to ask if your dcs get an afternoon playtime in Key Stage 1?

[Northernlurker]

I'm sorry, am posting for traffic

I would be very grateful if you could say if they do or not, very roughly where you are and if you think it's a good thing that they do or don't.

Changes are afoot in my dcs school and I'm bloody annoyed. Just wondering if I'm out of step. Won't stop me being annoyed but informs the argument somewhat.

I teach in a special school, the year R/1 class get an afternoon break (and lots of freeflow play) but the year 2/3 class don't usually, so half of KS1 do and the other half don't.

East Sussex... Yes to KS1 both at school where I teach and at school my dc's attend
Think a good thing

No schools in any area around here - NE Scotland - have afternoon breaks, as far as I'm aware.

Yes - around 15 mins to run around outdoors (London)

London. No official outside play, but a 10 minute break with their snack (free fruit/veg) in KS1. I read them a story or put on a signed story (in addition to the end of day reading we do).

Sometimes we will go for a run in the playground or (more often) take snack outside and sit in the sun. They need a break, and I get them out as much as possible.

It depends on the start and finish time of the school. From what I remember, children are expected to do a certain number of hours per week. This is longer in ks2 than in ks1 which is why ks2 children may not have an afternoon break, as schools want to keep finishing times as close as possible to those in ks1.

Year 6, 10mins in afternoon.

Another in London but ours only get a morning break.

From a point furthest from the sea:
KS2 no afternoon break, an extra 5 mins lessons before lunch and an extra 10 mins at the end of the day.

KS1 (dossers) go to lunch at 12, have 15-20 mins break in pm and finish 10 minutes earlier.

KS1 staff may argue that the extra playtime duty (as break taken when needed in the afternoon) makes up for the 'shorter' working week!

I think little ones really need air and exercise in the afternoon!

Thank you all. This is very interesting.

The issue is that the formal playtime has been removed in the afternoon at the discretion of the teachers with no consultation of parents or governors. My letter of complaint has now been e-mailed to the Chair of Governors. Just wanted to check we weren't the only school with a pm playtime!

No afternoon break for whole of KS1 or KS2 bur reception have a lot of free play indoors and outdoors in the afternoon. School finishes at 15.00 for reception and 15.05 for rest of school. Free fruit for KS1 is given out at end of school day.

No - neither in the school my dc went to or in any I've taught in.

Midlands here

I think it's much better without a set time, as it breaks the afternoon up into too short 'chunks'.

That is with the proviso that at any point it's perfectly acceptable for any teacher to be given the autonomy to decide that she does want to take them out, at any point during the day (some of which is influenced by how much outdoor space you have and how much it is timetabled for PE lessons, etc.)

Kent, DS's school do in KS1 but not KS2, DD's school don't.

Essex here and at my boys school KS1 get afternoon play, KS2 do not in general but teachers can and do on occasion allow an afternoon play.

Backforgood - the problem with the teachers' autonomy is that it seems to have allowed them not to do it at all.

Our ks1 children do. They're in an infant and junior school where the ks2 children don't.

Ks1 children have a shorter working day than ks2 children. This means that if infants and juniors got the same amount breaks the infants would finish their school day earlier and this would be inconvenient for parents/carers who collect from school.

Therefore our infants get an afternoon break and finish school at the same time.

Sorry, should have said I'm in NE England.

Doncaster. Yes to afternoon play. School starts at 8.45, morning break at 10.30-10.45. Lunchtime 12.00-13.10 (ks2 12.10-13.10), afternoon break 14.30-14.45 , school finish 15.30.

Ah, (Northern Lurker and Kim147) but I wouldn't have a class of KS1 pupils "sitting still" for the afternoon.
It might be that it meant you could have a longer PE lesson instead, or drama or a maths lesson that was all to do with timing people running, or practical science or art or anything really.

We're in south bucks.... Combined school, KS1 get an afternoon break, KS2 don't. They all finish at 315pm.

I actually take issue with the 'it allows for a longer . Ok yes but what it doesn't allow for is unstructured play. Unstructured play is very valuable and it's what this generation of kids is robbed of.