Yahoo News Primary school 'actively discourages' pupils from socialising in classroom
A primary school in Hull has been criticised as “weird” by parents after it started enforcing a policy of discouraging classroom socialising between pupils.
Welton Primary School sent home a letter to parents that told them that the policy was designed to help children make “good progress”.
Away from the classroom, pupils at the school are divided into colour groups and must take part in pre-determined activities set by the school at playtime, according to Hull Live.
One mum who has found out bout the rule as her child moved from foundation stage into Year 1 described the rules as “weird”.
She said: "The kids are dictated to about who they are to play with - it's weird.
"It's the only free time they have. It would be like telling a colleague they had eat lunch with somebody specific.
"The kids are banded like yellow etc and that's who they have to play with. They should be able to free play. Apparently the 'children come in calmer.'"
She added: "I really don't know what is going on in the headteacher's head, saying socialisation is a 'barrier to to pupil outcomes.’
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"Other schools keep children together as a class but here they also purposely split them, even from foundation. I don't like that.”
Defending the policy, headteacher Nikki Pidgeon said: "While we are keen to see the children making friends, socialising in the classroom is discouraged to ensure that their lessons are inclusive of all children working as a team, regardless of their external friendship group.
"Every class has the same set of school expectations that encourage children to get better at working together and to ensure that the children are able to use their social skills in a way that help each other to learn and make good progress.”
Mrs Pidgeon added that the playground rules have been in force for the past 10 years, arguing the approach “offers a menu of things the children can choose from every day”.
