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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think children should not be left totally unsupervised in school.

100 replies

MerryMarigold · 12/03/2018 16:23

Today was wet play. Very dreary day. Ds2 and dd said that during wet play they are unsupervised. They are in Y4. I am quite surprised by this. Is that normal? This was lunchtime. Ds2 said no one was in the room for at least 10 minutes.

OP posts:

DalekDalekDalek · 12/03/2018 16:24

I would imagine they probably had people going from classroom to classroom.

WorraLiberty · 12/03/2018 16:25

10 minutes isn't ideal but I couldn't get het up over it.

Year 4 is ages 8 and 9 isn't it?

BarbarianMum · 12/03/2018 16:27

Define "totally unsupervised". A lunchtime supervisor overseeing serveral classrooms would be supervision, and yet there might be no-one in any particular classroom for 10 min (also it is quite possible that someone popped their head round the door in that time to check everything was going on ok, without your dc noticing).

I would hope that a group of Y4s wouldn't require a constant adult presence.

ILoveAntButHateDec · 12/03/2018 16:28

What age is he? Year 4 So 8 or 9? Does a child of that age have any concept of how long 10 minutes is?

Teachers are allowed to go to the loo or make a cuppa - even during wet play...

forcryinoutloud · 12/03/2018 16:28

I don't know whether it's normal or not but certainly don't think it's a good idea for this age to be left unsupervised for more that a few mins, remembering back to my school days all sorts used to happen, not good things either.

YouTheCat · 12/03/2018 16:29

During wet play they should be sitting, playing games, drawing or reading. I doubt there are enough lunchtime supervisors to have one for each class so I expect they will pop their heads round to make sure all is well from time to time.

Children of that age should be well able to occupy themselves.

forcryinoutloud · 12/03/2018 16:30

Surely there would be a clock in the classroom and a child of 9 could tell the time?

arethereanyleftatall · 12/03/2018 16:32

I think it's fine. I assume it's what happens for dd, also y4, (ie that the midday supervisors pop in and out), but tbh I've never asked her, because why would you.

upsideup · 12/03/2018 16:32

Why would a child of 8 or 9 not be okay by themselves for 10 minutes, thats not a long time.

BarbarianMum · 12/03/2018 16:33

And surely he was watching the door the whole time and can safely say no-one popped their head round it to check on them. Or not.

dementedpixie · 12/03/2018 16:34

At ds's school they use the primary 7 pupils to supervise the younger age group classes

LeighaJ · 12/03/2018 16:38

"upsideup
Why would a child of 8 or 9 not be okay by themselves for 10 minutes, thats not a long time."

Agreed. I think the school is putting the classroom itself at more risk to the mischievous nature of some kids, then putting the kids at risk.

ILoveAntButHateDec · 12/03/2018 16:39

Why would a child of 8 or 9 not be okay by themselves for 10 minutes, thats not a long time.

He wouldn’t have been on his own. He would have been with about 30 other 8/9 year olds... I’m sure a child of this age will spend longer than 10 mins in his bedroom playing XBox with, no adult present, pandering to his every whim! 🙄

Some kids would be better off being home schooled. Teachers can’t bloody win!

dementedpixie · 12/03/2018 16:44

They get up to mischief when not supervised! Ds says they lie across desks, sit in the teachers chair and generally dont do as they are told

JennyBlueWren · 12/03/2018 16:46

"Totally unsupervised" for the whole of lunchtime I would have an issue with. However at our school there is only sufficient cover for one adult between two adjoining classrooms. So they would never be in one room for very long and if one class needed more supervision than the other they'd split their time accordingly. So long as the children know where to go for help they could be left if they are are responsible and someone is within earshot.

JennyBlueWren · 12/03/2018 16:48

Also if the worst they are up to when unsupervised is sitting in the teacher's chair then I'd be quite happy to leave them to it! Especially if they see this as "getting up to mischief", they are obviously reasonably sensible.

NailsNeedDoing · 12/03/2018 16:53

Wet play days are often difficult in schools. They would probably welcome you in with open arms if you volunteered to go in and help supervise at lunchtimes.

youarenotkiddingme · 12/03/2018 16:53

Yeah I'd be more worried about the classroom than the kids

ILoveAntButHateDec · 12/03/2018 17:02

They get up to mischief when not supervised! Ds says they lie across desks, sit in the teachers chair and generally dont do as they are told

Typical 9 years olds then.... I am sure that if ‘Sophie’ split a fingernail there would’ve been a bunch of her friends running to the staff room to relay that ‘Sophie’s arm is hanging off!’... 8/9 years olds love a drama 😂

lalalalyra · 12/03/2018 17:02

The lunchtime staff will have been going between classrooms. There's not enough school staff to have someone in every class.

DS's school used to have the older pupil as 'wet day monitors' and they used to go into each class. It just helped keep things calm. They also had a handful of the older kids (particularly sensible ones) in the infant classes/playgrounds at break time. Some parents complained about it as they didn't want older kids having "power" over younger ones (the monitors were all carefully chosen and any rare issues quickly stamped on) so now all the kids are supervised by the 4 lunchtime staff who have to check from class to class...

Knowivedonewrong · 12/03/2018 17:22

Totally normal. Several of us TA's would roam the corridors during wet lunchtime, checking all the classrooms.

Original poster

MerryMarigold · 12/03/2018 17:29

Well on further questioning ds said lunch was 50 mins and people put their heads around the door a few times but no one stayed in class.

Reason I'm asking is that ds2(9) and his v good friend were mucking around a bit and ended up collapsing on each other just when a teacher walked in. All good natured, no one upset but they've had a big punishment. I think a. If you will leave 30 kids unsupervised at lunchbreak after they've been sitting at desks all day you need to expect some messing around and b. If no one is hurt is not a big deal. A telling off would have sufficed. They were not messing about in class, which would be 'terrible behavior'. I know it's a classroom but these are 9yo boys with v v v minimal supervision.

OP posts:

ILoveAntButHateDec · 12/03/2018 17:40

There you go OP. 28 kids in your ds class were considered to be responsible enough to act like 8/9 year olds.

If your ds was one of two behaving like a 5 year old you have work to do...

DalekDalekDalek · 12/03/2018 17:45

I think you should be more concerned about why your 9 year old can't be trusted to not need to be supervised 27-7.

Original poster

MerryMarigold · 12/03/2018 17:50

Lol. It is mumsnet after all. I'm quite secure in ds's behavior. I've not had one complaint since he's been in reception despite asking every parent's evening. I think there was a lot of noise in the class high-end teacher poking head in and choosing the midst obvious culprits who definitely don't need 24-7 supervision but if you are expecting then to sit at a desk in their lunch break then yes, they probably do need supervision.

I'm just shocked because I work at a tuition centre where we always have 2 staff present with any number of children, even 1.

OP posts:

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