Does your children's primary school have iPads?

[RedRobyn2021]

Really shocked to learn today that the primary school in our catchment gives children iPads from reception

Is this the norm now?

Why are schools doing this when we have been told screen time should be avoided?

Doesn't WHO say no more than an hour a day, less is better for under 5s? Yet 4yos are being given iPads?

I've not heard of a primary giving each child an iPad from reception (at least not a state school but I'm sure some private schools do). Our (state) primary has iPads which teachers make use of for various class topics (such as the kids using google earth in geography lessons or finding out about animals and plants for science - teaching basic research skills and general computer use). Some children (specifically SEN) will also be using them to access additional maths and phonics programmes to support their learning. They're a useful tool if used in the right way and we also have laptops. I'm certainly not worried about additional screen time as the use if minimal in our school and they're often sharing an iPad so it's even less!

Well they're clearly not sitting around watching Peppa Pig on them.
If children have access to iPads in school, it will be for educational purposes in small doses. If you're worried about your child's screen time limits, then how about restricting what they do at home?

Yes my school has them definitely from year 1 not sure about reception each child has one . It's a state school

They have class iPads that the kids use when needed.

They use them in music, to do research, for coding on Scratch, to take photos around the school for art class and I'm sure lots of other things.

Our school use MacBooks but they tend to start using them from year 2. My daughter is in year 5 and they're used a lot. They do Times tables rockstars, cahoot quizzes, research, coding etc.

Children have iPads in R, Y1 and Y2. They are named and kept at school.

Children in Y3 and Y4 have school bought iPads that come home in the evening.

Children in Y5 and Y6 have parent bought iPads that come home in the evening.

Yes
They are useful for lots of things eg a quick recap of previous learning, 5 years ago I would cut up 15 sets of 10 pictures so children could spend 5 mins in partners discussing and matching them up/grouping them/labelling them, now they do it on an ipad.
We use them for computing
Children get taught to video each other and upload knto our private learning platform, so that we have sufficient evidence for offsted but less emphasis on every lesson having stuff in books, its resulted in better quality writing in books.

In reception I taught chuldren to photograph different things and also for small relevant quizzes eg match a picture to it's initial sound, phonicsplay quizzes, touch typing, number recognition.
I don't use ipads at home with my children at all but as a teacher it's necessary and helpful to prepare children for the world we now live in. They need to be able to code and they also need to learn how to use technology for learning rather than just pleasure. Schools also use them to teach vital lessons about Internet safety, something a significant amount of parents don't do whilst giving their children unlimited and unsupervised Internet access higher up in primary school. It's vital we do this

Ours did from reception in a private school - only used once or twice a week in reception for educational content. Sometimes used in maths club (after school) to do times tables, math games, etc. they also learn a bit of coding, and have an in class kid-friendly version of google (can’t remember what it is called) that they can ask questions and get kid - friendly answers. Some homework is via online apps

our school places lots of emphasis on traditional in person experiences- forest school, lots of hands on STEM experiences, art, PE 3x a week, etc. but also see a need for helping children understand how to navigate technology safely from an early age. We are a mostly screen free home - the majority of dc screen time is either at school or homework - so I share your instinct to limit screens, but I also really appreciate support from school to help dc access tech in a healthy way.

Yes they do and for those saying they aren't watching peppa pig that's not strictly true they are often watching coco melon and mr tumble etc because my kids have told me they do.

iPads from year 1. Switch to MacBooks in year 6.

very few textbooks as the context is on the computers.

it’s a system that works very well for my ND child. Handwriting is difficult and we used to have to put computer access into her education plan. Now she is at a school that defaults to computer based work and uses paper sparingly.

They were used as a resource in early years over nine years ago 🤷‍♀️.

Youngest has them a couple of times a week all through school eldest has one in secondary for the past four years in place of books. It has been a wonderful saving of the ridiculous books they would have to carry instead.

All schools will have access to mobile technology in order to cover the computing curriculum which covers a lot of skills. In my school, not every child has an iPad, but all children have access for computing lessons, and to support learning when appropriate.

Do they get given them to take home? If so, I presume it is to 'level the field' and ensure everyone has tech access. I have DC in Reception and Yr3. Both are asked to complete tasks on learning apps. It's not compulsory in Reception and we usually don't do much of it, as we prefer to support in other ways e.g. reading books, games to practise numbers. The benefit of the apps is the child can do them alone, so are useful when parents find it hard to sit down with the child. We don't get given iPads but the programmes don't work well on phones, so there is an assumption that everyone has access to a tablet or computer to use. The school has iPads but they don't seem to use them much in Reception. I personally don't love the reliance on tech for homework but it is common and I can recognise some advantages.

Yes, for computing lessons.

I'm not sure how low it goes, but at least from Yr3 they all have an allocated tablet. I think its infants as well. Not used constantly, but available if the lesson calls for it. (Maths practice, spelling practice, reading quizzes, researching a topic etc).

Thanks for everyone's responses

Follow up question, has anyone refused the iPad and asked for homework to be done with paper & pen?

A mum friend of mine said this is what she has done with her daughter

@RedRobyn2021 the children do use paper and pencil also. But tech is the leveller for a lot of children so it is encouraged. Tech can support differential learning without knowledge of others, this can be important as children get older.

It also is the realistic form their work will be primarily based in. I wouldn't be encouraging parents to mark their child as "different" as it can make that child isolated.

Paper & pen is a bit radical isn't it? She should insist her daughter uses proper slates and chalk.

Chrome books, and they don't leave the school

Homework is often - not always - set to be done electronically, but not on school devices.
Families who don't have access are set homework separately.
Parents who request pen n paper just because would be considered twats

You can refuse - at my school the homework via iPad is optional - but I would carefully interrogate your aversion to using them as a learning tool. We have a largely screen free house, so I do understand your aversion- I only bought iPads for long haul travel, and in a normal week my dc get zero hours of leisure time on iPads or television- BUT I do see lots of benefits from iPad apps that support learning. I have one dc with literacy challenges (possibly dyslexic) and Nessy reading plus spelling apps have made a massive difference when delivered on top of pen/paper exercises and lots of reading practice. There is a marked difference in dd’s spelling quiz scores (starting y1 and now y2) when we do both app and writing as compared with writing alone. For my other dd it makes a massive difference for maths practice when done on top of written work - I easily double the amount of practice time in a week by leveraging apps.

i am familiar with the stats on screen time, but I don’t think all screen time is interchangeable. When delivered in small doses through high quality educational programs, learning apps can add significantly for some children. I also think it is important to cultivate technological literacy on a really basic level early on in order to develop a needed skill set and embed healthy habits that will carry on into adolescence.

Some of the comments here are quite rude

My friend is doing what's best for her child, good on her IMO for looking at her own family and making an informed decision that's right for them

Imagine if she just did what she thought was wrong because of parents like some of you shaming her into doing it.

I'm open to hearing about why iPads can be a useful tool, but my daughter hasn't started school yet and all I've read is the disadvantages and harm caused by screen time, I'm now told this is the norm and considered the best thing for a 4 year old so excuse me for being a bit confused and shocked

The problem with a lot of parents on mumsnet is they are so defensive of their own choices that they will be rude to those who don't agree and do the same

I don't think it makes someone a twat for wanting to do things better differently @RockyRogue1001 perhaps you regret some of your choices and that's why you're projecting so much aggression

@Shetlands I'm sure you thought you were very clever and funny when you wrote this, but just so you know, you sound stupid

Why would you want to other your child and remove educational resources from them?

In the real world they will interact with all kinds of technology and need to be able to use touch screens, keyboards and mouse to work a computer for day to day life.

It’s unavoidable and enhancing education due to the many recourses now available at people finger tips.

People with this old school believe that screens are bad are completely bonkers to me.

What? So what's this woman wanting her child to do when he/she leaves school? Sweep chimneys?? Christ I've heard it all. What a crazy post!

iPads will be on most schools and my experience is that they are strictly controlled in terms of use. . Most stuff will be done with pen and paper but some will be technology based.

the reality is that children are growing up in an increasingly technical world and they need preparing for that.

You can refuse them but the teacher will be eye rolling the moment your back is turned and talking about “that parent” in the staff room.