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Original poster

Playing before school

15 replies

PauseTheRain · 21/05/2023 19:58

If your kid is at primary, do they go straight into class and lessons or do they have time to play in the playground first?

OP posts:

Qilin · 21/05/2023 20:09

When the children arrive to my school they can come in from 8:40am and the registration bell goes at 8:50am. Once in the classroom they have morning jobs to do.

Parents drop off at the school doors, so the playground is busy beforehand. The school gates are open, there is no school/teacher supervision and there are a lot of parents around. The play equipment is out of bounds at this time.

So children could play in the very busy playground before school if their parent brought them early but it isn't something that is planned or encouraged particularly. And parents would need to be supervising them at all times.

Parker231 · 21/05/2023 20:12

DT’s went to breakfast club and after breakfast had time to play with their friends before going into the classroom. Chance to run around, play football.

DietrichandDiMaggio · 21/05/2023 20:12

Surely it depends what time you arrive at school, so if school starts at 9 am and gates are opened at 8.30, anyone arriving before 9 can play until the bell/whistle goes for the start of school, when the children line up to go in.

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Fandabedodgy · 21/05/2023 20:13

The bus drops mine at school 20-30 mins before the bell so yes they play.

FloweryName · 21/05/2023 20:15

When mine were at primary I tried to make sure we got there early enough for them to have time to play before they had to go in and sit down. It didn’t always happen but they liked to have time to chat to their friends first.

Original poster

PauseTheRain · 21/05/2023 20:17

Sorry, gates open at 8.40. Kids can arrive up to 8.55. They go straight to class.

OP posts:

ellesbellesxxx · 21/05/2023 20:31

PauseTheRain · 21/05/2023 20:17

Sorry, gates open at 8.40. Kids can arrive up to 8.55. They go straight to class.

From 8:45 gates open and in straight to classrooms with us.

Darkchocolatekitkat · 21/05/2023 20:43

Gate opens 8:45, straight into classrooms for “reading book time” across the school (gate remains open for ten minutes but later arrivals go straight into the classroom too). The grounds are completely fenced off so anyone getting there before 8:45 really can only stand along the pavement, there’s no play space.

A few years ago they opened the gates at 8:35 and allowed playground access before school but it just led to lots of mud being trekked into classrooms, unaccompanied kids being left, kids getting into classrooms early and disturbing teacher’s preparation etc, so after an unaccompanied child fell playing and hurt themselves at 8:35 and it disrupted staff during what wasn’t really school hours they stopped it. Anecdotally I’m told morning behaviour is actually better since and they find they get more work done.

Moomoo36 · 21/05/2023 20:46

At mine they play until the bell rings unless it's raining badly, then they go straight from the bus to classroom I believe.

RequiresUpdating · 21/05/2023 20:57

Surely that depends on the time the arrive at school? DD's school opens 5 minutes before they are expected to be sat at their desks. Sometimes she arranges to get there early to play with a couple of friends, usually she spends as long as possible in bed! The bus out of the village leaves 13 minutes before school starts so there are several children who are on the playground 10-15 minutes as their parents are off to work. we don't have gates and the school doesn't have any fences because we're not in the UK, plus parents are strongly discouraged from walking their DC to school

SockQueen · 21/05/2023 21:05

Ours are expected to go straight into their classrooms. Gates open about 8:20, school starts at 8:30, so it's very much the norm just to walk straight into class. My DS's class (Y1) seems to have some activities out on the tables for them to potter with while everyone arrives, but there's no outdoor play at that stage.

Sirzy · 21/05/2023 21:07

PauseTheRain · 21/05/2023 20:17

Sorry, gates open at 8.40. Kids can arrive up to 8.55. They go straight to class.

Unless parents are expected to stay and supervise in the mean time then I would expect it to be straight in to some sort of early morning activity

Thinkbiglittleone · 21/05/2023 21:10

They line up in the playground in their classes once the gates open and wait to be let in. No running around or playing.

Original poster

PauseTheRain · 21/05/2023 21:35

Prior to the pandemic, parents would wait in the playground for reception and y1 kids until they went into classroom, but all kids r-y6 could play freely. Two members of staff would be in playground (and still are). Now there is 'morning work' which they start as soon as they go in after hanging coats up.

OP posts:

Qilin · 22/05/2023 18:43

We always have morning work, and always have done, for those 10 minutes. It's generally consolidation work or a 'what is it' type puzzle. They use their whiteboards at the carpet or table. When the bell goes away they get ready for registration. Morning work isn't marked here but the teacher/TA in the room will go round looking at it, or they will discuss the work at the board just before the register is done.

Even our reception class have morning work.

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