If your child has recently been in Reception in England, how was their day structured?

[LibrariesGaveUsPower]

This is kind of a thread sparked by a thread, but hopefully not the naughty 'thread about a thread' kind.

I was talking on another thread with an early years teacher about the structure of the Reception day (in English state schools). We were both surprised by the experiences each other had had in the schools we knew. So, in best MN fashion, I thought I'd ask others what their experience was. It fascinates me that things can vary such a lot (especially since it seems to be the case that a lot of local schools will be similar, so people really have very little choice).

So, here goes:

1. Does your school have free flow for any part of the day, and if not, why not?

1. Do Reception children have a morning and/or afternoon playtime, or just lunchtime?

1. Is milk something they all sit down for or 'help yourself'?

1. Do Reception children do PE lessons?

1. Do Reception children have assembly (either by themselves, or with any/all other year groups).

Thanks!

[catkind]

1. Does your school have free flow for any part of the day, and if not, why not?
   

Yes, most of the day was free flow.

1. Do Reception children have a morning and/or afternoon playtime, or just lunchtime?
   

Just lunchtime I think, as they were free flow indoors and outdoors anyway.

1. Is milk something they all sit down for or 'help yourself'?
   

I think they collected their fruit and those who had milk collected that and they sat down for snack time.

1. Do Reception children do PE lessons?
   

Yes, twice a week.

1. Do Reception children have assembly (either by themselves, or with any/all other year groups).
   

Yes, twice a week.

They also had a few other set pieces - one afternoon was forest school, another afternoon they had a music session, later in the year phonics/maths/guided reading in groups.

All a bit vague though as DS didn't communicate that much!

[RueDeWakening]

1. Yes, all afternoon afaik. Might be some of the morning, too.
   

1. Morning playtime, not afternoon (years 1 & 2 only since Reception are free flow outside/inside/etc and juniors get a longer lunch instead). Morning playtime to start with is within the enclosed Reception area, then they are unleashed on the "big" playground after a few weeks.
   

1. No idea, DS won't touch the stuff.
   

1. Yes - uniform is joggers & polo for girls and boys, so they don't change for PE until the summer term.
   

1. Yes, they attend all infant assemblies afaik, and some whole school ones. And presented an assembly about dinosaurs themselves to the parents :o

[Jayneisagirlsname]

Both school I teach in and my child's school do the same
1 yes to free flow
2 yes to 3 play times
3 yes to sit down snack time
4 yes to PE
5 yes to assemblies - sometimes in the classrooms, sometimes key stage and 1 whole school in summer term.

As a parent I like free flow, but I also like play times. From what I see and hear the children love mixing with the older children, and the older children love them being out too.
I like sit down snack times for social reasons and digestive ones too!
Assemblies I can take or leave - I think there's benefits such as feeling part if the whole school community, seeing the older children as role models, and experiencing different styles from different adults. Wouldn't cry into my pillow if they didn't have them though!

[Cedar03]

Yes to free flow (unless its changed as my daughter is now in Year 3)
Yes to morning and afternoon play
Milk - sit down with their morning snack.
PE - they do it but don't get changed for it (or they never used to but its the same teacher)
Assembly - yes, all year groups (its a small school), several times a week.

[Sallyhasleftthebuilding]

Children had 5 groups and 5 activities on rotation. So 20 mins in each. 2 teacher lead ... one on writing, one roll play one sand/water one craft ... all story based for literacy. Maths similar with sorting shapes drawing shapes blah ... so a concentration on a topic with out too much structure as far as the kids are aware.

[musicinspring1]

Ok, assembly. DD isn't sure. She says 'sometimes'.

[musicinspring1]

Yes they have free flow play.
They have morning play and lunchtime play.
They have cards with their name on. Milk and fruit are help yourself and you post your name in the milk box or fruit box when you have taken it.
PE is when their teacher have PPA (I assume) as they have a specialist gymnastics teacher in (she runs the after school gym club).
can't remember the last question!!

[Spartans]

1, yes but less free flow as the year progressed
2 all 3
3 they sit down together
4 yes..twice a week (and yes spend more time getting changed)
5 yes. At least once a week and sometimes for extra things. Ds has been having assemblies since he was in nursery. But usually only for the special occasions.

[FairyPenguin]

Yes to free flow. At the same time the teacher will work with a small group.

Morning and lunchtime playtimes.

Sit in a circle and two children are helpers each day, one hands out the milk and the other hands out the fruit.

PE lessons twice a week.

Assembly once a week, sometimes just Reception (90 children), sometimes with Y1 and Y2.

[louisejxxx]

1. Yes lots of free flow but the amount decreased in summer term in preparation for year 1.
   

1. 3 play times
   

1. I honestly have no idea about this one as despite all my best efforts my ds point blank refuses to drink milk :(
   

1. PE was twice a week on Mondays and Fridays...In summer term that had an extra session called "multi skills" which I think focused on developing their coordination.
   

1. Every Thursday for celebration assembly with the whole school; I'm not sure about other days.

[blink1552]

Yes
Yes
Sit down just before break
Yes
Yes, from about Oct half term

[LibrariesGaveUsPower]

I think that's probably important Moab - if you have a smaller free flow area maybe the need for a break time and big spaces is greater. I mean, ours is plenty big enough for all the activities, just not the charging around type stuff.

[moab]

Run the whole time*

[moab]

Just to,say I'm a teacher, but the children still do sit down focus activities with me so have that sitting down time (if they want to, if they don't I'll take the activity to them). It's just those activities occur during free flow so the other children are free flowing at that time.
Also our outdoor Rea is pretty big so they could run the whiletimeduring free flow if they wanted to, but I've never seen a child do that!

[TRexingInAsda]

1. No idea
   
2. Yes to am & pm play as well as lunch
   
3. They still have milk? Awesome, I thought that went out with Thatcher!
   
4. Yes, once a week
   
5. Yes, I think so

[AnneEyhtMeyer]

DD was in reception last year.

1. Does your school have free flow for any part of the day, and if not, why not? Yes
   

1. Do Reception children have a morning and/or afternoon playtime, or just lunchtime? Outside play three times a day
   

1. Is milk something they all sit down for or 'help yourself'? Each week someone is "milk monitor" and hands out the milk or orange juice at snack time
   

1. Do Reception children do PE lessons? Yes, three times a week, plus swimming in summer term
   

1. Do Reception children have assembly (either by themselves, or with any/all other year groups). Yes, twice a week with whole school, once a week with their house, once a week with all of KS1 with a church group who come in

[citymum3]

Free flow
No set play time as so much free flow, just a lunch break.
Help yourself snacks but must sit down to eat and drink
No PE ( they are outside a lot anyway)
Assembly at least weekly sometimes more.

Third child through this system. None of them in evil Dickensiam horror story style system described elsewhere. DD has spent most of year hanging upside down on climbing frame or covering herself in paint from what I see/ hear.

[MooseyMoo]

Yes
yes, all three
They have snack time (and tuck shop on a Friday where they chose their own snack)
Yes, twice a week
Yes, all years. Each class takes turns to do a performance/presentation. Parents are welcome when it's their child's class taking part.

[LibrariesGaveUsPower]

Moab - As a parent I definitely want PE and a formal snack time. Even the two year olds at our pre-school benefited from that structured sit down snack time. I don't have strong opinions on assembly.

For free-flow, yes, I like it. I'm not a massive fan of sit down structured all class time. But on the other hand I'm torn because DD1 adored the 'sitting at a desk for 20 minutes in a small group' intervals they did and I'm not sure how you go about that in entirely free flow - is that type of structured learning one of the options or is it all learning through play?

Break - I'm not sure they need an afternoon one. But our free flow area doesn't have the big wide spaces they get in their section of the field and playground (it's more tree house, small garden, sand trays, etc type stuff). I think quite a lot of the more physical children do benefit from being able to burn off that 'charging around' energy that their free flow area doesn't have space for. Just that ruuuuuuuuuuuun that some 4 year olds need to regularly!

[mrscee]

yes
yes
not sure think they all sit down and have fruit and milk
no pe in reception. have to Get pe kit for year 1
yes assembly every week

[moab]

Ken. does Golden time include a special activity that's not normally out during free flow?

[KenDoddsDadsDog]

1. Yes
   
2. 3 plus golden time on a Friday where their behaviour earns an activity
   
3. Sit down and fruit
   
4. PE lessons
   
5. Catholic school so weekly liturgy and a golden assembly which is enrichment .

[moab]

Which, as a parent, do you prefer?

If I had a choice I'd go for
1 yes to free flow
2 no afternoon and morning play as it disrupts free flow
3 a proper snack time as it promotes conversation / healthy eating / "table" manners
4 yes to pe. A lot of children need it for the gross motor skills
5 no preference really on assembly but reception should get used to it before year one but it doesn't need to be every day

[Smartiepants79]

Child just finished yr R and I work in a primary. So..

1. Both settings have free flow.
   
2. Both settings have three play times a day.
   
3. One sit down for milk the other allows them to have it when they feel like it, this doesn't work in my opinion as several don't bother and the milk is wasted.
   
4. Yes they both have PE sessions
   

5.yes they both have assembly. Both key stage and whole school.

Both settings are small schools and church schools so this definitely impacts on the collective worship bit.

[LibrariesGaveUsPower]

11/1 so far.
I am interested because it seems a pretty big difference in style but most parents will have no ability to choose between the two.