'Mass Child Neglect'

[cromwell]

Primary education is heading for becoming state childminding, as I've said many times.
The problem with physical education is the OFSTED mentality. "Things that get measured, get done".
So that if the focus is on English and Maths, the kids get crammed for English and Maths tests. Are the children measured and the school marked up our down on their physical fitness? No.
So as Jo posted on here a while ago, PE or games are among the first lessons to go when the school wants to get some extra cramming done for those subjects which are measured.
The problem is that education is a political football; every government wants to "leave their mark" on it; and many of them have, unfortunately.
Ofsted is a bullying organisation run by a bully; you can always rely on "Sir" Michael Wilshaw for a quote knocking teachers.
The pressure is coming from the top down remorselessly; from the government through Ofsted, who pressure Head teachers and governors, who pressure teachers. What this will lead to inevitably is pressure on children who should not even be be in formal learning.
Physical education has been in declne since the 80's, if not before.

[Workingman]

That sounds about right Cromwell.

If it can be analysed, benchmarked and tested, it will be; if it can't it will be dropped for something that can.

[TheOstrich]

Cake with Friends. Yes, the pupils who select that enrichment sit around eating cake whilst watching episodes of Friends. Seriously.

Sorry, Jo, that is just too funny .......

[Kaz]

I must admit it would enrich me no end - but little kids?????

Ossie if you didn't laugh you'd cry!

I am so glad that Harry has inherited his dad's long lanky build and is very keen on sports - in fact he wants to study PE at college eventually! Becky however seems to be heading for a life long battle against the bulge, just like her mum

[debih]

I remember you mentioning the enrichment thing before Jo - ridiculous!!!

So many primary schools around us seem to molly coddle their children. Parents drive them to and from school, they aren't allowed out to play if it is too wet/cold/slippy/sunny and their PE consists of very little.

I am so pleased that we chose the local primary school for our two. They walked to and from school every day, they play outside whatever the weather there (unless it is very, very windy as there are lots of trees) and if it is wet or snowy they don the waterproofs that school provide. We have used additional government funding to employ a teacher for 2 years to concentrate on PE - he organises the PE lessons (3 a week for infants, 4 a week for juniors) and afterschool clubs (rugby, football and hockey) and also interschool competitions.

Now mine are at secondary school they have two one hour PE lessons a week plus a one hour dance class. L walks around 4 miles per day to school (2 there, 2 back) which includes level ground and up and down steep hills. S gets the bus now to school as it is too far to walk but still has to trek up and down our steep hill to get to the bus stop. She isn't very sporty but does do an after school dance class once a week. L is very sporty and is in the football and netball clubs.#

I see some children at our local primary school being driven to school when they live less than a 5 minute walk away - the whole family is overweight!!!

[Kaz]

We have a school very close, their playing field backs on the public playing field opposite the house, and we see this all the time Debih - the surrounding roads are packed with cars at school dropping off and collection times, and almost all live within easy walking distance I am sure

[Workingman]

I have just read the latest Ofsted report... I do love a good read.

They want to bring back SATs at age seven......... With regard to primary education there is loads in it about teaching and learning and maths and English and behaviour, but not one word, not one, about physical health, activity, sports, play. It is as if physical well-being has been written out of the education system: eradicated.

It's a shame that more primaries are not like the one S and L went to Debih.

[JoM]

We have a school very close, their playing field backs on the public playing field opposite the house, and we see this all the time Debih - the surrounding roads are packed with cars at school dropping off and collection times, and almost all live within easy walking distance I am sure

We have a primary school on our estate (it's actually the one which was in the news a couple of weeks ago when the head threatened that pupils who didn't attend a religious trip would have a racism note put on their records). It's probably just a 3 minute walk from our house, maybe less, and funnily enough I was thinking of the exercise issue this morning because when I took Billy for his walk, our neighbour's car was on the drive. Fifteen minutes later we walked past the school and she was just pulling up to collect her son from the nursery. Ten minutes later, we got home and her car was already back on the drive.

Tom and Joe were always walked to and from primary school. Our old house was about a mile away from the school. We moved here when Joe had just 7 months left at the school and we were about 2 miles away but it was such a lovely walk through the woods. I always saw walking them to and from school as a bit of quality time - we had each other's full attention for however long it took to walk.

[Kaz]

Yes I used to walk both of my two eldest, every day, and then I often walked Harry when we lived in Egham, on days he was with us and not his dad, and loved that time - for some reason they seemed to open up and talk about things that were on their mind It was special