Taking toys to school

[Royaldada]

Does your DC's school allow your DC to take toys like dolls, footballs and trading cards from home or do they have a box of age-appropriate toys and games to choose from at school - because according to our new HT (starting in September) the latter is norm and I was just wondering

I'm confused Mrsz. What do you mean it's unusual for reception children to have break time? Isn't it usual for them to have two, or possibly three, playtimes? DD1 has morning, after eating lunch and usually a short run around mid afternoon. Isn't breaktime just a different terminology for playtime

Libraries - it's much more common for Reception children to go without a playtime because their day should be planned around "free-flow" use of both outside and inside areas, and learning through play. This negates the need for a set "playtime" or "breaktime".

Most Reception classes I know still have a longer break after lunch, but this doesn't always happen on the same playground as the older children.

That's interesting LittleFish.

It must be something that is more common in certain areas than others. I have just added up on my fingers and via my daughter's school, friends and the massive number of teachers in my family I know about 30 schools. They all have a greater or lesser degree of free-flow teaching (I know some do less than is ideal) and all of them still have the routine of a formal break and also milk and fruit.

I can see how you would argue it wasn't necessary if you had proper free flow, much like a pre school. But all the schools I know do still have one.

Yes, often on a different piece of school field or playground to the rest of the school, at least for the first half of the year.

Your new HT sounds like they have their head fully screwed on right OP.

No toys in school will free up loads of teacher time that is currently used to deal with disagreements, tears over lost or broken toys and disgruntled parents trying to establish what happened to the precious toy they were daft enough to send to school.

Trading cards are wicked. It should be illegal to market such things at children IMO.

Young children give away trading cards then get upset when they want them back ... Nightmare for parents and teachers!

The EYFS framework supports free flow access to the outdoors as best practice. "Play and learning that flow seamlessly between indoors and outdoors enables children to make the most of resources and materials available to them and develop their ideas without unnecessary interruption."
I'm surprised you know so many schools that don't use the outdoors for extending learning in this way.

I didn't say that MrsZ! I said that they have greater or lesser degrees of free flow (yes, some have less than they should) but that they all have a formal 'play time' like the rest of the school as well.

In one particular case where there is very limited free flow it is because of the layout of the school - it is a very old building and the classrooms don't access the outside. So children have to be taken down to a specially built annexe for periods of time.

It's something they'd like to fix but short of knocking down the old, tall Victorian school building and starting again there is little they can do.

Toys only go in on a fixed afternoon end of term, and even then they discourage electronics, or for a requested use eg teddy bears picnic etc. Or eg if a 5yr olds pets just died/ any other good reason to expect more comfort than usual then their cuddly toy can be handed in for emergencies
Theres no fixed rules on cards, stickers, loom bands or anything they could fit in a pocket, but if it causes problems they'll either insist it only comes out in the playground and any seen elsewhere are confiscated, or if necessary none allowed at all. Eg one year dds class were all allowed to trade cards cos they kept it out of lessons and didn't fall out etc, but certain kinds of stationary were banned because they all spent lessons trying to swop, compare, admire and argue about them.

oops Mrz. Sorry about that!

Generally no toys here either. If a younger child really needs a transition toy then it is meant to stay in their bag.

School / PTA provide outdoor toys like skipping ropes, and 'wet play' games too.

Trading cards occasionally turn up, are allowed for a couple of weeks, then there is upset and they are banned again.

Crazes like loom bands also permitted amongst older kids unless they are causing upset.

The key words in the EYFS quote were "without unnecessary interruption". ... Ie: play times

Obviously some schools have logistical difficulties to providing uninterrupted access the fact you know so many is strange.

But isn't there always interpretation? It depends what you call unecessary. What about assembly? PE? Circle time? Snack time as a class? Do the schools you know not do those either?

*unnecessary

*interruption.

That second one was autocorrect! First was my fat thumbs on the phone.

Many reception classes don't attend school assemblies or have formal PE lessons for that reason. The only points that children stop is for lunch and to go home.

Ok. I know none like that.

I have to say I've thought on other threads that your area sounds quite progressive. I am not sure it is mirrored in a lot of the rest of the country yet.

Milk and snack are a self service snack bar in many settings rather than everyone stop together

It really isn't new (about 15 years) and we copied good particle from other areas of the country rather than originate the practice

I'm not saying that. All I am saying is I don't think your practice is so widespread as to be the 'norm '.

No toys... If they do the teacher will usually look after it until the end of the day.

It's amazing how much stuff goes missing anyway so I appreciate it.

I've attended many Early Years conferences attended by teachers from all over the UK at its very common practice based on the expectations of the statutory curriculum. That's why I'm so surprised there are so many schools who apparently aren't

That's interesting. I am thinking of four London schools (two boroughs ). Schools in three south west counties and some in the Midlands.

Two of those are admittedly the 'Times top 100' sort that start homework week 2 of reception

I have friends who teach / taught in London boroughs and operated free flow.

I am sure. I'm not saying none have the full free flow you describe. Just saying the locations of schools I have direct knowledge of not doing it that way.