DfE tells teachers to teach kids to knit, climb trees and skim stones

[noblegiraffe]

It’s the middle of the Christmas holidays, so the perfect time for the DfE (committed to reducing teacher workload doncha know) to release a bunch of stuff that will create work for teachers. This time its primary teachers who are the lucky target.

Pupils will have an activity passport with a checklist for each year group containing things like ‘explore a cave’ and ‘learn to moonwalk’.

And in the meantime, what will parents be expected to do?

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/767941/Schools_Enrichment_Booklet__web.pdf

[Muddlingalongalone]

[HexagonalBattenburg]

Actually (considering the whole thing is more of the bollocks offloading onto schools stuff) most of them on the lists for my kids current/previous years - they've done at school! OK so the sailing paper boats was as the playground flooded so the reception teacher had a nice impromptu D+T session making boats and sailing them and would really rather have had a non-flooded playground but still!

As a parent though I'd rather be doing this stuff (through my own volition NOT through bloody homework asking us to waft through the woods inspecting trees that particular weekend... personal pet hate there coming out) than plodding through Biff and fucking Chip religiously every night to be honest (disclaimer: school doesn't actually USE old-style Biff and Chip but I use them as a generic "reading scheme that's pissed most parents off over the years" example).

My Y2 daughter has to go in as superhero next term... that's that one off the list - we'd be doing really well on it if Ofsted come back!

[TheABC]

Honestly? Just print off the grid and pop it in the reading bag. If parents want to, they will do it. Speaking as a parent (and not a teacher), this just looks like another stick to beat teachers with. I am personally delighted if my son's class teacher covers the basics and does not have a mental breakdown. Skipping stones FFS - it's out of an Enid Blighton novel. Save it for the holidays.

[NoLeslie]

I'm 41, can't skim stones, always blamed my parents but turns out it's Mrs Collins fault from infant school. My dad will be pleased.

I hope that list has 'have a lesson under a tree on a sunny day' but of course you then need water bottles, cream, sunhats and a massive fence for the bolters.

[BarbarianMum]

Terrible idea. Would risk a child enjoying school for once and we all know they're meant to spend the years filling in grammar sheets, being tested on mental arithmetic and developing mental health issues.

[MidniteScribbler]

I think that aside from the fact that schools don't have a lot of spare time to fit marking off a checkbox of 'life' activities, it doesn't account for individual interests and needs. I could no more convince my son to dress up like a pirate than I could get him to fly to the moon, but he's got to do plenty of other things that aren't on that list. I've never been in a cave (major claustrophobia!), but I have travelled all over the world.

I do see that there are a lot of children who aren't having the experiences that many of us would have had as children. At the school I've just left, I had children who had never been to a beach (despite living 10 minutes from one), a child (10 years old) who didn't know what a penguin was. I had children that came to me with very poor fine motor skills. A lot of children struggled with learning about money because they only ever saw their parents hand over a card, and had no idea about the value of money. And this sort of 'checklist' is an attempt to address those deficiencies.

I think that instead of making some arbitrary checklist, we need to see how we can incorporate more 'life' learning into schools whilst still addressing the curriculum. A previous school I was at had a big reserve next door and we got blanket permission from the parents to go there, so it was not unusual for lessons to be held sitting in the middle of the reserve (how many red flowers can you find, blue, yellow, etc. Graph the results). They had a big farm, so the children would track the egg production, weigh feed, track weather conditions. We also had weekly 'elective' sessions where children chose a different activity each term (such as cooking, various crafts, some sports, dance, theatre, etc) so that they could experience something different.

[MaisyPops]

Or instead of giving schools some arbitrary checklist which doesn't to even out the very real cultural capital gaps, why not invest in family support, enrichment provision at leisure centres, promote free days out, subsidise activities for parents of pupil premium children (from a different budget to school). Why not fund youth services instead of cutting them right back.

The more i reflect, the more it seems like a tokenistic initiative to hide the fact that other government choices are widening educational inequality (like students at Eton sitting easier GCSE courses than state students).

[Holidayshopping]

government choices are widening educational inequality (like students at Eton sitting easier GCSE courses than state students).

Really-is that true?!

[MaisyPops]

holiday
Not a single student at Eton studied the Ebac suite of new GCSEs, but it is a measure for state schools.
The removal of IGCSEs from state league tables essentially means state schools can't use them.
For English, my students have to do speaking and listening but it counts for 0%, but on some IGCSE specs it counts to the final grade.
My state students have to do 100% exam courses at the end of Year 11, but some IGCSE specs have coursework still.
My state students have to do memorize their quotations for literature (which I actually don't mind, controversially), but private schools can do IGCSE with open book exams.

State schools used to put C/D borderline candidates in for IGCSE English to try and boost their pass rate. This was deemed to be wrong and full of low expectations, so IGCSE was removed from state league tables (along with lots of other rebel 2 courses) , the GCSEs approved for league tables were made more difficult. Meanwhile, all the options are still available for private schools.

Teaching publications have been talking about this for 2 years. This week the Guardian, Independent, BBC and others have finally looked into it and found that the system benefits those who can pay for their education. Essentially it is possible to pay for social selection, smaller class sizes and easier courses.

That's one article -
www.independent.co.uk/news/education/private-schools-gcse-results-secondary-cheat-rig-answers-a8703996.html

[MaisyPops]

*other level 2 courses

[noblegiraffe]

One of these two resources shared on Twitter is real, one is a pisstake. You decide.

[MaisyPops]

noble please tell me the one on the left is the pisstake.
What bothers me is that sometimes it's hard to tell between parody and reality on some things.

[noblegiraffe]

Indeed, grading a teddy bear picnic is a pisstake, but unfortunately, the register so that a class teacher can keep track of which of their pupils has visited a friend’s pet is real.

FFS.

[MaisyPops]

I'm not sure which of the two is worse to be honest.

[Heratnumber7]

Dear DfE
Guiding has it covered! (At very, very low cost to parents)
Love
Heratnumber7

[PinkIndustry]

Can you imagine going back 30 years and telling either teachers or parents that children will have to be taught to skim stones or climb trees?

People would have fallen apart laughing. Children don't have to be taught such things - they just do them.

If you have a child that doesn't skim stones or climb trees - they are probably one of those weird kids who want to read books and such - you do have to teach them to do that, mostly.

[echt]

noble, that made me laugh.

[Phineyj]

Urbanisation seems to have passed the DfE by, doesn't it? (bizarre when you consider they all work out of Westminster - you'd think that'd focus the mind). Not only is this well beyond the remit of a formal education authority, but a quick read through the list suggests they're harking back to some sort of rural idyll which probably never existed for most people.

It does rather read as though they just mashed together what the scouts/guides/DofE/National Trust already do and made it policy. Yuck.

Having said that, my Y1 DD has done most of the stuff on the reception and year 1 lists, but not because the DfE told us to! So who is the target audience exactly?

[noblegiraffe]

It’s a nice list of things for kids to do, but wholly inappropriate to expect schools to be facilitating this, or for teachers to be tracking it.

Incidentally Ofsted say “We won’t be looking at the passports, no. We also won’t look to see how many of the passport activities have been completed either.”

[loubluee]

Please tell me this will just be handed to parents at the start of reception and they will be expected to complete most tasks at home each year? I understand some may be better done in school- working as a group, preparing and performing a performance etc. But surely looking at the stars, making a sandwich, walking in the forest, etc etc are parents responsibilities??

This is why I gave up teaching!!

[FuzzyShadowChatter]

My first thought at looking at the list was that it seemed a good ideas list for an after-school group or for parents. It certainly doesn't fit in with the pressures teachers and schools are under at the moment, and having teachers track it is beyond ridiculous.

[OhDearGodLookAtThisMess]

Ooh, we can easily tick off "getting wet in the rain," as none of ours come to school in coats, even when it's pissing down first thing and we have always gone outside for break, even when it's more than drizzle.

[Holidayshopping]

Ooh, we can easily tick off "getting wet in the rain,"

Us too as most of the classroom roofs leak and we can’t afford to fix them!

[unlimiteddilutingjuice]

"This is very similar to the ridiculous "family homework menus" which they love here in Scotland."

I was thinking that too!
I also loathe them. Especially the box about "achievements outside school".