TV in Reception

[NOG2014]

How much TV does your reception aged child watch at school?

My four year old recently started reception at a local private pre-prep and tells me every day that she watches TV. I noticed there is a very large TV in the classroom and didn't think much of it assuming they watch educational programmes once in a while when relevant to what they are learning. However, DD comes home daily saying she loves school as she watches TV. So I asked about it at parents evening in a jokey 'DD loves school because she says all she does is watch TV' kind of way to gauge the reaction of the teacher. The teacher replied saying they don't watch TV all day, they watch it for wet play and if a child has been good they can choose to have 10 minutes of TV as a reward. However, DD is still coming home telling me she has watched TV every day - Numberjacks, Alphablocks, Paddington Bear and various other programmes which I am not familiar with. When I ask her if it was a treat for good behaviour she says no, the teacher just put it on for everyone to watch even though it has not been raining.

How would you feel about this? I don't want to be 'that parent' and don't mind the use of TV in the classroom on the odd occasion as a treat or when relevant for a topic. But it does appear to be most days which I just didn't expect and would be interested to hear the experiences of others.

My kids school have it on for 10 minutes at the end of the day as they do staggered pick up - unless they are watching specific programmes with a purpose I personally wouldn't be happy with 10 kids with 2 adults in the classroom and being sat in front of the TV, especially if I was paying for it. We used to watch TV at school in the 90s but usually only if it was a supply teacher and only towards the end of primary school.

@ZebraKid71 thank you! I am glad I am not being unreasonable. You have summed up exactly how I feel.

Some schools use NCETM (National Centre of Excellence for teaching Mathematics) for maths resources which uses resources based on number blocks eposodes so could be that. Otherwise, a few minutes of Numberblocks or Alphablocks or a bit of Paddington during snack time is not a big deal.

My son has nearly finished his first term in reception and they have a TV, they put films on during wet play!
I'm not comfortable with it at all and I think it's rather lazy of the teachers to be honest.

Lazy teachers
Here we go.

Ten minutes at the end of the day or as a treat for wet day break times seems fine to me. I’m just not thrilled that Numberblocks is getting played during lesson times (which are pretty scant anyway — most of the day is spent in free play). But again, they are very young and I’m not altogether sold on the idea that they ought to be in formal education at all yet. My son’s already worried that his writing isn’t good enough and he’s only just 4!

The teachers are allowed a lunch break, no? The movie they're watching (a short part of) will be under supervision of a TA or lunchtime supervisor during wet play/lunch. They are not expected to entertain 30 children in that time 🙄

@MrsKeats exactly 😂 BBC schools programmes started in 1957 (and I expect there were radio ones before that). It's hardly a new concept to watch a bit of TV at school.

@Needmorelego oh my goodness I used to love Look and Read!

So basically going on the age of a child starting school in 1957 they would be 70 now. So anyone under the age of 70 would have probably watched a bit of TV at school.
Remember all the Pippin the Dog safety films about stranger danger etc? Loved them.

@Underthehills apparently Look and Read only stopped being made during the 2000s. It's apparently the longest running educational programme the BBC made or something.

I agree teachers of course need a break, and if the TV in my DD's situation was being used to facilitate that I'd be more sympathetic. However, at my DD's school, the teachers go to a dining room with all of the children where the teachers and children are given a hot meal and eat together. So they are not watching TV over lunch. I think if the teachers are having breaks at other times of the day then 2 adults should be able to manage their breaks between them around 10 pupils without the need to resort to the TV on a daily basis. Today it was Peter Rabbit as a 'treat'.

I think I'll see how it goes next half term. Thank you for all of the responses.

they put films on during wet play!
I'm not comfortable with it at all and I think it's rather lazy of the teachers to be honest.

What do you expect them to do during wet playtime? Teach?

I would be more concerned that they had a phonics approach that included videos. What programme are they following?

My view on this has massively changed over the years! I used to feel exactly the same as you as a parent when my children were in Nursery and like you I did raise it with the teacher. I now teach in Nursery myself and wish I could go back in time and just thank all the staff for their hard work and not mention the TV at all! We use songs on the screen and occasionally CBeebies for 10 minutes in the way that others have described - to settle the group while we get children ready for hometime etc. I think until you work in that environment it is hard to imagine some of the practical difficulties in managing a large group of children. If they were fully independent or we had more staff it might be different but in our school we are 2 staff dealing with up to 26 children who need lots of support to get coats on, use the toilet, understand the routine etc. and it is just practical to use high quality resources on the TV to help us to do that now and then. The thought that we might have a break or use the toilet ourselves is frankly laughable! Lazy teachers has not been my experience though I accept things may be different elsewhere.

10 children and 2 staff might be different though!

It's just not a good idea to teach children that in order to relax and feel calm they need to watch tv whilst having a snack.

Get children to bring in waterproofs? Or draw, colour in, crafts, reading, boardgames, play ?

Lazy teachers?

@CentralLondonLife maybe they are watching Alphablocks?

Have you ever got 30 reception children in and out of waterproofs for a 15 minute playtime?

Who will supervise the boardgames and crafts?
There will be at best 1 adult for a class during wet play.

As part of which SSP?

@CentralLondonLife I don't know what SSP is.
I'm not a teacher so I assume it's some curriculum thing....but the OP said it's a private school and can't they pretty much teach what they want and not follow the national curriculum if they don't want to?

I agree it would not work the way schools are set up atm. But in an ideal world........

The big screen in most classrooms is an Interactive White Board, not a TV. Are you sure your child is not confusing that with a TV? We use it for phonics , PowerPoints, learning songs and obviously as a visual display instead of a blackboard.