Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
junebirthdaygirl · 21/05/2021 06:16

I am a teacher of many many years and this is the first year l have seen this in my school. Its Covid!! And it's a total pain. I don't have a regular class as in special needs but as l walk around l see it. Its due to staggered breaks and not having as much play time. Also children have to stay in bubbles and can't go across the room to chat to their friends and can't mix toys that aren't sanitised etc. But it is true that it makes some children into Zombies and l have seen them hold a sandwich half way to their mouth and sit frozen there and not remember to eat. If l am supervising them l am constantly calling them to eat up etc but l am a grandma so hate to see kids not eating or having their drinks. But if their class teacher is there they have work to catch up on and may not notice. It is a very negative thing to enter schools as we often complain about how much screen time they have and then we add to it. Another fallout of these Covid times.

MoiraRose4 · 21/05/2021 06:18

I have worked in three different primary schools. This only happened during wet play in all of them.

EnoughnowIthink · 21/05/2021 06:40

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

Nothing has changed in schools since September. Do you think staff shouldn’t have a break?

Tobebythesea · 21/05/2021 06:51

This happens at my DDs school as well and I hate it. They say it’s due to teacher breaks and Covid. It’s totally unnecessary and stopping conversation during lunch.

parrotonmyshoulder · 21/05/2021 06:51

I think it’s hypocritical for parents to be complaining that kids have ‘too much screen time already’ so shouldn’t have any at school. If it’s a useful/ necessary babysitter at home during this difficult time, why shouldn’t schools be able to use it too?

parrotonmyshoulder · 21/05/2021 06:52

I love the romantic idea of ‘conversation during lunch’. Have you heard a hall full of primary children having ‘conversation’?

Tobebythesea · 21/05/2021 06:54

They justify it by saying it’s okay, it’s Cbeebies.

Tobebythesea · 21/05/2021 06:54

@parrotonmyshoulder

I love the romantic idea of ‘conversation during lunch’. Have you heard a hall full of primary children having ‘conversation’?
Yes, I have, thanks.
Hallyup6 · 21/05/2021 07:18

My daughter is in year 6 and I know they often have TV on at lunchtime because they're stuck in their classroom and the teacher thought it would be a nice thing to do. I don't mind it, it keeps them entertained and the stuff they show isn't going to harm them. But they're year 6. Old enough to be able to eat their lunch and not get distracted by TV. I think that's the main issue for you, that the children need to eat and the lunchtime staff need to be on the ball with that. I'd mention something to the school but I wouldn't ask for the TV to be banned because children can easily get distracted by other activities.

bingowingsmcgee · 21/05/2021 07:21

Happens allll the time. Schools, nurseries.... They're understaffed and it's easy.

year5teacher · 21/05/2021 07:28

Fair enough. Do your school still have lunchtime supervisors doing this? Because the time in which my kids are inside eating is now the majority of what was once my lunch break - which I now spend supervising them.

NailsNeedDoing · 21/05/2021 07:44

I wouldn’t be happy with this either, but considering that staff are giving up their lunch breaks to keep your child in their apparently covid safe bubble, I think you just have to put up with it for now. Hopefully we’ll all be back to normal in schools in September and staff and children can get their lunch breaks back properly.

Don’t blame the school, blame the government for not funding schools properly to implement the covid regulations that they require. If the school had the money to pay extra lunchtime staff, this wouldn’t be a problem.

Thatisnotwhatisaid · 21/05/2021 07:48

It’s because they can’t eat in the lunch hall anymore so are contained to the classroom and supervised by the teacher as opposed to dinner staff. The teachers want to eat their lunch and chill out with a coffee for a bit because it’s supposed to be their lunch break hence the TV going on. I can’t really see an issue with it at all.

drspouse · 21/05/2021 07:50

My DD has been eating in the hall (those on packed lunches in classrooms) all through COVID. They just shifted to smaller tables to encourage conversation. I have no idea whether they have some special set up that allows for this but it's a standard Victorian building with 70s and 2000s extensions.

drspouse · 21/05/2021 07:51

*just shifted = just now, not at the start of COVID.

OnTheBrink1 · 21/05/2021 07:53

No, I wouldn’t like that. School isn’t for watching cartoons. It’s lazy. Kids shouldn’t be gorping at a tv whilst eating either. They should be focussing on their food.
On another note, my kids school have asked for permission to let the kids watch a 12 rated film. They are in Y4 (so 8 and 9 year olds!!)
They have asked for permission but if you say not and your child is one of the few taken out - or the only one to be taken out, that isn’t fair either! Child feels ostracised. It’s related to the topic they’ve been doing but still- I don’t think they should even be asking!

PicaK · 21/05/2021 07:54

FFS. This is such a non issue.a bit of TV at lunchtimes in wet play. Get a grip.
Teachers are exhausted and miserable at the moment. Really don't bother school with this until all covid restrictions are lifted.

Russell19 · 21/05/2021 08:06

I'm a reception teacher and my class will watch cbeebies or something for wet play and occasionally for 5 mins at home time if we are ready early. They eat lunch in the hall then go outside so I don't have the classroom issue like others. What I will say is you cannot force children to eat. You can encourage yes but I have several fussy eaters who won't eat school dinners. I am not prepared to distress children over eating things they don't like/want. Depends what your child is normally like though.

ineedaholidaynow · 21/05/2021 08:07

12 rated films can be seen by under 12s as long as accompanied by an adult. Hence the reason they need to ask for permission. Many 8 year olds (and much younger) watch 12 rated films.

Many schools are limiting resources that children can use/play with at the moment as you are meant to wipe them down before someone else touches them, so letting children have free rein with resources in the room once they have finished eating is not possible.

In most classrooms children won’t be SD but seating will be spaced out as much as possible and children need to sit in their spot, so will only have their neighbour to chat to, who may be happily still eating their lunch and unable to chat as have their mouth full.

Staff are meant to keep their distance from the pupils as much as possible so not always easy to monitor their eating habits.

The best thing at the moment is for you to try and encourage your child to eat their lunch and not be distracted by the tv.

StrawberryLovingChild · 21/05/2021 08:15

DD in year 2 only gets 1 outside playtime per day unless it's PE day due to the bubbles so they watch TV during their "indoor playtimes". They don't have to watch it though, they just have to stay in their classroom, they can colour/draw or read or just sit quietly if they want to.

I don't really know how else the school are supposed to keep 60 children in one classroom (2 form entry) happy.

Programmes are cbeebies or similar so Hey Duggee, MAddie Moate etc.

grantoderek · 21/05/2021 08:48

I genuinely don't understand the snobbery about TV on MN. I think it's a nice thing to do, school is tiring and stressful. It's highly unlikely to stop dear little Daisy becoming a barrister. Gal

Original poster
girasol · 21/05/2021 09:34

@Awalkintime I emailed the school to mention that my daughter hadn't eaten lunch again, and so I'd be grateful if whoever was supervising at lunchtime could keep an eye on her. The school replied and said they would pass my message on to the MSA team, so it seems neither the teacher nor the TA is having to give up their lunch hour to supervise the class at all....
I appreciate it's a lot for an unqualified MSA to supervise a whole class on their own. However, given that MSAs are now apparently allowed back, I don't understand why kids who have finished lunch can't just go straight out to the playground. They are no longer in class bubbles for outside play and are in full year bubbles.

OP posts:
ineedaholidaynow · 21/05/2021 09:36

If the MSA is supervising the classroom there might not be enough adults to supervise them outside as well.

Original poster
girasol · 21/05/2021 09:40

As above @NailsNeedDoing @Thatisnotwhatisaid @year5teacher @EnoughnowIthink, apparently the teachers and TAs do now get their lunch breaks - classroom eating is supervised by mealtime supervisors, and then children go out to play in an entire yeargroup bubble.

OP posts:
Xiaoxiong · 21/05/2021 11:03

I'm trying to think of TV watching in our school and there are only two instances I can think of - the older kids (I think from Year 3 up?) watch Newsround, but not every day. They put on a film for kids who are staying for the late bus, but also not every day.

I wouldn't be happy about them watching TV if it's preventing them from eating their lunch, especially as they are no longer in class bubbles for outside play and don't need as many separate supervisors to keep them separate.