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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

Year 1 no play or creative activities, spelling tests is this normal

77 replies

starpatch · 20/09/2017 11:38

DS s year one class seems really pressured. From what I can tell (I help with reading so I am in first thing when I they goes through timetable). I it is basically rote learning all day no a creative stuff not even exploration in science. I is this normal ? DS likes to be outside he got depressed towards end of last week (to a point he couldn't play properly) and has started grinding his teeth at night. I wouldn't say this was the ethos I of the school he has nqt teacher and she is doing everything by the book.

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Muddlingalongalone · 20/09/2017 22:13

Maybe bangingmyheadoffabrickwall - or maybe the idea came from printers/fb wherever else teachers share ideas!!
Not that I'm in the playground very often but I will look suspiciously around me next time I'm there to see if I spot a mumsnetter 😀

Anotheroneishere · 21/09/2017 03:14

Yup, talk to the teacher. Y1 was a big adjustment for my oldest because he missed playing so much. Not that he didn't play, but he just wanted to play more.

Unless it's a terrible school, the learning is probably very child-friendly and interactive, with lots of creativity. But that to my kid would have looked like "work" when he wanted to build something on his own, rather than do the teacher-led activity.

My reception boy already complains about having to do crafts. The five minute craft impinging on his free play is something he'll have to get used to.

MiaowTheCat · 21/09/2017 09:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

B1rdonawire · 21/09/2017 09:48

So far I'm really impressed with how much outdoors time DD's Y1 class gets, and how creatively they learn. Mondays and Fridays are particularly outdoorsy with wet-weather/mud-proof clothes required, and they learn loads too through maths or science-based activities. The other days they have fairly structured mornings, and more play in the afternoon. The other day DD came skipping out of class bursting to tell me "We did maths with SWEETS" which appears to basically have been all her Christmases come at once

They have reading homework daily, they have guided reading homework questions once a week, and they have once a week spellings - but because of all the other fun, DD barely notices those and does them without a murmur.

elektrawoman · 21/09/2017 17:27

It's not the norm at DDs school. She has just gone into Y1 and learning is still very much play based. Yes they do reading and phonics work and carpet time each day, but they also do lots of outdoor play, forest school, singing etc. DD has not noticed a massive difference. It's very much about learning through practical activities.

The school gets really good results for EYFS stage, higher than national average in the Y1 phonics test (despite having lots of ESL pupils), so their approach obviously works! I wouldn't be happy if DD was sat at a desk to learn already.

MrsPworkingmummy · 21/09/2017 17:38

I have felt this about my child's school since she was in reception (she's just moved into Y1 and is 5). Uninspiring, assessment framework led etc. I'm a teacher myself (in secondary/sixth form) and am absolutely aghast by the way KS1 and EYFS students are measured - completely target driven and performance focused. I just wanted my child to go to school, and leave it at the end of the day, happy. Unfortunately, I think she has been completely turned off as the rigorous, academic approach does not suit her personality or learning style. My DH and I are both academics and teach, and we are both saddened by the lack of creatively. I don't feel my DD's teacher really know her at all.
They've been back back 3 weeks now, have reading books sent home on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, have spellings sent home every Thursday for the next Thursday, and are given a HW task in their 'Learning Journals' every Friday for the following Wednesday. It's ridiculous. I've attached her first set of spellings - are your child's similar?

Whatever happened to learning through play?

Year 1 no play or creative activities, spelling tests is this normal

G1raffe · 21/09/2017 18:13

Harder here but differentiated by group. Threw, found, dream, cried and 2 others. I thought it was a bit much!!

illustratednews · 21/09/2017 18:23

higher than national average in the Y1 phonics test (despite having lots of ESL pupils)

If you mean EAL then there is no difference between outcomes for EAL and no EAL nationally. 80% and 81% in 2016

sirfredfredgeorge · 21/09/2017 18:33

am absolutely aghast by the way KS1 and EYFS students are measured - completely target driven and performance focused

Yet it's your schools choice to do what it is doing, there's absolutely no requirement to send spelling lists home, or homework set or anything, so why the rant against the measurement? As you say, you don't think your teacher knows your daughter, it's not anything but the teacher and its ethos causing that.

G1raffe · 21/09/2017 18:36

We've been told it's to meet the new curriculum.

sirfredfredgeorge · 21/09/2017 18:45

www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-primary-curriculum The new one from 2014?

MiaowTheCat · 21/09/2017 18:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cheerybigbottom · 21/09/2017 18:52

My son (5) is struggling in yr 1. His report in reception had him excelling in attention and listening etc but 5 times since he started his teacher has called me over to say he's struggling to gain son's focus.

He has reading every day (level 6 books, so long) spelling tests every Monday, letters to be practiced each night (voice, dream, name etc!) one homework activity to be completed by Friday and another over the weekend.

I'll have to go in and see teacher next week to see what is being expected of ds. The change from reception to yr 1 has been a shock in expectations.

G1raffe · 21/09/2017 18:52

Well yes - didnt the changes since then only affected a few year groups initially and then last 2 years saw a lot of changes for our local schools. Certainly a move towards more spellings younger/tables etc.

Helspopje · 21/09/2017 18:55

Exactly what happened for us when my daughter went into y1

By the look if the current y 1 kids, the transition has come as a shock

Original poster

starpatch · 21/09/2017 19:22

These are the spellings I prefer them to yours mrsp!
The, and, a, to, said, in, he, I, of, it

OP posts:

butterfly198615 · 21/09/2017 20:12

This is what it is like in year 1. They usually send out a letter telling you everything they will be doing that term. They haven't been back long but they will be doing practical activities etc. But I think they do start cutting down on the playing in the classroom etc but they have to get through alot in the curriculum over the year.
The amount of children I have seen that never once cried going into nursery or reception is quite a few. I over heard one of the parents who son was crying and didn't want to go in saying because reception was so light hearted he's finding it hard.

My dd loves this type of thing though and when I ask her what she has done she says lots of hard work and writing. But they do get praised and star of the week and a treasure box treats to encourage them. It might just take time for some.

I would voice your concern with the teacher and they will have had this before so will know what steps to take. Tell her everything the teeth grinding etc as they might have ways to help your ds cope better.

MrsPworkingmummy · 21/09/2017 22:53

@sirfredfredgeorge I am ranting 'against the measurement' because I believe teachers/leaders in schools (certainly not just in my daughter's school) are under so much pressure to meet government targets (I.e. the measurement) and 'prove' themselves, that they are doing this at the expense of providing an inspiring, creative, individualised and play-based curriculum in the early years.

Do you teach? I do, and it's awful that the importance of good 'data' and priority given to it (which has been the driving force in secondary schools for the last 7-8 years) is now dripping down into other school phases.

sirfredfredgeorge · 21/09/2017 23:03

No, I have a child who's been through year 1, is excelling, and doesn't have any of the measurement angst described here, and no spellings, plenty of "play", plenty of other stuff. Had a good transition from year R to year 1, and seemingly again to year 2.

The school hasn't made up anything about a new curriculum, is nothing out of the ordinary, just the nearest school, the results are fine, and the ofsted visitors that visited last year with DD in year one didn't find anything bad.

So whilst I'm sure there are schools which do it, and I can understand psychologically that you don't want to blame the school you chose, and the teachers and leadership you know. The stress and the spelling tests are things they've chosen to do, they are not mandated from above.

Logans · 21/09/2017 23:10

Not normal when DC were Y1 in a mildly selective independent school! Even at the end of Y3 they were still doing tons of play based learning.

G1raffe · 22/09/2017 05:10

I think it's quite common now (look at the mn threads!!!) in areas since the newer curriculum where schools are trying to raise eachieveement to meet the demands of the sats. It may well not be the case in wealthy leafy areas where these are already easily met.

It's very certainly the fact that so much has to be covered/measured and so young that is changing both teaching and schools (and again see tons of mn threads of teachers leaving teaching.)

If I was v well off I'd probably send mine to a private schoklnfor more play based learning! It seems the tables have turned from when it used to be private schools that were considers more formal and structured (and actually some here still are and from 3...!)

Ours seem to still have fun, lots of craft etc, kids seem to enjoy it. But its v definitely literacy and numeracy in the morning and fun activities in the afternoon ....and weekly spellings!

Bdayblues · 05/10/2017 21:17

Dd3 has just gone in to y2 and yet again the pressure is on. Y1 was bad enough and it feels relentless .

We’re not adverse to hard work - dd1 is at grammar school and dd2 heading there too - I’m just finding the amount of work being sent home for a 6 year old for homework (on top of a day of hard work) is exhausting!

Can anyone tell me the type of spellings they are being sent to learn? Ours are all phonics ones (such as gnat, gnarled, gnaw,) and therefore unlikely to be used in normal writing and so pretty pointless imo. Thanks

sirfredfredgeorge · 05/10/2017 21:37

DD is in year 2, she has no spellings at all, and indeed gets homework that would take her maybe 20 minutes total in the week, but she doesn't do it, without question.

Just spelt gnarled and gnat right, but went gnaugh for gnaw when I asked her.

user789653241 · 05/10/2017 22:10

My ds's school had spelling test in yr1, even before new NC started. Similar amount of homework as others said, but still, there were so much fun as well. It didn't feel like no play or no creative activities at all.
He is in yr5 now, but homework is still about same amount, just it's compulsory now while it wasn't in ks1.

Alanna1 · 05/10/2017 22:19

We get spellings every 2 weeks, reading books x2 at least twice a week, maths every week (number games) and homework every 2 weeks. It is a logistical challenge certainly. I think quite a lot of the play has gone.

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