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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Taking KS1 pupils to the cinema? WWYD

34 replies

tallulah · 10/10/2011 17:45

DD (4.6) has come home from school with a letter to say that the school is taking YR, Y1 and Y2 to a local cinema to see Tangled.

I took her to see this when it first came out and she was terrified by the guards and certain other scenes, and spent most of the film on my lap. In addition she has sensory processing issues and hearing loss in one ear which bizarrely mean she gets distressed by loud noise.

Obviously if there are 90 children and presumably 6 adults going there may be a problem if DD (or any of the other 4 yos) has a problem at the cinema. It's not as if there will be enough adults to take out any children who are frightened/ upset/ distressed.

I was going to tell the school that she can't go, but they've obviously been discussing it and she is aware of the trip and looking forward to it. I am quite worried about it but at the same time wondering who on earth thought this was a good idea. I've had 4 children go through primary and have never come across this before. What is wrong with a DVD in the school hall? I will have a word with the teacher, but has anyone else been in this situation? How did the children react? Are they more "brave" with their schoolfriends? (or am I likely to get called out of work to go and get her)

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Feenie · 10/10/2011 17:51

I would take my cue from my child - your dd knows the film, knows it scared her the first time, but still wants to go! At least she knows what's coming.

Isn't Tangled a PG though? I get the cinema trip, it's a lovely idea - but not a PG film.

snowball3 · 10/10/2011 17:53

There will be more than 6 adults going, we have a ratio of 1:8 in years 1 and 2 and 1:4 for Reception as a minimum so I would imagine there would be 12-14 adults on the trip. We tend to go to the theatre rather than the cinema but pantomimes tend to get pretty loud so the noise level will be the same! Some children do find it loud/noisy/scary and I have had Reception children curled up on my knee before but without exception they have been peering through their fingers to watch and usually end up joining in with the general enthusiasm! If anyone really couldn't stand it, they were taken out for a while and then returned when it was quieter/they felt brave again!
A DVD in the hall is a completely different experience to a cinema visit, that's why we all go when we could stay at home instead. It is the whole experience the school is creating.

mrz · 10/10/2011 17:53

Normally we would ask parents to accompany children in reception and the ratio of adults to children for out of school visits is higher than the 1-30 in school.

The film is secondary to the actual experience of visiting a cinema ... some children in the class may have never visited a cinema.

I too my Y2s to see How to Train Your Dragon in 3D and we did as much wor on the actual visit as on the film.

NatashaBee · 10/10/2011 18:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

tallulah · 10/10/2011 18:31

So it's normal then? I would be surprised if most of the YR had been to the cinema before TBH- it used to be that you weren't allowed to take under 5s (and for good reason).

They haven't asked for any parent helpers, and after having to take 3 weeks off for the staggered start to school I just can't take any more time off work.

Looks like I'll just have to warn the teacher and cross my fingers. Tangled is a PG not a U, so seems an odd choice.

OP posts:

mrz · 10/10/2011 18:38

It isn't a new film either so I would expect many children to have seen it already even if they are using it as part of a fairy tale topic
I've never heard of not being allowed to take under 5s to the cinema my two were certainly much younger than that and regular cinema goers.
The ratio for reception for external visits is 1-8 but we try to work on 1-4 max

An0therName · 10/10/2011 18:54

in my experience most YR will have gone to the cinema - and it may be a PG but I would no problems 4/5 yo seeing it - if you can - why not suggest you go

mrz · 10/10/2011 18:57

Very few of my Y2 children had ever visited a cinema

KatharineClifton · 10/10/2011 18:57

I expect it is part of National Schools Film Week www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org/

KatharineClifton · 10/10/2011 18:58

That's sad mrz. Although saying that, we're lucky here in that we still (just) have an old cinema which is cheap as chips to get into.

mrz · 10/10/2011 19:01

A lot of our parents said it was a very expensive family excursion and were pleased we were taking children at a reduced rate so much cheaper than mum dad and siblings

Becaroooo · 10/10/2011 19:04

Agree with mrz

When we took my Beaver pack to the panto last year my son was the only one who had ever been to one

(they all loved it btw!)

AChickenCalledKorma · 10/10/2011 19:08

I took my daughters to the cinema for the first time last year, when they were in Years 1 and 4. I didn't think they were ready to cope with the noise and full-on involvement that a big screen gives you before then. I would not have been happy if they had been taken in Reception and definitely not to a PG.

FWIW when our school does a Panto trip, they don't take Reception, but do a special treat for them in school instead.

cansu · 10/10/2011 21:46

I think trips out like this are a great enhancement to the curriculum. If you ask most primary children about what they enjoyed etc last year they usually mention trips and visitors to school. That said if you are concerned mention those concerns to the teacher and if you do not want your dd to go say so- it won't be a problem.

Marne · 10/10/2011 21:50

Keep her at home that day. My dd2 has sensory issues (with hearing as part of ASD), she has never been to the cimema and if school were going i would keep her at home.

chickensaregreen · 10/10/2011 22:01

A PG is fine. The school aren't just going. They are asking for parental consent first. If a parent doesn't want their child to go then no one is going to make them.

UniS · 10/10/2011 23:21

DS's Y1 class are going to see the Winne the Pooh film. It will be DS's 1st cinema visit. I have let teacher know about DS's rather extreme reactions to mild peril. Teacher has asked DS to sit next to them in case teacher finds it a bit scary and needs someone to look after them..... DS is quite excited about looking after teacher. Am hoping it helps him work though his terror of mild peril on screen situations.

honeylamb · 10/10/2011 23:28

My son has sensory issues due to hearing loss which is now resolved, he hates loud noises. When his class went to the theatre I was worried and happy to keep him at home, but he really wanted to go! I told the teacher my concerns and she made sure he was sat next to her, he did spend most of the time sat on her knee with her hands over his ears ! But he was fine! I have since invested in kiddie ear defenders which he proudly wears at school discos, firework displays and anywhere with load noises!

AChickenCalledKorma · 11/10/2011 08:11

UniS The Winnie the Pooh film was the first one that I took my very timid five year old to. It's perfect. Lots of laughs and only a tiny bit of tension.

mrz · 11/10/2011 09:46

When I took my Y2 class we were actually the only people in the cinema so it was ideal

FrightNight · 11/10/2011 09:57

Tallulah and Honeylamb I hope you dont mind if I briefly divert the thread, but I noticed you both made comments about hearing and distress re loud noises.

My DS has had comments throughout nursery and now starting in reception regarding his concentration, and dislikes loud noises like traffic roaring, sirens, bangs/crashes on TV.

Does this sound familiar to you? How was your DC's condition picked up, and do you have any suggestions I could follow please.

DS is an OC s I find myself without any frame of reference here. Thanks x

honeylamb · 11/10/2011 16:37

Frightnight My boy was glue ear, he had recurrent ear infections and it turned out the glue was that bad he was virtually deaf. With glue ear (as I understand it) they can hear but it's muffled like being under water. He has had a minor op twice to remove the glue and put in grommets, when he was one and three. The sensitivity to sound is because of him having impaired hearing for so long, but now being able to hear properly. It never fails to amaze me that he freaks out at load noises/balloons but will happily scream loader then any child I know!

Probably doesn't help you though, have you taken him for hearing test/gp?

Original poster

tallulah · 11/10/2011 17:16

Frightnight I was concerned about DD's hearing because her balance seemed off and a lot of her words were mispronounced. She had a proper hearing test at the hospital (with earphones and electronics), and they confirmed that she is partially deaf in one ear. No offer of any solution to it mind, but they said they'd see her again over 1/2 term.

chickens I was going to say she couldn't go, as i said in my OP, but they've been discussing it at school and she says she wants to, even though I'm pretty sure she won't cope with it.

We've got Parents Eve on Thursday so I will discuss it with the teacher then (and warn her what she's in for )

OP posts:

AnyoneButLulu · 11/10/2011 17:23

If she's seen the film already and she's with her friends then she'll probably be fine - but I think it's a poor choice of film for a mixed age group of 4/5/6/7 year olds (excellent though, and I'd be right behind it for a bunch of 6/7/8/9 year olds, but a bit strong for some of the little ones, and a bit sad if the smaller ones have to be left at school).

BartletForAmerica · 11/10/2011 17:32

my local cinema does ASD friendly showings (lights not completely down, volume not as loud). If it is a special showing for little schoolchildren, they might be able to do something similar.

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