Whinge about Barnaby Bear and term time holidays

[bozza]

DS is in year one and they have the barnaby bear thing where children can take him and have their photograph taken with him and then a pin is put on a world map with a string to the photo. I know BB is part of the national curriculum so I suppose this happens everywhere.

But it is useless for anyone who goes on holiday in the summer holiday (because they will be out of that class by that point), and also if you go on holiday at Easter or Spring Bank they have to draw it out of a hat and you are unlikely to get a turn. But if you save loads of money by going ski-ing in January or to Centreparks in March, or to Spain in June (all actual occurences) then you get to take BB with you and get your photo up. And, of course, if you can't afford to go anywhere - tough.

DS was a bit upset that he couldn't have him when we went to Legoland at Spring Bank. We were allowed to send in a photo of him with his own teddy bear which made it up a bit, especially as Legoland is quite cool if you are 6 and live in Yorkshire. But still....

I have just realised that I should have put this in AIBU. But really AIBU to think that the school shouldn't be favouring children who take termtime holidays at the expense of those who don't? Or am I being petty?

We have had Barnaby Bear at home - he had a very boring weekend! We also had him when dd1 had her tonsils out, so there were lots of photos of Barnaby in hospital (the nurses were very good at bandaging him up).

I agree though, most of the other children took Barnaby Bear to exotic places.

Ours doesn't go anywhere out of term time and his antics are only recored in a book, not on public display. Which might explain why our Barnaby also does riveting things like visit B & Q and assemble jars for the school fete
(He is slumped glassy-eyed watching Cbeebies in our contribution)

Thankfully, DDs school don't have a bear. TBH knowing some of the parents, they would probably plan their annual holidays around Barnaby, studying the map for hours to come up with somewhere more unusual (and expensive)to show off about.

Don't think he is part of the curriculum btw.

My friend got BB the week after her dh went away (work). She has two children, one of whom is disabled and when her dh is away she can't take both her children out. Flicking through the book BB had been here there and everywhere; she had to ring around to get someone to take her ds out so that he could get some photos of BB outside the house. Stress all round. I dread having him.

I think it was NQC who posted about her school's barnaby bear going shopping in Dubai for the weekend and having some couture outfits run up for him

Ours don't even have to do photos with the bear. Some do, although usually fairly ordinary things still. Everyone HAS to do a little write-up of their weekend though - that being the point of the exercise!

I teach in an infant school (currently on mat leave) so may be able to offer some insihgt. Barnaby Bear (or any alternative creatue the school prefers) is a suggested way of tackling a Geography Unit of Work called Passport to the World. The point of it is supposed to be geography related. Ours used to go here, there and everywehre with kids but mostly just to parties at Wacky Warehouse, Rainbows or someone's house for tea. However our new Geography Co-ordinator has actually started to 'use' the bear correctly. If children want to take him they have to fill in a form which is signed by a prent/guardian. They have to answer questions with a geography focus eg Where is BArbnaby Bear going? How will he travel there? What will he do when ne gets there? What will the place look like? etc. They then have to answer a few questions about the trip when it is over. We have 3 maps on our Hall wall - one is the local area, one is the UK and one is the world. The completed questions and any photos/drawings/writing etc is pinned against the appropriate map. Children are NOT allowed to take Barnaby during term time at all except for the weekends - term time holidays are not encouraged! If more than one person requests him at the same time it is up to the teacher's discretion to decide who gets him. It seems to work pretty well for us.

Incidentally I have a class toy called Tatty Ratty that is a rabbit that goes with a story. The children have their names drawn out of a hat to take him home at weekends and they don't have to do anything with him. Most do though and we always ask them on a Monday to tell us what he has been up to even if it is just watching TV or playing! Names are thrown away once they have had a turn allowing everyone to have a turn over the school year.

and what part of the national curriculum is that then?

boollocks .. its a poorly thought out invention by the class teacher and I'd just bitch about it endlessly behind her back

As I posted earlier it is a suggested method of tackling the QCA Unit of Work called Passport to the World. Many schools use it very successfully but the op school are obviously not using the bear as it was originally intended. I can assure you though, it is DEFINITELY part of the NC and has been for quite a few years.

I can assure you all that there is no notebook at our school. It is just a photo. DS did do a little booklet of his own accord [smug] although he rather spoilt it by the huge crossing out on the front page because the content was quite good.

Our school has a spare bear, "Barnaby's cousin" who goes on holidays at the same time as the real Barnaby. That way there doesn't need to be any encouragement of term time holidays.

I'm afraid we traumatised Barnaby by taking him to lots of stone ruins instead of the theme parks he was used to. Still, he didn't complain

we don't have a Barney Bear or equivalent and never have had in the last 4 yrs

how can it be part of the NC ?, my kids are at state school

I feel left out

You don't have to use BB to teach this Unit, some shools choose not to Iota.

phew

We have a barnaby bear at my DD's school - had no idea it was part of the curriculum.

We took him camping to the New Forest with us but forgot to take a photo. Took one in the back garden but DD refuses to take it in, insisting it isn't the New Forest, it's Surrey .