Primary school officially gone bonkers - bans handstands

[FancyFlight]

I need some perspective from level-headed parents so I can tone down my probably very sarcastic involved reply to the head who has emailed me to clarify that the school has banned gymnastics moves including handstands, bridge, headstands at breaktimes. But for some strange reason, cartwheels are permitted. (What about a cartwheel that accidentally turns into a handstand? Eh?) The reasoning, I'm told, is that they have had a lot of injuries. DD broke her arm going down a slide at the park. I didn't stop her going on slides. What's next? Ban football in case someone gets hit by a , ban running in case a knee is scraped?
The school are gradually banning fun/childhood, one step at a time, this is one thing in a long line of other things and might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back and makes us move schools, but then again, perhaps all primary schools have bonkers rules, just for the sake of having rules? A friend told me dancing the Floss has been banned at her school... Do your kids' schools have equally crazy rules or is our school just becoming really strict? What random things have your schools banned for the sake of it?

[tinytreefrog]

It's mental!
But it's probably because the school are so worried about being blamed by the parents of an injury occurs. One lad in our school recently got kicked accidentally in a game of football. The mother claimed it was abuse and wanted the head to call the police! When the head refused she went crazy and is now removing her children from the school! This is what schools have to deal with and the reason they are sometimes so over causious.

[OiWhoTookTheGoodNames]

I love the way some arse always starts declaring they KNOW with all absolute certainty why the rule has been put in that way on here when they know nothing of the sort about the school in question.

I'd be willing to guess it's the different types of motion involved - they do "cartwheels" and usually for half the girls it's more of a sideways bunny hop with a bit of optimistic (highly optimistic bordering on the delusional with my youngest!) leg flinging compared to handstands where if they've not got the arm and body strength to do it - even the least able gymnast is able to get enough of a motion going to faceplant their head nicely on the playground surface if their arms give way on them. That's why logically I think they've banned one and not the other.

Our school lets them climb the trees in the school ground and has little steps beside the nursery ones to help them get up there.

[RainbowGlitterFairy]

Schools usually have reasons for these rules, banning something is a lot of effort, or rather policing it is, so check the reason before you get too wound up.

Gymnastics are banned on our playground, because of the number of grazes, bad falls and space meaning others kept getting kicked, football is banned on the playground for the same reason, both are allowed in specified areas on the field.

The floss is banned indoors purely because it was happening anytime the children were lining up, in the corridors, when stood waiting to speak to the teacher etc and it was driving us mad. It is allowed outdoors though.

[FancyFlight]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. FYI, there is AstroTurf/grass that was previously designated for gymnastics, and another section for football. There was never any question of children doing gymnastics on the concrete playground.

[Bibesia]

Why do people accept blank stares from schools when they are asked why they don't ensure that space is left for non-footballers to play in? I'd want to take it further to the governors if my children's school refused to do anything about this.

[daffodildelight]

It's a bit sexist to say it's girls doing cartwheels/handstands and boys doing football. It's simply not true either. At my school (and others I have worked at) both girls and boys participate in both equally.

[daffodildelight]

It's most likely due to complaints too. We get complaints when children have grazed their knee from falling in the playground whilst running around - 'Why weren't they being supervised?'

[celticmissey]

My dd's school banned tag in the playground because a child ran into a wall and wasn't looking where he was going?

[SadieHH]

We allow children to do gymnastics on the grass but not on the concrete but there is a staff member stationed by that grass anyway to keep an eye on them. Football is allowed for years 5 and 6 on alternate days once the rest of the school has gone in. They have a designated area of the playground but it leaves the majority of space for non footballers.

[OiWhoTookTheGoodNames]

It's most likely due to complaints too. We get complaints when children have grazed their knee from falling in the playground whilst running around - 'Why weren't they being supervised?'

My youngest is dyspraxic - I just have a bet going with the TAs doing first aid to guess how many bump notes she can rack up over the course of a week!

We have a contained mini pitch area with railings around it for football to stop it taking over the entire playground as well.