Watching TV and films at primary school

[PeteAline]

Our son goes to a friendly school but watches films everyday in breakfast club or wet play. For instance, Trolls, Daddy Daycare, films we wouldn't encourage at home... Is this typical of schooling in the UK today? 🤔 Any feedback greatfully received.

Breakfast club and wet play is not school. It’s generally non educational child care for parents who need wrap around services.

DS in nursery would get a film on a Friday last thing, they would get all the kids in one corner and deep clean the rest of the room. But that was age 3-4.

Now at primary school they might get a film as part of an end of term treat. The juniors do a proper movie night with popcorn, but that's after school, with ticket proceeds going to PTA funds.

How old are you talking?

Breakfast club tends to have a film on and they'll watch TV sometimes in wet break (but that's rare as they tend to put waterproofs on and go out unless it's really torrential).

I wouldn't be impressed with this. There is no need for TV to be on during breakfast, and can they really not think of any activities to put out for kids during wet play?

Ours have educational TV on from 5:45 pm to 6:30 pm which is main pickup time. „how its made“, „bitz and bob“, that sort of stuff.

The two films you have mentioned are children's films so what is the issue you have with them?

So long as the films or programmes are age appropriate I can't see a problem with it tbh.
Whenever I've covered wet play the films are on for those who choose to watch it and the others can do something else in the room e.g. tabletop games, drawing, Lego, cars, reading, chatting etc etc. It's downtime, not lesson time. They're not losing learning time because of it.

Sorry should have said he's 5 years old and they are showing PG films...

That sounds fairly normal for reception on very cold wet lunchtimes or wrap around care. Our school wouldn’t show these during teaching hours except possibly as a Xmas treat.

What is your concern?

He's watching PG rated films which are suited to 8 year olds and basically show kids being unruly. He's watching several times a week.

I'm a KS2 teacher and I use films for wet lunchtime (because it avoids fights over the pencil crayons and because we can't afford enough midday supervisors for one per room so most of the time it is me supervising my class in my lunch break and desperately trying to mark books at the back as well!!)
I only show U films as I don't think we should be showing PGs, even to 8 year olds, without specifically checking with parents. This is a school rule as well.
I buy the DVDs and I aim to pick "good" and entertaining films- eg the Incredibles, Inside Out. The Lego Movie was popular as well. I've got to sit through them with the kids after all!!

At the school where I volunteer, the children have to go to their form room during wet play (breaks and lunches) where they can read, chat, play board games (depends on what is available in the class), draw etc. Certainly no TV.
I don't know what they do at breakfast club, but again no TV as I work in that room and the TV has been removed!
If you are unhappy with PG films, I would ask the teacher if they can watch U films instead. Teacher may or may not listen to you, but worth a try.

A film may be used at wet play as the tables have already been set up for lessons - usually lots of resources out that no teacher will want ruined!! Much easier to have them all on the carpet although I would be more likely to put boxes of Lego, train track etc on the carpet and let them have one table for drawing rather than put a film on.

I don’t know whether they do this at dd’s school but I don’t think it’s ideal. I would prefer for them to play and socialise at break time. But I do understand it’s tempting for staff when resources are stretched.

Happens a lot at DS school. He doesn't even like them - finds them scary. But is stuck with them. One reason we are looking at changing schools. YANBU.

I don’t understand how it works though - breaks are about 30 minutes (45 minutes after lunch maximum), and films are a lot linger. do they just stop mid film?

I think you should speak with school/organizer if watching PG films unsettle your dc. There must be other choices he can choose.

Don't most kids get enough screen time? Even if they scatter toys about as well, the screen will be distracting (the "orienting impulse"). If they absolutely have to show TV I think it should be something educational.

Presumably you choose to send your child to breakfast club ...could you make alternative arrangements?

When they were in KS1 the school would email us if they were going to show a PG film.

Trolls is a U, by the way.

Why on earth would you "not encourage a film like that at home"?

As a pp said, it's not education, it's breakfast club and wet break. Does your DS never watch films at home? The PG thing is a bit precious, the only reason for not wanting my DC to watch them is if they were scary.

At my DC's school they don't show films at wet break and breakfast club.

They have Golden Days, when they might watch a DVD or go to the cinema. So far these have been a mixture of U and PG.

I agree with some of the PP.

I'm a teacher at we have to use screens at wet play as we don't have enough lunchtime supervisors to have one in every classroom, and having 60/90 kids in one classroom playing isn't feasible, can you imagine the a) mess/noise and b)the behaviour issues that would follow? So the class have to spend the lunch break in their classrooms and we have to supervise them.

Given that we are also at this time trying to eat lunch/have a drink/set up tables and activities for the afternoon, I hope you can sort of see why TV has to be used in these instances.

However, I teacher KS1 and we would only show U films and if anyone found it scary they would absolutely be offered an alternative (often different films in different classrooms). Unlikely with a U film though.

However, breakfast club is childcare that you (I assume?) pay a fee for. It's a short period of time, in a suitable indoor environment. I agree that in this case, TV/Films shouldn't be on at all.

I'd let it slide at the very end of the day in after school club from 5pm onwards as the kids need some downtime after a long day, but I'd agree that cbeebies etc is more appropriate than a film.

DD age 4 is in breakfast and after school club. No films shown so far. This may change in the after school club as the weather gets wetter/colder.

I had to select the level of film classification I was happy for her to watch on the club application form so I guess if one parent says no to PG then no PG films will be shown.

It's not considered good practice by Ofsted anymore to use tv or films to 'mind's the children. Activities should aim to develop pshe skills in children and provide choice. Our wraparound care don't use tv at all and put on a film only on a 'special occasion.