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Primary education

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Original poster

DD being kept in at break time - Am I over-reacting?

36 replies

maggie6 · 20/09/2011 09:37

My dd (7 years old) forgot her morning snack, so I just popped up to school at morning break to give it to her. I saw some of her classmates out at play and asked where dd was, only to be told she was in the classroom working. I left snack and left, but I'm now troubled as to why she has been deprived of her break time. Unless she is being punished for something (I'm 99.99% sure this is not the case - she is never naughty) I can't see any reason for this. A friend told me recently that her ds had been kept in at break time to finish some colouring which, I have to say, outraged me. Any work to finish off can be done in class time or at home in my opinion. I feel I'll have to take it up with the teacher this afternoon. Am I over-reacting?

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IndigoBell · 20/09/2011 09:38

You're over reacting.

You don't know why she was kept in at break, what she was doing, or how long she was kept in for.

Some kids even prefer to be kept in at break! My DSs friend used to tell the teacher every week he hadn't done his homework so that he'd be kept in at break :( (When actually he had done it.)

LaurieFairyCake · 20/09/2011 09:39

Maybe. It's possible she was talking and didn't get her work finished so she was kept in to finish it.

GooseyLoosey · 20/09/2011 09:42

It has happened to my dcs. On one ocassion for doing something the teacher perceived as cheeky and on others for not finishing work as they were messing about.

Generally, as long as they are happy at school, I try very hard not to worry about the details of what happens there. There will always be some practices that you don't agree with, but focus on the overall outcome.

HSMM · 20/09/2011 09:43

Maybe she had volunteered to help the teacher with something, or had just taken something inside for a minute. You need to know why she was inside.

AMumInScotland · 20/09/2011 09:50

If she was messing about and not doing her colouring, then I think it's fair for the teacher to keep her in at break to complete it - it gets the message across that you get on with things during class time and chatter / mess about in break time.

By all means ask the teacher what happened, but try to stay calm and listen to the explanation rather than going in all guns blazing. Teachers are mostly quite nice and sensible, and don't go doing these things out of nastiness and spite.

kat2504 · 20/09/2011 09:51

It's not a big deal and unless it is happening several times a week due to being naughty, I wouldn't get involved if I were you, just ask your daughter what happened. If she was kept in for misbehaving or not getting work done then talk to her about that. No child is never naughty!
Kids need to run around at break time but staying in now and then is hardly the end of the world.

gabid · 20/09/2011 10:01

She is never naughty?! I still have to meet a child who never does anything wrong, or adult for that reason.

Original poster

maggie6 · 20/09/2011 10:15

It's quite difficult not to get involved. It's a very small village school. I go in an hour a week to teach and the parents are very much part of school life (going in a weekends to paint, fix stuff etc.. we even spent a whole weekend before the summer hols ripping up floorboards so new flooring could be put down - you get the picture) Of course, that doesn't give any of us any rights over the teachers, but it's hard when you are so much a part of school life.

I'm not the sort to go in "all guns blazing" I've been a bit disconcerted by a couple of things my dd's teacher has said/done, so I suppose I'm being cautious. And, like I said in my original post, if she was being punished (talking, not concentrating) for not finishing her work, then that's one thing. Of course, I don't know if she's been naughty, but it would surprise me greatly if she had. It's really not her. I just think, fundamentally that children need their outdoor break time and should only be deprived of it in very specific circumstances. I will ask the teacher about it. I'm not going to assume the worst from the get go. I'm a (secondary school) supply teacher and I know how much of a difference there is between a supportive/unsupportive parent. I just need to get to the bottom of it this afternoon and see what really happened.

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gabid · 20/09/2011 11:30

Yes, I would want to know what happened, but just as a concerned parent, why she wasn't out in the fresh air with the other children. And as an ex-teacher I wouldn't want to appear unsupportive either.

Cromwell44 · 20/09/2011 11:46

I pity teachers...every minor daily decision about behaviour, classroom management and learning needing to be explained to 'supportive' parents - and by the end of the day!

Original poster

maggie6 · 20/09/2011 11:56

Hope you are joking! Otherwise, not fair. I don't know how many times I say to my kids "just suck it up" and "teachers are people, not just teachers and can have a bad day, so don't get upset if you are snapped at" etc. etc. etc. the list goes on.

Sometimes, though we do need to know what's going on, and have the right to ask. Of course, whilst remaining "supportive"

OP posts:

IndigoBell · 20/09/2011 12:04

Yes, and this doesn't sound like one of those times.

This sounds like something trivial which you are blowing out of proportion.

kat2504 · 20/09/2011 12:06

Can't you just ask your daughter after school and see the teacher another time if you are not satisfied with your daughter's explanation?

gabid · 20/09/2011 12:12

kat - good idea!

Original poster

maggie6 · 20/09/2011 12:14

IndigoBell : I think I'm being fair to say that you know as much as (or less than) me about what went on.

Yes, Kat3504, I will ask dd tonight. Her teacher will be in playground, so we can have a quick word.

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BranchingOut · 20/09/2011 12:19

I am a teacher/ex-teacher and honestly think this is not worth getting irate about. I have sometimes done this with pupils, from Year 1 upwards.

If a child has been very slow to get started with their work, has wasted time by fiddling around or by chatting, then it is entirely reasonable for them to finish off classwork in playtime. That way the work is complete and hopefully they will be less inclined to waste time in future.

On the other hand, sometimes I can see that a child has worked really hard on a piece of writing and therefore may have spent longer over it than others, so it is better for them to work for another 5 minutes to finish it off than for the work to remain incomplete. It isn't always ideal to do it later, as firstly there is not much 'blank' time in the school timetable for finishing off odd bits and bobs and secondly, they sometimes forget their train of thought by the time they return to it.

I would also keep pupils in for 1 - 1 reading and reading assessments, as there was simply no other time in the timetable for it!

firstgreatholswiththree · 20/09/2011 12:22

I would try not to get too worked up about it until you know what has happened. It could be for any number of reasons and may not be as negative as you might think. I'd be happy to know that DD was completing work if she had been day dreaming or something or perhaps she might just be reading to the teacher because they ran over time on another activity.

gabid · 20/09/2011 12:23

She may just have been keen to get a piece of work finished, and/or decorate it with a drawing.

firstgreatholswiththree · 20/09/2011 12:24

Sorry x posted.

Original poster

maggie6 · 20/09/2011 12:26

Yes, anything is possible. I'll wait and see.

OP posts:

Sandalwood · 20/09/2011 14:19

I've noticed that in DD's class quite often children are missing some playtime to read/finish work/tidyup etc etc.
I've been a bit about it, (playtime being valuable an' all) but they don't see it as a punishment.

treas · 20/09/2011 21:53

Wish my dd's school had had the gumption to keep my dd in at break last year when she didn't complete enough work, instead of leaving it until the end of year report to inform us that she hadn't done enough work to assess her properly.

exoticfruits · 20/09/2011 22:07

YES.

exoticfruits · 20/09/2011 22:08

Quite probably she wanted to stay and finish.

exoticfruits · 20/09/2011 22:18

Very often they ask-it is very frustrating to be in the middle of something and have to stop. Did you ask her about it?

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