Daughter has told me that her reading writing group takes place everyday in the clockroom sat on cushions??

[chocolatespiders]

DD has been moved down a group and this group has their teaching in a small clockroom where all the children sit on cushions. This is the lowest reading writing group and to me they are being given a rough part of the deal being educated surrounded by coats, pe bags and outdoor shoes. With no chairs to sit on with no desks to sit at and no natural daylight coming into the tiny area.
She told me this last week and to be honest I am shocked and I have been trying to get my head around this as I dont want to talk to school if I am being unreasonable.. I know schools are over subscribed but has it really come to this? I really dont think any one should be taught like this. I also worry about her back

Sounds quite cool to me, rather like reading in bed or a secret place. It will make it more fun. Does she have a problem with her back?

It sounds odd that it is the same group having to use that space. It isn't ideal but would surely be better if her's was one of a number of groups to use it. I would complain.

I think that sounds fantastic . Are you sure it's not by design?

To be honest this happens in a lot of schools. Now that there is a lot of teaching in small groups it's the only way to get a quiet space so children can focus. Schools weren't built to deal with this, so corridors, cloakrooms, any free space is used.

No problem with back, but if she is sat on a cushion leaning over to the floor in front of her to do the writing for half an hour everyday then it will strain her back.
I am not naturally an overprotective parent but something about this has not sat very comfortable with me.
Good to get some opinions to make me think so thankyou

I know that many odd and random bits of a school will be used - there is never enough scope for nice little groups of children to be away from the crowd. I've done guided reading in the world's smallest children's kitchen, for example.

But having said that I would query that they're writing while on cushions - especially as this is the lowest group. The reading is fine; the writing really isn't - they need to have the correct pencil grip and a proper desk/table support etc. Talk to the school, but be gentle.

You don't say how old your DD is, but if this is a phonics group, they could just be writing single word answers/spelling patterns on whiteboards, which would be a different thing from "proper," lengthier writing activities that might happen elsewhere in class and for which being comfortably seated at a desk is much more important.
Would you be as concerned if she'd moved up a group and was working in this way?

I bet her 'writing' consists of writing a word or sounds on a whiteboard, which would be fine to be done cross-legged on the floor. (Whiteboard on lap)

Sitting on cushions on the floor wouldn't bother me at all - I'd just be pleased that she was in a small group doing phonics at the right pace / level for her.

Having helped with reading groups in school, I'll put bets that all the other groups envy them.

As it's the lowest group they may well need the quiet of not having another group in the same room distracting and making noise. I know we found that most of the time having the groups separate as much as possible helped them all because they weren't trying to see what the other groups were doing.

We do Ruth Miskin which means children are grouped across Years R to 3 based on ability. We have groups in each classroom, the library, the staffroom, the hall, the cloakroom and the Head's office ( she has to work in the Main office for an hour!) The majority of schools don't have the luxury of spare rooms they can use. Individual and Group Interventions in the afternoon are arranged with military precision

I used to volunteer at the DCs' old school and the reading group I took was in the cloakroom - without the added luxury of cushions (although I did have an infant sized chair to sit on myself!!)

aww sounds like Narnia and a bit magical

personally i wouldnt be arsed where they were being taught..what would piss me off would be if you have had to scream and battle for your child to be in this reading group..have you?

Has your daughter complained about it?

My ds had this set up in reception and I remember being a bit shocked at first when I went to collect him early one day,but in all fairness they were just reading in a group of 4 and the teacher was down there with them on the floor and after thinking about it I was glad that he was getting a little extra reading practice.

What does your DD think?

Wait and see if it helps.

Is it reading or writing?
How much writing is involved?

I work in a Y1 class. I often take small groups out - for various reasons and not always same groups of children. I do have a phonics group who are the same children each day.

We use whatever space we can find. Ideally we use the quiet room, or the children's kitchen or the library because there is a table and some chairs in those areas. But there are 270 children in our infant school, each needing breakout space at various times for lots of reasons.

Sometimes we have to make do with what we can find. Today it was the hall. I sat on the floor and the 6 children sat on the floor too. Not even cushions, just a hard floor. We did mainly oral activities. but when I did a bit of 1:1 the others did so some writing - leaning over on floor, so not ideal. But it was only a bit of practise, in rough, and not for very long.

But I am afraid we do have to make do generally as we just don't have any break out spaces left, and no room to create any either.

I would dare bet that the writing is on whiteboards...they're used an awful lot. And we sit on cushions sometimes for guided reading, in the corridor. The kids like it. We used to have a little wood and cotton "sheet" covered tent/hut (especially bought ,not cobbled together!!) to sit in but it got broken when a kid decided to swing on the bars that held the roof up. There was genuine envy from the other children if a group got to sit in there

at "Sounds like Narnia"

No. It sounds ill thought out and unfair and I would complain if I were you. It is not a good idea for those who struggle with writing to be done out of the chance of a chair and a table! They need the support of the table and a chaair back in order to learn good habits when it comes to writing.

Get in there and complain.

For reading, I would say it was fine but I would not run a writing group without proper tables and chairs.

We do phonics in a cupboard. It is quite large; for a cupboard. We have tables and chairs squashed in. The kids don't care.

The upside is we can work in small groups and pace the work to the children.

I know it's often impossible but can you go in as a parent helper and see how they get on? Has DD mentioned it as a problem?

My DS (Y1) attends a maths group where the children sit on the corridor floor surrounded by bags and coats.

I think to write well, young children do need to be sitting comfortably at a desk though.

You are worried about back strain? for real? ffs

For goodness sake do not go into the school about this you will look really caft.

You do not need to sit at a table with whiteboards and dry-wipe pens . They are used when the children are sitting on the carpet at teacher's input,for quick response, and are ideal for pairing with someone, and great for use during phonics. 'Proper' writing i.e story,recount etc will usually be done at a table. You cannot write well sitting on the floor.

Don't go in and complain. Go and speak to the teacher, explain your concerns and ask some questions. Go home, have a think about what the teacher said and then complain if you need to.
There may actually be a good reason and explanation. Ask.

There's just bugger all space in most primary schools. They weren't designed for small groups.
Clock rooms, cupboards, the corner of the admin office all get borrowed and lessons often fight for space with cookery, science and music equipment that doesn't have a home either.