable comes under reasonable adjustments.
I did ask for one, I quoted the wording in his last report and EHCP and that was the answer I was given.
In year 5 and 6 they should be able to listen to when homework is due back in - not refuse to take it home in the first place. This is an important step towards secondary.. ah yes, the old well he should be able to do x because all the other kids can. No consideration of the fact that it's a fucking battle to get him to do homework as it is, it's a fight every morning to get him into school, and that's without me having to say "no, I don't know what subjects you'll be doing today."

Yes we have a timetable, a copy of which is given to each child to take home. State primary here.

I would agree a timetable is needed for DC with SEN so they have a structure/routine.

We've never given timetables out beyond things that are set in stone (computing, music, PE and interventions). It's good practise to swap around your days to make sure you get the most out of your lessons and time.

Oh for our SEN children we have a visual timetable that we talk through on the day.

The problem with a timetable in primary is that it can change, and often does. So if your dc has a timetable that says science this afternoon, then arrives to find that the teacher couldn't find the resources and so is swapping in history today - that might be more problematic than a timetable for that day written on the board each morning.

As a parent, I would not expect a timetable in primary to be handed out - but as a teacher, I do give it to parents who ask, on the understanding that it does change and I cannot always flag these changes in advance.

I literally said in my post that any deviations to the usual timetable is highlighted each day.

I don't know how frequently that happens, but as it is a special school where most of the kids need structure/routine/knowing what is going to happen, then staff try to stick to it as much as possible.

I think this thread has reinforced to me how the unpredictable nature of what is going to happen each day at school means that many children with SEN struggle in a mainstream environment.

Hello. I'm a SENCO at a mainstream primary school. If the EHCP explicitly says a child should receive a timetable then this should be provided. An expectation of a clear structure could mean making sure that lesson timings/ playtimes etc are at a certain time each day or that the child will work for a set amount of time each lesson before doing a different activity. If you have concerns I would first speak to the class teacher, then to the SENCO if the class teacher is unable to meet your child's needs. The new class teacher will have spoken in detail with the previous teacher and should have access to EHCPs etc. Just because a child is upper Ks2 doesn't mean they will be able to manage in the same way as their peers and strategies will need to be offered. Does your child have any 1:1 TA time as part of their plan?

Yes but it was a wider question and more relevant to the OP than your child’s special school.

In mainstream primaries timetables change all the time. So OP can’t say with any certainty you won’t have maths today whether or not she has a timetable. It’s only certain once the timetable’s on the board and DC walks in.

We don’t get a timetable. I’m not convinced there actually is one. The children have a timetable for the day given each morning. There’s a loose structure most of the time - reading first thing, maths after morning break, French on a Weds, but it changes very frequently and sometimes last minute/as the day goes on because that’s how school operates. They can’t even stick to a consistent set of PE days for more than a fortnight!

Sometimes there’s an external visitor during what’s supposed to be maths time or assembly moves to the afternoon when they were supposed to do science because the HT was at a conference in the morning or the hall is in use so they can’t have gymnastics or there’s a trip on PE day so it’s done the day before or they don’t do French because the maths lesson wasn’t going well and the teacher decided it was more important to nail down the maths concept and they’d do French tomorrow instead. My oldest has ASD and finds it difficult but realistically a timetable in advance that was then deviated from would be even harder for him. I find it frustrating but mainstream school just isn’t set up perfectly for him and his needs - we muddle through.

In mainstream primaries timetables change all the time
I really don't think this is the case, or has been the case, until now. How can a teacher possibly ensure they teach the correct number of lessons over the year if they're always changing the timetable?

If the EHCP explicitly says a child should receive a timetable then this should be provided.
It doesn't specify timetable, but clearly defined structure and routine to the school day.

The new class teacher will have spoken in detail with the previous teacher and should have access to EHCPs etc. Just because a child is upper Ks2 doesn't mean they will be able to manage in the same way as their peers and strategies will need to be offered. Does your child have any 1:1 TA time as part of their plan?
It's the same teacher he had last year (they have the same teacher for Yr 5&6 to ensure continuity) So current year 5 teacher will teach year 6 next year and the following year year 5 again.
Yes, a TA 6 lessons a week and it's supposed to be for specific subjects (i.e. the main ones) so how will that work?

It's interesting seeing how others say their timetables in primary change frequently, when my experience in the primary I work in is that they don't.

It's always planned out in advance so we know who has what resources when, and so we can share them. We always have maths and English in the morning, then if Red Class has Science on the Monday then Blue Class has it on Weds and Yellow Class on Thursday. PE is also planned so Red can use the space/resources needed on Tues, Yellow on Wed and Blue on Thurs.

And that's just from a resources POV. Of course, for the SEN students it's so important they know what is happening and when.

Yes we get one on the website each term but it's VERY flexible. Days for homework to be taken back in are set separately to this and all the kids know Friday = homework folder out day... has to be back in by Wednesday the next week.

Never seen a timetable at DCs primary. They usually do English and Maths (in that order) in the morning and DS (going into year 6) says the afternoon lessons are usually the same week to week but sometimes they mix them up. Also sometimes they'll have something like creativity week which takes them off timetable. I only know what days are PE, and that's because they have to wear their PE kit.