To think this primary school sounds military

[SunshineAndStorms]

My son was walking along with his hands behind his back today and I laughed and said, why are you doing that. Thinking it looked quite amusing as I'd not seen him do that before. He said that they have to walk around the school with their hands behind their backs when the teacher is taking them to places, like the hall for lunch etc. The teachers do it too apparently. My son is only 5 and I just think this sounds odd and quite military. It's a primary school! And surely it's not the safest way to walk around in case of falling over.

I'm now questioning whether my son should be at a school that makes children do this sort of thing.

Good idea. And might go someway to reversing screen posture where children are hunched forward.

What?! This is a way of keeping order! What other strategies would you suggest instead of this one?

As I said before, the two children with mobility problems don't follow this rule so they can move safely however is best for them. As is (hopefully) usual with schools, a child's needs are taken into account and no-one is forcing children to do this who are unable. This rule really helps; in another school I visit the children are essentially able to move around the corridors how they please. This hinders those who have disabilities that affect their movement.

Far better for everyone if the corridors are calm places and exceptions to the rules are made for those who need adaptation.

And by "hinders those who have disabilities that affect their movement", I mean I have actually seen a child struggle to get down a corridor full of rowdy children all pushing and shoving.

Fair points about hands behind the back creating a calmer environment and less touching things they shouldn't be.

I just worry on a bigger level than my son's school is soulless. It feels like they are creating little robots. Doesn't seem like there's much room for individually. I've helped out there a few times and seen some things I wasn't sure about. Like the teachers aren't allowed to put art work up in the classrooms as it's really minimalist everywhere. The children aren't allowed to put their hands up either, they have other signs like sitting straight.

Oh I and saw year 1 and 2 children being kept in during the whole of play because they had to re write their work. They're so young!

"he runs and jumps and has fun in the corridors, all the little ones do"

<<holds head in hands and rocks, gently>>

I get my children to walk like this in shops where I don't want them touching things. It's one, positive ('do this') instruction rather than lots of negative ('don't touch') instructions. Does no harm.

I wholly disagree with this

I've read the book too and it has some excellent suggestions. I think it depends on the school management regardless of what is suggested (and I'm also SLT myself) I've known schools that just have Paul in for an INSET, tell staff how to behave and expect magic to happen, absolving themelseves of any responsibility. One is in SM now purely for behaviour 3 years after throwing themselves at it. Students act like they are superior to staff and like they have no responsibility for their actions.

Bringing the name up at LA meetings is very interesting.

But that is what 5 year olds do. Maybe starting formal schooling at 4 isn't actually what suits kids?

The hands behind the backs makes for less messing around and less broken displays I'm sure.

That's a really great way of looking at things actually - it helps prevent lots of negativity and can be praised as something positive when they do it well.

It's what 5 year olds do when unchecked.
We can't run schools like that.

Combined with losing their playtime it sounds like the fad in education that says "zero tolerance" and absurd levels of "discipline" make compliant children. Hopefully it will pass.

My children's teachers and mine managed to keep discipline and avoid the chaos described here without the more absurd extremities of this fad and I don't believe teachers are any less competent now or children worse behaved.

We encourage our preschool children to be active but we don't allow them to run, jump or climb in the corridor or in the rooms for that matter. We go outside for at least 2 hours a day or in the soft play for at least 2 hours.
I can't imagine how many bump forms the staff must fill in daily.
Hands behind backs sounds like a good idea and if the children trip I'm sure they're allowed to move their hands.

They have climbing walls in the corridor and gymnastic rings to swing on at the end (so not where people will be walking past) - climbing is definitely encouraged! Its very much built for children to play everywhere. There's bumps from time to time but that's part of normal play at this age.

Sondra great, might suggest it at work. Corridors are not places for messing about, they're a means of getting from A to B quickly and safely. There are plenty of opportunities for children to play around in schools but corridors aren't one of them.

They have climbing walls in the corridor and gymnastic rings to swing on at the end (so not where people will be walking past) - climbing is definitely encouraged! Its very much built for children to play everywhere.

This sounds like a very unusual set up. I'm going to assume the school in the OP is nothing like this, and instead has normal corridors which are used for walking from place A to place B.

But that iswhat 5 year olds do.

But there are times and places, not just in school, where it's inappropriate, even dangerous, to be running, jumping and climbing, and five year olds need to be taught that sometimes they need to walk quietly and carefully.

That's a different thing altogether.

Their hands aren't tied behind them, if they trip they put their hands out instinctively! 🙄

Not necessarily where my ds was concerned. But he'd not have put his hands out if he'd been made to walk with them out in front of him 🤣🤣

Agree with others it's about discipline and teaching them to keep their hands to themselves and not touch everything they pass.

We need to return to a time where expectations of children meet what they can age appropriately do.

I help at a local sports club when they hold competitions as my ds is a member. I'm often shocked at the number of team managers who say "but they can't sit still for an hour".

I remind them that indeed they can - what do they think they do at school?! (And in many cases I'm talking about teenagers 🙄)

I mean it's not harmful is it so I don't see the issue