shoeless learning

[user1486030636]

Hi everyone,
I read about the apparent advantages of shoeless learning the other day, here the link to the Guardian story:www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jan/31/primary-school-pupils-slippers-class-findern-derby-shoeless

Any opinions on this or experience with this method? Sounds really intriguing!

A school local to me in Croydon's been doing it for years. V popular school with parents and gets great results.

A lot of European kindergarten and primaries encourage this. Less outside dirt inside too.

I was wondering about safety as running around in socks can be quite slippery, and toilets, especially boys toilets...

Also, I suppose while it could take pressure off the old 'wear the right shoes' argument, I could imagine that many schools might have a problem with this approach because of their uniform policy... Any thoughts?

Slippers with rubber soles

My DD goes to a school with this policy. It does contribute to better behaviour, but going into the loos can be traumatic, so they are allowed to wear slippers if they want to. Teachers and visitors too.

I do it a lot in my classroom. Kids can come in and put their shoes along the back wall if they want to. Some leave their socks on, others take them off, some prefer to keep their shoes on, and whichever they prefer is fine with them. They put their shoes back on if they leave the classroom for any reason.

Some leave their socks on, others take them off, some prefer to keep their shoes on,

doesn't anyone ever get their toes trodden on?

I would guess that the whole class not wearing shoes would calm down behaviour quite a lot, as being less well protected, children would move around more carefully.

I think it's a lovely idea and can see how it encourages learning

Bearing in mind how long it takes my own two children to put their shoes on in the morning, I imagine getting 30 children to do it (for outside play or going home) must take ages... In my school reception kids have an indoor/outdoor free flow so shoes would be on and off all the time. As mentioned above, wet toilet floors plus socks - eugh.

doesn't anyone ever get their toes trodden on?

Only once.

And it doesn't actually take them very long at all, because it's just routine now. They kick them off in the morning and line them up on the back wall. If they want to go to the toilet, they pull them back on (about thirty seconds), repeat at recess and lunchbreak. If it took a ridiculous amount of time, then it wouldn't happen, but they all know it is a privilege, not a right, and will be removed if too much faffing occurs.

It's also quite handy as having them all lined up on the back walls gives me a chance to give them a spray with Glen 20.

My DD goes to a school like this; we're in Oz but many schools in South Australia were influenced by the large amount of German immigrants who came here in the nineteenth century. It's totally normal here though not all schools do.

It makes complete sense to me.

My Dc went to a primary with a very relaxed atmosphere. No uniform, all staff and adults called by their first names (Lol I can't even remember the surname of the Head, only first name). It had what is known on MN as a very mixed intake, lots of social exclusion factors and children living in precarious circumstances.

The discipline was brilliant, based on empathy, kindness and respect. Great behaviour, bullying minimal and dealt with instantly and effectively. The children achieved really well, in absolute and VA terms.

I think this kind of learning and atmosphere is great. I could see them adopting a shoe-free policy.

Some local schools do this - the 'uniform' shoes are black plimsolls, worn inside only. Children wear anything they want (ie trainers, boots, etc) for outdoor play & coming / going to school. We are in quite a rainy part of West Scotland. It's quite practical - would be interesting to ask those schools if they also think it has an impact on learning.

Very common in kindy and pre primary in Western Australia. Kids learn quickly to take shoes on and off ( it's very common to see people wonder everywhere with no shoes on here!!)

Surprised that this seemed new, as we wore slippers at school in the 1970's/80's, and ds wears indoor shoes (plimsolls) at his primary. Thought everyone did it!

We had indoor and outdoor schools in the late 80's - indoor shoes had to be what we called 'Jesus creepers' - flat sandals with two buckles. Worn with socks. Don't know if it helped learning but in the older years we were utterly horrified by the shoes.

My dd's school has this policy - I thought all schools did it until I saw the news the other day! I thought it was more about keeping the carpets clean than anything else though as they are outside in a muddy field pretty often too (in wellies).

I think it is nicer for the children but I've noticed a few downsides.... the extra expense of having to buy slippers to leave at school when feet grow so fast, child forgets to change out of slippers and wrecks them walking home, outdoor shoes are hidden for a joke,best friends swap one slipper and it gets complicated.

Our DCs went to school in the US for a few years and the kids regularly used to be shoeless in class. They also had bean bags, sofas, and even a bathtub with cushions in one classroom for the kids to work in!

This relaxed approach seemed to garner very good results (in our experience) and from what I saw when I volunteered there, a great classroom environment.

but let's not pretend it's science.

Yes I have read many comments over the net about this and everyone is waxing lyrical about the supposed educational benefits. Apart from feeling a bit more comfortable I am rather at the claim that being barefooted/rubber soled-slippered will increase your IQ. I fear that next it will be pyjamas too.

Shoeless policy-how can a child fulfil their learning potential with this in mind, no shoes in the month of winter.

This is the norm in Scandinavia, not because of some "shoeless learning" thing, but simply because everybody takes their shoes off indoors. Makes sense when children are encouraged to play outside in all weathers and walk to school.