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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

How do / did your reception class children cope with the playground?

12 replies

workatemylife · 17/09/2015 11:38

I've got a DC who just started in reception class. Being in class seems to be fine, but playtime and lunchtime in a big playground with lots of other children (reception, infant, junior all together) is proving a bit too much to cope with.

Once or twice an older child (sibling of another girl in the reception class) has come to the rescue and sat with a couple of lost and tearful reception children. The thought of a 4 year old alone and scared in the crowd is heartbreaking, but I'm not sure what I can do about it.

What was playground life like for your DCs in the first few weeks? Am I expecting too much of the school if I ask them to help, or are there some useful strategies that we could try? The class teacher says she's noticed that DC seems a bit overwhelmed

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Lolly12 · 17/09/2015 11:55

In my DS's school they have a play area just for the use of reception children (two classes of 30), which does help. There's also a buddy system for lunchtimes where older children come and help supervise and look out for the reception kids. Could you suggest this? I'm sure a lot of the kids will feel overwhelmed to begin with but will get used to the noise/chaos soon enough.

FWIW I don't get anything out of my four year old in terms of what goes on at play times. Other than when I've had accident forms...

LittleMissGreen · 17/09/2015 12:50

Our school have a separate playground for nursery and reception children. However from year 1 when they join the main playground we have a buddy bench so any child feeling overwhelmed can sit on it and a designated year 6 child (changes each day) will go and look after them/play with them/find them someone to play with.

redskybynight · 17/09/2015 13:06

For the first half term or so only Reception children were allowed in a separated off area of the playground. Reception children were also allowed to go into the main playground (it was only an infants so this was Y1 and Y2) if they wanted. The school started out with keeping the Reception children totally separate but found that many wanted to go to the main playground to play with siblings and/or older friends.

Everyone including juniors does sound a bit much!

Mitzi50 · 17/09/2015 13:09

Most schools have special arrangements for reception children in first half term at least especially if they don't have a separate playground. Lots of children find it really difficult, I would go and talk to the teacher

backinschool · 17/09/2015 13:26

Our school had a buddy system too and it worked really well. Each child in reception was paired with a child from yr5/yr6. My DD got a letter from her buddy over the summer to say that she was looking forward to DD starting and she would help her to find her way around at lunch and breaktime. Her buddy met her at breaktimes and took her into lunch for the first couple of weeks. It was fab - DD knew most of the school by the end of the first fortnight and rather than being scared of the older kids she thought she was one of them. I'd definitely suggest it to the school. Its good for the year 5/6 kids too - they have to volunteer to be a buddy and they like having the responsibility (and going for an early lunch).

I think you should ask the school for some help/advice. Is there a quieter bit of the playground? Maybe they can suggest an area where the reception kids meet up and can have a bit of space. Do they have a buddy bench or somewhere specific to sit if they are feeling a bit lost?

uhoh1973 · 17/09/2015 13:45

We also have separate playground for nursery and reception. I would ask the school about this. Nothing malicious at our school but the smaller children tend to get hit by footballs, tennis balls etc otherwise. Perhaps if you describe it in these terms as a 'safety' issue you might get (more) action?

Original poster

workatemylife · 17/09/2015 15:03

Thank you all - very helpful. I'll ask the teacher if any of these possible solutions exist, and if not, what might be done to put some in place. I don't want to make it seem that I'm asking to change the entire school for my one child, but if I can catch a word with some other parents I might ask how their little ones are finding things. It would appear more convincing if it wasn't just mine!

OP posts:

Letustryagain · 17/09/2015 15:05

Another one suggesting that you go and speak to the teacher. They will definitely have something in place, they won't expect such little ones to cope on their own. At DD's school they have a separate play area that they can use if they want to and they have buddy bunches where if a child is feeling excluded or doesn't have anyone to play with, they can sit on the bench and older children will go and get them to join in their games. I help out at DD's school and in my (very limited) experience a vulnerable 4-5 year old is like jam to a wasp to the Y3/4/5/6 children. They love the thought that they can help out.

I can't remember the number of times DD was cuddled or waved to just walking through the playground at pick-up times. It actually made me quite emotional!!

IsItMeOr · 17/09/2015 15:15

Ah OP, I remember feeling like that. The first time I saw DS in the playground at lunchtime it was so obvious to me that he had no idea what to do with himself. And when the lunchtime assistant told him off because he did something inappropriate as a result, I was heartbroken and felt completely helpless. DS's fight/flight response usually defaults to fight, so he even answered her back!

My advice is politely ask about it at school. I think they would probably prefer that than you trying to enlist other parents to your cause, to be honest. It could easily come across as stirring up trouble.

Even if yours is the only child who struggles with it, it is reasonable to ask school how they can support them.

I know it's hard, and I hate feeling like I'm being a nuisance. I have had to get used to it, as my Y2 DS currently has a full-time 1:1 worker to help him cope at school (turns out he has ASD).

Dixiechickonhols · 17/09/2015 18:32

Separate playgrounds at DD's juniors and infants.

Also the older ones have a rota to go and do games with the little ones - like playing catch.

gallicgirl · 18/09/2015 10:25

Separate playgrounds at DDs school too but I think she still has issues. She doesn't deal well with conflict and prefers a few close friends rather than being friendly with the whole class.

She's already had a run in with a classmate who told her she was a baby for getting stuck climbing a tree. Trouble is my DD won't put herself forward and will remove herself from any conflict which then builds resentment. However, all this is part and parcel and learning to negotiate through friendships and resolve conflict so as much as I'd like to intervene, at this point all I can do is try to build up my child's confidence.

TeenAndTween · 18/09/2015 12:48

Our single form entry primary has a gated off reception playground that is used for the free play aspects of Reception. At whole school break and lunchtimes, the gate is opened and reception children can choose to play in the larger playground if they want to, but the reception bit is a safe place that the older kids can't go into.

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