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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to object to infant school putting tv on every lunchtime for Y1 and Y2

79 replies

girasol · 20/05/2021 20:06

Genuinely interested to know the extent to which schools let KS1kids watch TV. Am not talking about educational programmes, this is watching “fun” stuff during the lunch hour (eg the Pink Panther) while the kids are meant to be eating lunch.
This seems to have started last September when kids came back and were in class bubbles. To start with I had a bit of sympathy for the school as the bubbles meant the class had to be supervised at lunch by their TA, and the TAs and teachers got less of a break than in normal times, but here we are 8 months later and it now seems to be embedded in the school day.

It’s causing a problem for my Y1 daughter as on a few occasions she’s hardly eaten any of her packed lunch apparently because she’s watching TV. It seems whoever is supervising lunchtime makes no effort to check whether kids are eating which appalled a TA friend of mine who says she always checks). Most days my kids have school lunch so we have no idea whether they eat it or not.

A number of parents have raised this, in particular to check what the official TV policy is but as usual with the SLT we get vague answers/ generally fobbed off (“TV isn’t shown every day”- not true - “when it is shown it’s only our on after the kids have finished eating” - again, not true). Am wondering how much of a fuss to try to kick up about it, apart from anything it’s very poor to get kids into the habit of watching TV while eating and there are loads of studies on the negative affects this has.

But maybe I’m out of touch and this is just what infant schools do these days 🤷‍♀️. I do hope not…

(As a PS one of my friends had a child in the school nursery and she says she had to sign something as a condition of him attending to say that she consented to him watching PG rated films!)

OP posts:
Onceuponatime1818 · 20/05/2021 20:09

I wouldn’t want my children watching tv at school, and I must say I’ve never heard of this before?

In the secondary I work we run a film club one lunchtime a week in the learning support room
For those who feel overwhelmed at lunchtime to go and chill.

tiredanddangerous · 20/05/2021 20:10

I think this happens in a lot of schools. It's an easy way to control 30 6 year olds isn't it?

CouldItBeCake · 20/05/2021 20:12

My children aren’t in school yet but I’d be really unhappy with this and would make a fuss. What’s wrong with an audiobook if something like that is really needed?

SnugglySnerd · 20/05/2021 20:13

Dd's school put a film on at lunch time if it is really wet (like today!). No problem with that, it's a bit of down time. Assuming it is dry they eat then go out to play. It isn't on while they are eating though that's quite strange and I wouldn't be happy with that either

soapboxqueen · 20/05/2021 20:15

I've not heard of this before outside of wet break times etc but I'm not sure I'd care either.

I'd be more concerned that my child wasn't being encouraged to finish her lunch.

BendingSpoons · 20/05/2021 20:16

My DD is in Reception and I wouldn't be happy with that. She sometimes mentions watching TV at snack time but this tends to be CBBC type programmes and pretty sure it's not every day.

I would have more sympathy at the end of the day but lunchtime should really be about eating and playing outside. It's definitely not good having it on whilst eating and I don't see why they would put it on after eating, unless maybe it was wet play. I would expect them to pay attention to what children are eating too.

Is it TAs doing lunch as opposed to midday supervisors? Is this different to normal and they are having their lunch at the same time so want it easier?

Llama33 · 20/05/2021 20:16

The covid bubble requirements are still in place so the TAs supervising will still not be having their usual lunch break if that is how the school has organised things. I would have a problem if this continued after lunch time supervisors are back/children are back in the dining hall but not worry for now.

If your child isn't eating I would raise the checking rather than the TV if you see what I mean.

Lancrelady80 · 20/05/2021 20:16

Don't panic about the PG films. It'll be that they want to show a clip that is perfectly age appropriate to inspire, excite or inform the children, but the clip happens to be in a film that is NOT age appropriate. So for the sake of being allowed to show a 5 min clip of e.g. Harry Potter on a broomstick flying around Hogwarts (not sure if PG tbh) they need to have parental permission.

I have never known schools showing films whilst kids are eating. In some, something like the BBC Narnia series or maybe Mr Bean cartoons were shown after they finished if it was wet play, but only if wet play, not just as a matter of course.

DaenarysStormborn · 20/05/2021 20:18

This is happening every day at the moment. I tried to not do it with my class and got told by SLT I was being a killjoy considering the kids have had so little joy in the last 12 months. Personally I don't think TV=happiness.

Rocketpants50 · 20/05/2021 20:19

Our school is the same infant and juniors. My y3 child also states that because they only get to go out for a break lunch and pm play they also watch a film during morning break. After all the months they havent been communicating and the concerns over childrens mental health I am baffled to why they think this is a good idea, surely they should all be chatting, playing games etc. My children dont eat as much as they used to , apparently dont have time to eat. Our school day is still shortened by about half an hour, so surely if they put back in that half an hour it would give them all longer for lunch.

DancesWithDaffodils · 20/05/2021 20:19

When it was really hot (over 40C) school used to do this. Unfortunately it was over 40 at lunchtime from about April to October.
They also handed out sweets, to be eaten in class, as prize points.
Kids came home as high as a kite every day. We moved them as soon as spaces became available elsewhere.

WildWestWanda · 20/05/2021 20:20

How do you know it’s not true?

Karwomannghia · 20/05/2021 20:21

Lots of kids have to eat in their own classrooms now as opposed to the dining room, to prevent bubbles mixing. This means teachers have to supervise them until their time outside. Teachers need time to plan etc and need the kids to just sit quietly, separately and eat ideally without making a mess or asking questions.
When kids aren’t eating in their classrooms anymore and are either outside or in the dining room for the full hour, they won’t need to be occupied in their classrooms.

mnahmnah · 20/05/2021 20:23

My son is in yr 4 and they watch a film at lunch if it is a wet day and they can’t go out. I’m absolutely fine with that. It’s downtime.

Original poster
girasol · 20/05/2021 20:24

TV definitely being shown every day as a matter of course - it seems they have half an hour in the classroom watching tv and (in theory!) eating lunch then play outside for half an hour.
I agree I’d be much happier with audio book, and also agree it’s being used as a tool to stupefy the class.

I’ve raised the not eating thing previously and will do so again. Last time I made this the focus (as it is the bigger concern) but explained my daughter apparently hadn’t eaten because she was watching tv.

Re the nursery PG point, it wasn’t so much that we were concerned about inappropriate content being shown, it’s that even in Nursery TV is apparently an integral part of what they do! Personally I don’t think nursery kids should be shown any tv, educational or not.

OP posts:
Original poster
girasol · 20/05/2021 20:28

That’s appalling - as if most kids have had a shortage of TV over the last year - it’s everything else they need to catch up on!

OP posts:
Original poster
girasol · 20/05/2021 20:29

Sorry, that was a response to @DaenarysStormborn

OP posts:
Allbymyself1 · 20/05/2021 20:38

I'm not condoning this but at my school we are still working in bubbles which has created so many issues with space and division of labour.
Before Covid all children would eat in the hall at staggered times and they would go straight out to play when they had finished their lunch as there were TA's in the hall and in the playgrounds to supervise. Now we eat in classrooms and playtime for each class is separate with one TA to supervise each class. So my class will go out to play with me then come in to their classroom to eat their lunch at their own table. We are unable to return to the playground as the next class will then be using it.Due to now having the desks separated for social distancing there is no free space in the classroom. This means that I might have 10 children that have finished their lunch after 10 minutes, 10 more halfway through theirs and the remaining 10, who are slower eaters or have a particularly large lunch, have barely started. I then have to try and keep the children who have finished entertained within the classroom whilst we wait for all children to finish and lessons to resume.
In a similar situation with such young children I can see how it would be easy to play cartoons to keep the children who have finished their lunch entertained as sending them back out to play is no longer feasible.
I work with Year 6's so they are happy to simply chat or we'll play games on the whiteboard such as Hangman.
I can see that this might be distracting for those still eating or that they don't eat all their lunch as they don't want to miss out on the games but in the current circumstances I'm trying to do my best with the restrictions in place!
Its just me with 30 children, trying to make sure that they eat their lunch but also that they are occupied while waiting for the others.

sunshineandshowers40 · 20/05/2021 20:46

Lots of children are eating in the classroom because of Covid so teachers are putting on a film while they eat (15 mins). Before Covid I had never heard of this happening. We had a email asking for permission to show PG films for my Y6 child, Y3 child watches U (although I think they may now be eating in the hall so no more films).

Heronwatcher · 20/05/2021 21:01

It’s a COVID thing. If it is still happening once all the classes go back into the lunch hall mention it, if not leave the school alone (schools and teachers have had a tough year).

SnackSizeRaisin · 20/05/2021 21:16

I'd not be happy with any TV at all apart from the odd educational video as part of a lesson, or the occasional film as an end of term treat. Certainly no c beebies or cartoons.
Lunch time is for eating, playing outside, talking to friends, and if it's wet then colouring pencils and board games can be provided.
Surely most children get far too much screen time already?

SnackSizeRaisin · 20/05/2021 21:20

Why can't the ones who've finished eating either draw, read, write or colour? Or just chat with friends. Seems a bit lame that children can't entertain themselves for 10.minutes without a screen

Stitched77 · 20/05/2021 21:25

You can sedate your kids with TV and ipads while you watch Holly/The Kardashians, but others can't? Ok

itsgettingwierd · 20/05/2021 21:29

Couldn't care less about TV.

Don't expect anyone to encourage my child to eat his lunch. If he hungry he'll eat. If he doesn't eat properly and is hungry later he'll learn to eat it 🤷‍♀️

marmitegirl01 · 20/05/2021 21:30

We do this at my school. Due to COVID children now get 30 mins outside. 30 mins inside to eat in classrooms. So the bubbles dont mix. It’s the only way to do it. Previously they were out all of the hour except for eating time ( each child takes as long as they take).
30 mins to sit is quite a long time so tv it is. Although I do try to play some games it gets a bit tedious and samey. I know you are all going to say they should be able to quietly entertain themselves or read for 30 mins. But real life isn’t like that. 30 10yr olds get quite rowdy if not entertained.