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).

[pisacake]

tell him to super fuck himself

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

I would MsAusten, but it's likely to be a bit identifying.

[LimpidPools]

Makes me think of Prince Philip. Charles does it too, look.

I recommend they all adopt accents to match.

[MsJaneAusten]

Awwww c’mon c’mon. Just a little peak?

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

I will email him and tell him Mumsnet agrees with me, that should sort it...

[limitedperiodonly]

Is it this school OP? The head is a self-seeking self publicist who came to fame by spouting off at a Tory party conference and appears to have no affinity with teaching or the care of young people. I would not put her in charge of a hamster and yet she and people like her continue to get headships.

Worringly, people who claim to be parents and teachers on Mumsnet and beyond think this kind of thing is a good idea.

Katherine Birbalsingh

[Ceto]

I wonder how this work for children with co-ordination problems? And I also wonder whether their insurers know - they may not be too chuffed at having to pay out for falling injuries caused as a direct result.

[Italiangreyhound]

Sounds odd, personally I would not want my kids walking like that.

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

No that's not us limitedperiodonly but that woman looks truly appalling

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

Good point Ceto my brother is severely dyspraxic and I know he would have struggled with something like this when he was at school.

[TheSnorkMaidenReturns]

I've a child with severe dyspraxia. He wasn't diagnosed until quite late on in primary school so he wouldn't have qualified for any SEN exceptions. He would have fallen flat in his face and would have got into trouble for 'messing around'.
This sort of thing has nothing to do with education at all.

[Worriedobsessive]

Limitedperiodonly that article is just terryifyinging.

[GinnyWreckin]

I hope it isn’t so the boys can oogle the girls boobs!

Actually, walking with your back straight and shoulders back is very good for you. The hunched up, screen time look is very bad for the spine.

Maybe the new head wants to stop that trend as kids must walk tall and stand up straight when their hands are back behind them?

[Iris65]

I hope that the staff use their candour to say good things to one another, otherwise it encourages a culture of bullying and cruelty: 'I told him that he is useless. I was only being candid.'

[SilenceMeansWhatAreTheyUpTo]

How are they supposed to carry stuff?

[bunbunny]

I would want to see the risk assessment for that - particularly for times when:
1- dc are carrying heavy/bulky bags (if they do?)
2- if they slip on liquid that has spilt onto the floor (eg from a lunch bag where the lid on a water bottle hasn't been tightened properly/on a rainy day/child has had an accident/etc)
3- if another child is misbehaving and pushes them
4- dc that have poor mobility or co-ordination
5- corridors are particularly busy
6- I'm sure there must be more to add to the list!

...and in all cases they're not able to save themselves in time so fall over without their hands to help their fall.

I'd also like to see the research that shows that this is a) a good idea and b) that it's not dangerous - as it certainly isn't a natural way to walk.

When ds2 started reception, he wasn't very co-ordinated and could fall over and bang his head when sitting on the floor let alone walking - his teacher noticed that when he fell over (frequently!) it just didn't occur to him to throw his hands out to save himself as most people have a normal reflex reaction to do this.

With her help we managed to get him to start to throw his hands out to protect himself when he fell - having his hands out and able to steady himself were an important part of that and it would have been really detrimental to have made him walk with his hands behind his back.

[RhiWrites]

The creepy school article will say something like: Here at Bonkers Comprehensive our boys and girls are proud of the school and so they’ve invented something rather special we’d like to share with you. Pollyanna, 10, explained it like this “when we walk carefully we’re showing we respect the school and all our wonderful teachers who work so hard. Some of us started doing it and then others joined in. School is way cooler now and everyone is excited to share the Learning Walk.” We’re excited too, Pollyanna!

[LostForNow]

Primary kids don't carry stuck or have heavy bags.

It's probably to get them all to stop picking at work on the walls and being silly. Nothing to get too worked up about, it won't hurt them will it? Just make them listen and it'll props only last a couple of weeks.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Perhaps if they all had to carry stuff in their hands when walking down the corridor it would have the same effect, Lost.

Much more difficult to damage displays, poke, prod, or fiddle with the clothing of those around you if your hands are already being used.

[limitedperiodonly]

OP I understand what you mean about normally being willing to back the school but not in this instance. I was privileged to have some wonderful teachers who wanted to teach and who really liked children and teenagers. And then there were others...

I'm thinking of one in particular that people on Facebook fondly reminisce as being 'really strict' yet benign. I can only guess it's Stockholm Syndrome because he was a fucking bully and power-crazed loon who should never have been allowed within a million miles of a sniff of authority. Making people, and teenagers are people too, walk down corridors in silence with their hands behind their backs would have just been starters for him.

It's weird. I truly believe that most teachers like young people, or at least don't mind them. But then I read posts on MN by some teachers and wonder why they entered the profession because they clearly don't like or understand young people and think they should be handled with a whip and a chair.

[Topseyt]

Is it called Silly Walks Primary/Comprehensive School by any chance?

On the face of it, it certainly sounds like a weird policy.

[nursy1]

For goodness sake.
Is an education about turning children into little robots?

[SteamTrainsRealAleandOpenFires]

OP I wonder what's next on the agenda?

No warning that the school will become an Academy from the 1st of Jan 2018, though no info. will be given until the 5/6th of said Jan?

A nice new expensive uniform from a newly opened "one stop supply shop?."

[SteamTrainsRealAleandOpenFires]

Sorry if my previous post sounds too cynical .

[Firefries]

Ive seen that. Normally there are very strict instructions from teachers to walk quietly, follow behind the one in front of you, and to pay attention. Ive only seen it used when walking as a class group around the school, and it works pretty well. I can't imagine kids doing it on their own during breaks tho.