AIBU to find loud music every lunchtime at school too much?

[DesignedforRioting]

I live a few doors down from a primary school and I am very used to the sounds of the playgrounds, sports day, school plays, singing, end of year discos, danceathons, etc in the garden. I quite like it.

Since the end of the summer term, the school has started playing loud (and I mean LOUD) dance music/chart songs at every lunch break. One of the male teachers also talks to the children through the PA system. Again, this is really loud and intrusive.

It's a bit annoying to me as their neighbour as it's my lunch break and I'd quite like to sit outside in relative peace. But what I am really struggling with is how over-stimulating I imagine this to be for some of the kids in the playground. Classrooms are pretty overwhelming and some children probably like to get outside where they have more space and feel less surrounded by noise. Then they have to endure that. I guess I'm particularly thinking of neurodivergent children but not exclusively.

I absolutely love most music - and the louder the better for me, genuinely. Yet there is something about the type of music they are playing, how loud it is and the fact that it is every day that I find way too much.

That said, I really don't want to be the 46-year-old killjoy that takes the fun out of playtime. I'm unlikely to complain as I like to support the school but I am curious. What does everyone think? Reasonable/unreasonable?

There are so many children with recognised SEN in schools these days that i would be 100% sure that the SENCO in the school has made provision for those who wish to spend break in a quiet place. SEN or not. Teachers and teaching staff are not stupid and spend all day every day with the children in their care. They'll know who's a quiet type and who isn't. They know the kids very very well.

If you conflate the 'concern for the kids' with your (perfectly valid) irritation with the loud noise everyday you risk looking as if you're just clawing around for additional fodder to bolster your complaint. It will also make you look as if you think you know better than the teaching staff. You don't need to do this. It won't help your cause. It won't go down well.

You've assumed that I don't have children at the school. I have not said either way. You're assuming a lot of things about me and implying things. It's pretty unpleasant, to be honest.

I would mention it to the school but stick to the noise disturbance angle, that's a valid argument in itself. Unless you are a school parent you don't need to get involved in whether or not any neurodivergent kids at the school are or aren't coping with it.

My DCs school does a playground disco but only once a week on a Friday. Every day seems a bit much noise-wise!

I'd just love to know where this quiet place is because I'm a good 100m away from the playground and I can still hear it in my house.

I am not using the poor children to bolster my complaint. I'm not even planning on complaining. I think I stated that.

I get that SEN staff will have reflected on this a lot. I never said they hadn't but I genuinely wonder where the kids who need peace will find it because they won't find it outside and shouldn't they have the option to be outside in the fresh air too if they want to be?

I did some work at a school a while ago and heard this new phenomenon, you're not in Newcastle are you? It was SO LOUD and I felt for the neighbouring houses. The dinner hall was chaos and then the playground was loud music, I live fairly rurally with a plan to move back towards the city but began to think maybe I'll stick to the tiny village schools if that's the atmosphere of a modern city primary for my little one!

YABU. Children can’t just sit inside silently all day everyday.

They are probably unaware that it is affecting you so I suggest you let them know and ask them to turn it down.

I imagine they are trying to involve the children in active games, dancing etc. If there are some children who struggle to cope with this they will know about them.

Children don't ever seem to have quiet time in schools though - overstimulation at every turn. Blasting loud music in the playground during playtime is helping children how, exactly?

OP, I'd politely mention it to the school, check with your neighbours to see if anyone else is fed up with it and if the school won't do anything, take it up with the council.

Where did OP say they should?

I'm really wondering if we live near the same school! Loud, LOUD party music played daily at lunchtimes, and talking to the kids with, I assume, megaphones as I can hear it from inside my house. I am not THAT near the school and hear everything.

Seems like that’s what she wants. She can always change her lunch time.

I don't want children to be quiet. My original post said as much.

Yep. Megaphones and shazamable sums it up. Every single day.

My kids primary does this. You can hear it from a loooong way away. I would find it awful! But the kids don't seem bothered 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes, I think that is what I feel a bit sad about: that there is no downtime - even if the kids love the music, it doesn't mean they want it all the time and there doesn't seem to be anywhere to escape to unless they have got a soundproof room somewhere.

Yes, it's quite possible that the children overall mostly don't mind in the general chaos. It must be even louder for them though if it is that loud from a distance

This isn't even a city school. I'm fairly rural though it's a big school.

I supplied at a school that started this (under general heading of OPAL - Outdoor Play and Learning). Certainly didn’t make the children easier in the afternoon, as OPAL promises. I think it’s reasonable to request that it is not every day.

I'm also near a primary school and like hearing the kids playing. It doesn't bother me at all. But music I could hear in my garden every single lunch time would bother me very much. I would go round and ask them to stop, or only have music on Fridays or something.

When I was a governor I raised the issue of music at lunchtimes. It was so…. bland -commercial radio hits from about 20 years ago. I suggested a bit of variety - light classical, folk tunes, classic pop songs etc. Well, the reaction from the Head! She gave me a death stare and said, “The pupils cannot access classical music. It’s not fun for them.” I gave up.

What nonsense. I used to play my Nursery and Reception children classical music. They liked it and we shouldn't just give them what they already know.

I would just write to the headteacher saying it's too much for the neighbours!

Events of any kind, absolutely fine
but every day? no, just no.

No need to start lecturing about the kids, schools normally try to be reasonably considerate for the neigbours.

Seriously, let the school know.

I've no idea why schools do this. I've had to explain to my school that, if we run out of ear defenders during the school disco, and there are more children outside the hall complaining about the volume of the music than there are inside dancing, then its too loud. But they just won't listen.

They won't even have considered the neighbours. Someone has just decided this is 'fun' 🙄

I was going to wonder if it was OPAL or similar. The idea behind is that there are different zones the children can access - e.g. water play, building activities, sports, quiet zones, colouring, reading and - yes - dance.

The schools I have been involved with have reported fewer behaviour incidents as a result of the children having the opportunity to have structured play at breaktimes. OPAL is an expensive scheme - so the school will absolutely be reviewing its effectiveness. I wouldn't complain based on the fact you think the children will be overstimulated as that is their issue to manage.

However, as a neighbour, it's definitely worth asking if they can turn it down a bit. Most schools are keen to foster good relationships with the community.

Did you read the post? Nobody especially the OP is complaining about the noise children are making.