New headteacher wants pupils to 'Superwalk'

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

New head at our primary has decreed that children should walk along corridors with hands clasped behind their backs at all times.

Possibly he's striving for Outstanding Ofsted, but it sounds bonkers to me (and I'm usually happy to back the school in most things).

Stops the little darlings from running.

Wtf? Bizarre. It's really not natural to walk like that, unless perhaps you're strolling very slowly.

If you fall like that don’t you just squash your face?
I think it’s from a book.

WTAF.

That's what DD said Sure (she's 8)

Head also introduced this scheme to parents via a rather creepy article in the school newsletter where he seemed to suggest that this special walk had just arisen naturally among the children

Being accident prone myself, all i can picture is kids with bloodied noses where they've fallen over and hands haven't caught them and sore shoulders from the awkward position.

I've never heard anything like it before.

Wow, of all the possible things to work on...

Your school must be fab if this is all he has to work on!

I can't possibly count the hours I've spent telling my DCs to never walk with hands in pockets or behind their backs (for v obvious reasons already mentioned!!).

This man is a moron.

Isn't there a Ministry for this

Oh please.

Next month kids, its...MOONWALK MONTH!

It really does feel like introducing a new scheme just for the sake of it. Marking his territory?

NinahH spot on

A very rough secondary school near me did this or something similar (might have been arms folded?) for 2/3 of a year when a new head took over. The place was in such a bad way a "reset" was needed. She was then able to say the students had done so well etc that they were going to relax the rule.

Unless the school is really struggling with terrible behaviour it seems OTT to me.

Another school was in the news a while back for doing this. They called it the university walk.

I work in a university. Our bright young minds do not walk in this manner.

My son has just started reception and came home showing how they walk round school and it's just how you describe. I went to an assembly and they all filed in with hands behind backs. I thought it may be to stop them messing with the displays that are around school on the way to the hall, or prodding each other etc. They all seemed quite happy. No one commented on it.

This happened in our school two years ago. It was a disaster and led to really nasty fall out that ultimately hastened the departure of the new head who proposed it. There was a big thread on here about it and loads of coverage in national press. It was described as University Walk and our school has a religious-sounding name, if you want to google it. Really though it was a total disaster and my relationship with the school never really recovered.

Can confirm this is not a University Walk. They mostly shuffle around very very slowly in packs, not getting out of the way of those of us who just want to get to a meeting on time for once.

Balaboosteh yes I did come across that story.

Our school is 'good' according to Ofsted, and I've always thought of it as a very nurturing place. The old head wasn't perfect, but this feels like an of change of pace

The look is more reminiscent of a prison than a university. Bizarre.

DD particularly disgusted as she says she's managed to walk around the school with her hands by her side for the past five years without poking anyone.

Walking with your hands behind your back while carrying a heavy bag or rucksack doesn't sound particularly comfortable.

It would also require heavy policing of corridors to actually enforce. It wouldn't work at my school which is like a rabbit warren. I've seen bright, airy new-builds where you could manage it with a teacher-sniper at a high vantage point.

It sounds like something from "Tom Brown's Schooldays"!!

Someone find this Head a real problem. Tell him Ofsted will only rate a school Outstanding if they've a 6 month supply of nail holes or something, that'll keep him entertained.

Yes I wondered about enforcement too. School is very much not new build, bit of a maze.

Oh so please share the article about this naturally arising bonkers walk?

Yes, I'm more concerned with budget cuts that meant they had to get rid of reading support staff, but what do I know?

Walking in a funny way is where it's at...