Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

AIBU to think that punishing a reception age child...

68 replies

Mammagaga · 08/03/2013 19:22

AIBU to think that punishing a reception age child by sending them to stand in the corridor outside the classroom is inappropriate and irresponsible?

OP posts:

MorelliOrRanger · 08/03/2013 19:25

Yeh they shouldn't be out of view of the teacher IMO, but what did they do to warrant that punishment?

RedHelenB · 08/03/2013 19:25

Depends on what they were doing & how the school is set up.

mercibucket · 08/03/2013 19:26

sounds ok so long as someone can see them

HeadfirstForHalos · 08/03/2013 19:28

Well it's technically time out which I don't disagree with. There's the issue of being out of sight, but what realistically is going to happen? In dc4's reception class they walk down the corridor alone to go to the loo. They do have a thinking mat in the corner of the classroom though.

YellowAndGreenAndRedAndBlue · 08/03/2013 19:28

I wouldn't think this was advisable, depends why, for how long, what the overall layout is etc. can we have more details?

HeadfirstForHalos · 08/03/2013 19:28

I think the worse thing that will happen if they have time out, out of sight, is that they will mess around :)

Original poster

Mammagaga · 08/03/2013 19:29

No idea what they were doing as the child did not tell me, said the teacher told him to stay there until he could behave so he clearly didn't even know why he was there himself, went in to talk to the teacher about it this morning but teacher left the class as I approached :-/

IMO children that young should not be left unattended :-/

OP posts:

ReallyTired · 08/03/2013 19:30

What has the reception child done? It is not fair to allow one child to ruin the eduation of 30 children.

Making a child stand outside the corridor of the classroom is out of fashion, but I don't think it is irresponsible. School children do not need the same level of supervision as toddler. Even if the child does decide to wonder off they can't get out of school premises.

I think it would be better to send the child to the head for a telling off. My children school make naughty reception children sit in a different classroom with some boring work to do.

ByTheWay1 · 08/03/2013 19:31

They are at school - what is going to happen?

HeadfirstForHalos · 08/03/2013 19:31

Are they accompanied to the toilet then?

MorelliOrRanger · 08/03/2013 19:32

At 4/5 IMO they know what they did to get a timeout.

Floggingmolly · 08/03/2013 19:32

Irresponsible in what way, exactly?

YellowAndGreenAndRedAndBlue · 08/03/2013 19:36

Your further info makes it sound more dubious, there should be a clear and consistent discipline system, and 'behave properly' is meaningless, totally subjective. A child should be told what they did, what the consequence is, what they need to do instead etc.

What is your position?

valiumredhead · 08/03/2013 19:36

What do you think is a suitable form of discipline then OP?

They go to the toilet by themselves, standing outside the classroom while they reflect on their behaviour should be within their capabilities.

Obviously in the corridor and not outside in the playground.

valiumredhead · 08/03/2013 19:37

You really think a child of 5 shouldn't be left unattended, what, ever?

Original poster

Mammagaga · 08/03/2013 19:38

Some more details:

Child has been constantly hit and kicked and bullied by child X, I have complained about this on 4 occasions, it escalated to hitting and kicking between the legs which I complained about and am told 'we can not keep them apart all the time'... Escalated to other child now pinching my child in the privates to which I had a meeting with the head but the head brushed aside my concerns, told me my child's behaviour has deteriorated in the last few months (hardly surprising) and as they are finding it so hard to keep the boys separate they took it upon themselves to make my child miss EVERY playtime ALL day as a deterrent from playing with child X.

After complaining I head child X has gone on to punch my son in he head and push his head into a water fountain, from which he developed a lump and now I have found out he is being sent outside the classroom into the corridor.

I'm all for time out - on a chair IN the classroom but seriously having concerns with the way this school is dealing with stuff at the moment!

So wondering whether it would be unreasonable to mention in my complaint that child is being sent outside the classroom into the corridor...?!

OP posts:

Smartiepants79 · 08/03/2013 19:39

Would have thought this happens fairly often in many schools.
I would expect that he DOES know why he was sent out but is choosing not to own up!
If he was behaving in a way that was disruptive and needed some time to go and calm himself down then it is a perfectly reasonable response. I know this is what I would do in that situation.
If you are really bothered by this then you must request a meeting with the teacher but to expect them to be being watched constantly is unrealistic.
They would come to no harm standing outside the door for a few minutes!

CloudsAndTrees · 08/03/2013 19:40

YABU. Reception children don't need to be seen 100% of the time. An adult need to know where they are, but they don't need to be visible at all times, and I would suggest that any reception class that did make children visible 100% of the time probably isn't in a very good classroom.

Children of that age often know what they have done wrong but are reluctant to tell people what it is.

The child might have been being extremely disruptive during a 'lesson' for all you know (or for all you have said) and has been sent out so that the other children have a chance to learn.

valiumredhead · 08/03/2013 19:42

Good luck with that OP, every school I haver ever encountered favours time out for disruptive children.

Original poster

Mammagaga · 08/03/2013 19:42

And yes - valiumredhead I do expect that a child of reception age should not be sent outside the classroom (socially excluded from his group) into the corridor without supervision!!

OP posts:

CloudsAndTrees · 08/03/2013 19:43

Ok, x posted and more detail now. I still think YABU to think the child shouldn't be in the corridor. I doubt that is a first stage punishment.

HerRoyalNotness · 08/03/2013 19:43

They did this to my son, it backfired when he refused to come back in the classroom and had a major meltdown, they phoned us to talk him down, but then wouldnt let us pick him up. IIRC in his 3rd week of school. They havent managed to come up with any ideas themselves on how to engage him and help him settle in since then either. And I must say he is a typically minded 5yo!

Smartiepants79 · 08/03/2013 19:44

The 2 incidents are probably unrelated.
However it seems rather odd that the school seems so unconcerned by the behaviour you are describing.
Please don' t bite my head off but are you quite sure that it is as one sided as you believe?
Is there only one class per year group or could he be moved?

Original poster

Mammagaga · 08/03/2013 19:44

There's nothing wrong with time out - IN the classroom!!!! And once it has been explained to a child what they have done - my issue is with a child of 4 and 5 being sent outside the classroom into a corridor with no supervision

OP posts:

Andro · 08/03/2013 19:44

Mammagaga - change schools?

What has been happening to child X in terms of punishment for bullying?

Flip

1 2 3