School to be built with no playground or breaktimes because if children are enjoying lessons they don't need breaks - Has the world gone mad??

[coppertop]

The link is here but it takes a while to load.

A new secondary school is being built without a playground and the plan is to have no breaks either. I found the following quote quite disturbing:

"Project manager for the academy Miles Delap also defended the decision and said: ?This will not be like a traditional school, and we are setting it up like a business. You would not expect office workers to be allowed outside to run around."

My children aren't yet at secondary school age but this seems like complete madness to me. This is a state school btw.

Does this happen in other schools?

A civil engineer with no mates to play with at breaktime - and IME they do still play at 11.

And no dining hall because if kids are really into their work, they'd rather eat at their desk.

And no lavatories because if a subject is really riveting, who cares about wet underwear?

Can it get any madder?

I know of one secondary school in my area that does not have break time and a VERY short lunchbreak because the kids cannot be controlled out of class time. So they finish earlier instead and send them home.

[anger]

They are not employees they are children.

Ridiculous f*cking idea.

Cannot be healthy either for the children or for the staff.
Will the children be allowed to leave the building like employees are at breaks?

Why the hell is this going ahead?

Another round of applause for Muminbrum.

MB, writers are similarly afflicted, if that's any comfort. Everyone thinks they can write...

I'm lucky - hardly anyone thinks they are musical (but lots think their children are) and even fewer people think they can sing.

Oh, just remembered Pop Idol, American Idol etc.

Yes, these days everyone is a singer too.

Well, I suppose if they're going to timetable PE lessons every couple of hours...

But then there's the kids who like to read a book/chat/catch up with H/W - totally unworkable.

You cannot expect ANYONE, adult or child, to follow a rigid timetable for an entire day without some sort of 'do your own thing' time. I'm trying to think of an industry where this applies, actually...

even more socially inadequate children. ooooh thanks! more obesity, great I have three place please

In the Times Online this morning the head is quoted:

?We are not intending to have any play time,? said Alan McMurdo, the head teacher. ?Pupils won?t need to let off steam because they will not be bored.?

It does sound a bit like some kind of animal experiment though when children are referred to in this way:

The academy?s timetable will be tightly structured and exercise for pupils will take place in PE classes and organised games on adjacent playing fields. There will be a 30-minute lunch period when pupils will be taken to the dining room by their teacher, ensuring they do not sneak away to run around.

?[Pupils] will be able to hydrate during the learning experience,? he said.

These pupils aren't going to be bored so why would they feel the need to 'sneak' away at lunchtime for a run around.

If 2,000 children can't be controlled why is the school so big? Why not build two schools?

If Tony is such a supporter of this school I will expect him to send Leo there to prove it.

Whaaaat? Has the world gone completely fking mad? Right so let's:

• sell off a lot of playing fields
• ban breaktmes
• make sure there's not much regulation around marketing crappy food to kids
• make sure there are vending machines selling crap in schools
• underinvest in school dinners
• build new schools without outside space (too expensive, you'll make more money on it being used for housing/other) and start treating children like employees

And THEN let's moan that we've got a nation of obese children who will die before their parents! This is MAD. How is it allowed?

Is this pfi by any chance?

OK and in response to the poster on Justine's cif piece in the Guardian (because he did make me think) so what are we, or anyone going to DO about it?

Because the only way anything will change is if the school gets no pupils because parents object to no playground.

Is there any relevant legislation that would mean this is unacceptable? Or is that the point, that there is none and that's why this school has got away with it?

they dind thave lunchours at the school i taugh at and kids were not allowe off sit
they went to lucn and hten came bakc to the lesson
there was a three lunc rolling timetable
VERYEVRY good imo
breaks you need btu tbh the kdis just liekd to stand inside

NO LUNCH HOURS IS GOOD
and hugely craks down on crappy behaviour
at my sec schoolt here was one and a wuater hours
far too long used to get SO bored.
rememeber in germany kdis went home foe luncha nd only had 10 mins break

dh and i have just been discussing this. It is one of the most deprressing things i have ever heard of.
children, especially boys, need regular opportunities to run around and let off steam, otherwise behavioural problems will escalate, never mind obesity.

I have read several testimonies recently where schools have moved as many lessosns as possible outisde for an experiemtn and found concentration and participation significantly increased.

well over 2 thousand kdis managed at the school i taught at
a dn then the day ended at 3pm
fantastic

Disagree. Even adults can only take in so much information in one sitting. Children have shorter attention spans and need exercise imo.

Plus, you know, they're children not employees.

little and often is the key i reckon

Agree fmv, it's very depressing

er heloo?
is not one listenign
the huge hassle of lunctime was so much better
sometimes you had a split lesson so the kdis went to lunh then walked back tot he lesson
lunch was 40 mins long
kids had hte same slot every day - forthe teachers lunch was any time between 12 adn 1 20 sop your tummy did get a bit confused
the kdis were MUCH better behaved and theere was none of this skivign off for chips business

also any kdi outside school gorunds was DEFFO skivign sot he local community preferred it

experimenting

with YOUR kids again

does this mean a shorter school day then?
more youngsters roaming around?
more child care to find?

The school is talking about having a lot of structured PE time. Might not be the case of loads of kids sitting on backsides for hours.

Neither of my high schools had playing fields right beside them. Everyone just shuffled about on tarmac at break times. Or hung out in cloakrooms and toilets.

The purpose of school isn't childcare.

no, I know that! but currently there are breakfast clubs and after school clubs, this will just make matters worse