Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Watching TV at school

41 replies

ChannelHap · 12/11/2022 14:34

DS started in reception in September. He doesn't tell us much about what he does there except when he's been watching TV and it seems to be a lot! Go jetters, toy story, finding nemo...

Is it normal? Obviously I'm 40 so 'in my days' there was no TV watching at school except as a teenager and only on the last day of the school year!

OP posts:
stayingaliveisawayoflife · 12/11/2022 17:02

In my school we had the tv book where classes booked it in. Words and Pictures, Come outside, Newsround from the night before on video.

Now I have my big screen on all the time but tv is for the last ten minutes after golden time on a Friday and has been for Room on the broom, Gruffalo, Snail and the whale etc.

miceonabranch · 12/11/2022 17:03

My youngest is 18 now, but he was made to watch The Wizard of Oz in Year 1. He was scared. He said all they did was watch TV.

Forever42 · 12/11/2022 17:09

I teach ks1. We watch cbeebies at wet play, although they have colouring or something else to do at the same time. Reception sometimes put it on at the end of the day as it takes a long time to dismiss all the children and they sit quietly of something else is on.

The curriculum is so packed that there is definitely no time for watching TV instead of lessons.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
Bluedabadeeba · 12/11/2022 17:12

Feysriana · 12/11/2022 15:37

This generation of teachers have got used to sticking the tv on and calling it a lesson. It is disappointing yes. Some schools only do it at wet play but others use it daily during lesson time because teachers are exhausted and under resourced. Do not be afraid to raise it with the school at parents evening etc, it should at least be educational not go jetters.

This is just hilarious, and I can only assume was said in jest. . .

BlueRidge · 12/11/2022 17:13

"He said all they did was watch TV."

Yes, and if a small child said it, it MUST be true.

grapehyacinthisactuallyblue · 12/11/2022 19:48

This generation of teachers have got used to sticking the tv on and calling it a lesson. It is disappointing yes.

I have totally opposite opinion. There are so many great resources on video, made by the professional, made to engage, and easy for children to understand. Sometimes it could be the great starting point for a lesson. Teacher can expand from it.
I have no problem with that.
And I'm very pro screen, it only had positive effect on my dc who has no time limit. Just watching a cartoon or an educational programme or a film, etc. on tv can be used as a great educational opportunity. Talk about it, learn the vocab from it, etc, etc.

MargaretThursday · 12/11/2022 20:08

We watched far more at school than my dc did.

We had "You and Me", "Look and Read" "Watch" and another couple every week throughout the infants.
In the juniors we had different ones like "How they used to live" and another history programme that I found less interesting, and we'd watch classic stories-I remember watching "The 39 Steps" in about year 5 and "The Prisoner of Zenda" and that sort of thing.

I remember them showing "Star Wars" over a series of (summer so not wet-the weather was beautiful) lunch times. Everyone else wanted to watch; I was terrified, but didn't want to be the only one outside so stayed in with my eyes closed half the time . And we always had a Christmas movie afternoon every year.

CopOut27 · 12/11/2022 21:28

Don’t mean to imply your DS is a liar but at this age the standard response to “what did you have for lunch”, can range from ‘nothing’, to ‘bread and water’ through to a 3 course gourmet meal. Perception vs reality on duration and frequency isn’t that of an adult. Just check before you make assertions and also understand why if so; it might be during a wet break and not actually lesson time.

Abraxan · 13/11/2022 11:35

MargaretThursday · 12/11/2022 20:08

We watched far more at school than my dc did.

We had "You and Me", "Look and Read" "Watch" and another couple every week throughout the infants.
In the juniors we had different ones like "How they used to live" and another history programme that I found less interesting, and we'd watch classic stories-I remember watching "The 39 Steps" in about year 5 and "The Prisoner of Zenda" and that sort of thing.

I remember them showing "Star Wars" over a series of (summer so not wet-the weather was beautiful) lunch times. Everyone else wanted to watch; I was terrified, but didn't want to be the only one outside so stayed in with my eyes closed half the time . And we always had a Christmas movie afternoon every year.

Ooh, I used to love "How we used to live" in my history lessons.

angstridden2 · 13/11/2022 11:39

I still think a programme called something like Magic Granpa which went back to ww1 and linked to Poppy Day was a brilliant resource for ks1 /2 children, it really made an impact.

SpringRainbow · 13/11/2022 11:41

This is bringing back memories of when I was at school and everyone getting really excited when the TV got brought in and everyone arguing about who would get to turn the lights out.

hollyivysaurus · 13/11/2022 11:45

Films are likely for wet play as others have said.

Possibly episodes of other things link to a topic / are being used as a stimulus for something? DS is reception aged and came home talking about the cartoon roadrunner, it was shown as part of a stimulus for drawing (DS struggles with writing and drawing, he has SEN and I am very grateful they are so creative in trying to get him to draw!). I think they watched something from Go Jetters before talking about Diwali recently, and I know that last week they watched a cartoon about rabbits during WWI before talking about it in an age appropriate way.

I would advise asking the school for the context about these rather than going in guns blazing, I strongly suspect you’ll find a good explanation.

I teach secondary school Science and show a lot of YouTube video clips - great for visualising things and having something explained for consolidation. Depressing kids often listen far more to the screen than me 🤣

OhMaria2 · 13/11/2022 11:45

Feysriana · 12/11/2022 15:37

This generation of teachers have got used to sticking the tv on and calling it a lesson. It is disappointing yes. Some schools only do it at wet play but others use it daily during lesson time because teachers are exhausted and under resourced. Do not be afraid to raise it with the school at parents evening etc, it should at least be educational not go jetters.

Oh stoppit
There's a massive difference between things watched in the last minutes before hometime after story, and during wet play, vs educational orogramming as oart of a lesson using the IWB

Don't be THAT parent

Also, if gojetters was being used for a geography topic, that's entirely understandable

MrsSkylerWhite · 13/11/2022 11:47

Nearly 60, we watched programmes in primary and secondary.
Are they experiencing staff shortages?

OhMaria2 · 13/11/2022 12:00

MrsSkylerWhite · 13/11/2022 11:47

Nearly 60, we watched programmes in primary and secondary.
Are they experiencing staff shortages?

There are gigantic interactive screens instead of blackboards in every classroom now. Using media as part of a lesson is common

Mabelface · 13/11/2022 12:09

I'm 52 and remember watching Bod and Mr Benn in class 2 at primary.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page