Outdoor assemblies in senior school

[serendipity70]

Hi,
So I was just wondering what everyone thinks of this as quite frankly I am a bit stunned! I have 2DC in senior school and after line up and registration in the playground the headteacher performs an outdoor assembly every morning using a huge megaphone whilst the children stand up listening for 20 minutes. Does this sound normal or acceptable? Apparently the megaphone is extremely loud! Seems hugely bizarre to me and I don't really want me child taking part in an outdoor assembly

That is bizarre. My kids secondary school had a megaphone too, although I don't think outdoor assemblies. Maybe it's a thing now!

I should add the nearby neighbours aren't too happy!

We used to do this in primary school, what's the harm in it? I imagine they won't be doing it if it's pouring down?

That sounds bonkers.

This is what I thought too! Imagine if you are working nights and you get into bed to be waken by the headteachers voice booming through the village!

I just worry about the kids hearing - my DS said because of where he stands in the line he is right by the loud megaphone and it hurts his ears. Rain and shine by all accounts

I'm presuming g they do it outside as there isn't space inside?

At DDs school, the weekly assembly is prerecorded and streamed to their form rooms.

I agree! I'm guessing it's because the staff can't be bothered to set out all the chairs in the main hall for indoor assemblies

Very strange!

That sounds like a much better idea

I find this whole concept very unlikely. So every child in the whole school fits onto the playground, is registered there and not in a form room and regardless of the weather stands there for twenty minutes every day? Are you sure they're not pulling your leg?

Its dehumanising. I would hate that as an adult. Whoever came up with that idea was clearly having a power trip. Maybe it helps fuel their ego or something, to talk to teens through a megaphone...

I think that’s a poor respone, OP, even if it were true at this stage we all know school staff do far more than they are paid & respected for. Some schools line up in the playground in the morning and do use a loudspeaker to make relevant announcements and prayer, if it’s a religious school, before entering classrooms for tutor time. Assemblies are held at various times during the day in halls/appropriate spaces.

Absolute truth and I have spoken to many other kids and parents about it too. There are 3 very large areas where they carry out outdoor assemblies - the playground, sports field and tennis courts

It is bizarre, I agree. Is this a whole school assembly? Usually schools tend to do year assemblies, as something they might want to address to year 7s wouldn't necessarily be valid or useful for year 11s.

It is 3 school assemblies at the same time in different parts of the school grounds

Re your comment about chairs, we had to stand in our class lines in our school assemblies, albeit they were indoors.

I assume the school doesn’t have a big enough hall for everyone.

In some countries don’t they do a keep fit type thing before kids go into class, maybe this is this school’s equivalent

How do they do registration?

I went to a school that did this 15 years ago,there were no issues. It was a normal state secondary and whilst not always the most interesting thing the children/teenagers all coped for 15- 20 mins.

@Procrastinates This is how fire drills take place.

Not in my experience. In most secondary schools there are multiple evacuation points. Even in many primary schools there's more than one evacuation point and all the children don't just stand on one playground.

I'm still sceptical that this is happening as described by the OP. How can there now be three separate assemblies happening all simultaneously led by the headteacher?

Yes, there are multiple evacuation points but classes assemble on the school field in tutor groups so registers can be taken and missing students swiftly noted.
Any member of staff can conduct an assembly you know.
The more you argue, the more you expose your lack of experience.

@Procrastinates that’s what the megaphone is for!

What lack of experience? My experiences differ to yours in many of the schools I've worked in there's more than one point where the children evacuate to as they don't have an outdoor area big enough for all children. It would be foolish to think all schools were the same.

I only commented further on the three assemblies because the OP specifically said they were led by the headteacher but then added that there was three assemblies happening simultaneously so she obviously isn't getting the whole story.

I don’t see any problem with it at all, other than the volume of the megaphone. What on earth is “dehumanising” about it?

I presume your child has spoken up about being to close/loud?