About DS' class watching DVD at school

[cornflakegirl]

DS's class teacher was helping to organise a whole-school event, so the class were left watching a DVD with a TA. For what length of time would you judge this to be acceptable? I'm not sure if I'm overreacting.

Not letting kids have time off for term time holidays is because of the LEA breathing down the head's neck about absences not because the school has double standards.

A poor attendance rate is something that can really bugger up an OFSTED as well.

Would you send your children to a school that was poorly rated?

The difference with taking them out of school is that you are taking out one child and have no idea what is happening that day/week that is of importance. It's a risk you take (I have no issue with taking dc out of school for holidays btw). If it's 90 minutes on one day and they're all watching a dvd, no individual child is missing out.

Our school allows the dc to work towards earning a film on the last day of term. They have to have however many pieces of pasta in a jar to earn the class treat of a film, popcorn and sitting on cushions instead of chairs. The dc love it, work hard to earn it and it's one crap anthropomorphised, provincial dog makes good, Disneyfied, celluloid crap offering I don't have to watch with dd.

ll31 - are you stalking me ;)

TheMoon - thank you, I feel less alone now!

I think YANBU actually

My DC school seem to spend lots of time watching videos especially when it's rainy play.

I just think its really lazy. Of course at home when it's just you I can see how you might need to put the TV on to get things done but in a school surely there should be enough teachers/TAs that some can do whatever they need to do and the others can occupy the kids.

If my kids are going to watch TV all day then why are they even at school - they could do that at home!

The other thing that annoys me is that we try to set a limit on screen time each day and so if I'm not aware that they have watched TV in school then they may end up watching more than I am happy with!

They are hardly watching tv 'all day'.

They may have quite a bit of screen time in school because that is the medium used these days. It is all laptops and interactive whiteboards now and that is just how it is.

We had the big T.V in the hall too.

I still remember the feeling of sitting on those cold, dusty floors.

The film was always one about New Forest Ponies being stolen and some children being involved or something.

cornflakegirl I am so with you on this one. At my son's previous school the 'wind down' for the end of term would start basically after the sats had been done in May, and the children would see maybe 3 or more films, plus lots of 'golden' time... I got so fed up with it that we ended up changing schools.

At his new school, they have some fun time, and the whole school watches one film - as a treat - in the last week of term. The children are given a vote on which film they want to see. This is fine by me. There seems to be a stronger work ethic at the new school too...which is maybe what you're getting at?

Pete I remember that one. There was one about a spaceship, and something else to do with badgers.

OP - one film wouldn't bother me, and it isn't like the teacher was sitting on their arse. If the TA isn't very experienced then it isn't fair to expect them to deal with a whole class of 30 without help.

I remember the one about badgers too.

Considering how often we watched them you'd think I'd remember more.

I don't mind at all if DD sometimes watches DVDs at school. They watch them to fit in with topics (and DD's teacher was really pleased when I sent in a DVD they weren't really aware of, to fit in with something they were doing - and her class loves Fantasia 2000 :o).

Sometimes I think they just watch them as a quiet activity, and I really don't see the problem as long as it is only now and again. They have plenty of "input" time (phonics, numeracy etc all sitting on carpet) and "jobs" time (free play and/or small group tasks) so I am happy they get plenty done each day!

DD came home raving about my neighbour Totoro recently, they'd watched it at school, I think it's nice that they can watch something a bit different to what they might see at home and share the experience with their friends.