Iv just seen how dds reception class is set out and it’s made me sad

[Mummypig2020]

Dd starts school in September. She’s not yet 4. Her teacher has posted a video walking around the class room to school the kids. It’s like a Victorian class room. Each table has one seat and they are in lines. It makes me feel so sad.

No real point of this post just feeling sad. Everything will be so different and not at all exciting like it should be :(

It’ll still be exciting don’t worry.

We posted a video of the school showing the reception class with desks but pointed out it looked like that because we had older children working in there. I’ve just spent the last week getting our classroom back to how it was pre Covid. We will not be expecting the children to socially distance from each other but they will from the staff.

Reception does not have to be set out like this. The gist of the guidance is to remove the stuff that's hard to clean and think about if unnecessary stuff needs to be there (there's usually a load of stuff "out" but never used in the average classroom), maintain the class or year group bubbles and don't pop them and, with things like increasing classroom ventilation, cleaning where you can do, and just general good hygiene keeping things in check that way.

My own youngest's school really has pissed me off with this -making a huge show of putting a roll of fucking hazard tape around every single piece of equipment in the playground - every play tyre, every log end stepping stone, every bench or bin got the yellow and black hug of DOOM. Totally unneeded and a show to demonstrate that they were Taking It Very Seriously and really offputting to the kids and parents.

The classroom stuff actually generally worked in favour for DD2 though - the designated space for her to sit, space for her own equipment which is all named and they're taught to put it in a given place... it's what I was asking for to help with her SEN for the last bloody year as a strategy! I giggled with the class teacher at that one. Likewise allocated stationery for September - we provide hers anyway as she needs pencils she can grip better.

The juniors are taping out a box in the front of the class that the teacher is not permitted to leave. I can see the teachers cracking out of that box by 9.10am - so much behaviour management is things like walking around the classroom toward someone who is veering toward pushing their luck and moving yourself around to just defuse situations without needing to intervene and it becomes an unconscious thing you just do without thinking. DD1 just rolls her eyes in despair walking around the edge of school seeing all the tape lines with a "they'll never get all that tape off" comment she's picked up from me (and they're new bloody carpets!)

@CaptainMyCaptain

I am a retired Reception teacher and the pictures I have seen of Reception classes at the moment make me sad too. Its the way it has to be unfortunately. I'm 100% sure the teachers will be doing their very best to make the children's experience as enjoyable as possible.

It's not the way it has to be. The most recent guidance explicitly says that the youngest Primary children cannot be expected to social distance. We will be operation as normal apart from staying in our bubble and having removed the rugs and cushions. I'm so glad my Headteacher has common sense.

Another Reception teacher here. Similar to the others, my classroom will be more or less back to normal in terms of resources (except sand). Yes we will be singing and sitting on the carpet just like we are at the moment. The difference between now and September is the children are encouraged to sit at a distance now but no social distancing at all in September. We've had the health & safety officer in who was so reassuring & our head is massively focused on H & S so we are adhering to everything that's required. It'll be a challenge but the children won't know any difference and I'm determined to make their first days of school really positive ones.

singing and sitting on the carpet sounds lovely to me......we expect far too much from these little 'uns.

This isn’t what the guidance says for reception children, they shouldn’t be at tables in rows!!

It is sad. My y1 kid found it so hard to be back at school and sat down so much more than normal. He's just turned 6. It's a lot to expect of them.

I'm old enough to have gone to school when we did all sit in rows from the beginning, it never did us any harm.
I started school in 1959 and we didn't sit in rows in the infants.

My DS starts reception in Sept and we've been told the school will not expect reception kids to socially distance.

Mine will be nearly 5 when he starts, if I had a summer born like yours and the school was setting desks in rows I'd look at the option to defer them by a year under the summer born rules.

My FS classroom is back to normal in September, as per the guidance.

My Dd has been in reception full time for the last term, they were mixing freely within their bubble of 12. I expect your school has done this video to give some reassurance to parents worried about covid-19 transmission and social distancing. I expect it'll go out of the window. They won't be sat at a desk much of the day in any case. Honestly try not to worry.

I was really worried about my year one child going back for the last term but the teachers were amazing and he had a great time. And things will be more relaxed sept than they were this term. I understand the worry but teachers are ime generally enthusiastic and jolly in reception. (And in general but especially with reception children).

@bubblebubblebubbletrouble

My dd has been back in reception since half-term and it hasn't been like this at all. Fewer toys/resources and no sharing between groups & a split reception outdoor area but within the bubble interaction has been allowed. She's had a lovely time & learnt loads & benefitted from it being much quieter & calmer separated from the other class and less free flow. I know layouts are different but it's strange how different schools approaches have been.

Don't pass on your anxieties, it is new to her so she doesn't know any different. Be excited & positive about it for her.

My DD’s school has also followed a similar approach to bubble. Fewer resources & each child has their own pencil cases for writing/drawing but the children have not had to sit at desks, have still been able to move about freely and play together within their bubble, with unrestricted access to their outdoor play area too.

This is what ds, year 5, classroom will be like.
It is sad. It's going to be a very different classroom/school experience.
They will also be eating their lunches at their desks.
It all sounds very depressing 😔

If May reopening was anything to go by, the guidelines will change multiple times before September. A lot can change in a month so I'd have my fingers crossed that this is something that will change,

She won’t know any different. That’s how most classrooms at secondary are set up.
She’ll be fine, try not to project your sadness on her, she’ll pick up
On it

Oh For God's Sake! a 4 year old is not the same as a 14 year old.

I'm sorry for your situation OP.

I'd be asking a lot of questions about why that is if I were you. Money oldest starts Reception in September and apart from them not doing the home visit and nursery visits they would normally do it's going to be all normal thank goodness.

I would be really sad to see what you have described.

Well the answer to why that is.... is
COVID!!!

Your DD won't know any different. I am ancient and I lived to tell the tale of sitting at desks in rows, strictly in alphabetic order and I can assure you I was not harmed or traumatized in anyway

Well the answer to why that is.... is
COVID!!!

Oh! Durr, never heard of it.

Or alternatively as many others have already pointed out there are lots of exceptions for early years settings that they are choosing not to employ. I'd be asking why this particular school is taking such a draconian attitude that it seems most others aren't.

It will be normal for her and it will be fine. Has she ever sat on a bus? In a cinema or theatre? It's not as if sitting in rows facing forward is a completely alien activity. It might not be optimum in primary school but she won't know any different

Some strict measures will be due to teachers being clinically very vulnerable and having to return to work in September. If a child passes covid onto them they could die so the school will try to prevent that happening.

My 5 year old went back into his reception class when schools started back in, May, was it? (I'm losing track of time). I was worried that he'd find it weird. All he could talk about after his first day back is how cool it was that he got his own table and his own tray with his own things that nobody else could touch. Honestly- nothing's 'normal' for a reception child, they adapt much better than we do, and actually, I think our assumptions about what they will like and not like are often wrong!