1. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 1 Managing Children’s Behaviour in the “Wet Playtime/Lunchtime” Course Introduction: This course is written for: – the full mid-day supervisory team & line manager –Individual team members –Teaching Assistants participating in mid-day team work The course explores the challenges, opportunities and possible purposes of a wet lunchtime, and the planning, activities, structures and management that improve the lunchtime experience. The course provides an opportunity to share good practice and reflect on possible practical improvements in the delegates’ own schools. Much of the course also applies to “Wet Playtimes”. 1

2. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 2 Managing Children’s Behaviour in the “Wet Playtime” Classroom Introductions.... Your trainer Do you know each other?

3. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 3 Skills Active Overview: Access Training is accredited by SkillsActive and has signed up to its national Code of Practice SkillsActive “quality assure” the training. This training may be useful, or even count towards, other qualifications, such as NVQs.

4. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 4 Managing Children’s Behaviour in the “Wet Lunchtime” : Course Objectives We will: 1.Look at the challenges that wet lunchtimes pose 2.Look at the opportunities and purposes of lunchtime 3.Exchange ideas about what does / does not work 4.Consider what a parent, child or OFSTED would think to be excellent “wet lunchtime” practice 5.Consider the structure, organisation and management needed, including planning time, consultation, participation and equipment 4

5. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 5 The Five Outcomes: –be healthy –stay safe –enjoy and achieve –make a positive contribution –achieve economic well-being. Safeguarding Children The National Anti-Bullying Charter & National Guidance 5 How does this course support The National Picture?

6. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 6 Activity One The Elton Report (1989) “Enquiry into Discipline in schools” said that “Lunch break is “the single biggest behaviour related problem that (staff) face” Has this changed in 20+ years? Do we agree? What can go wrong? Why might wet lunch breaks be a particular challenge? (Flipchart paper – what can go wrong, and why) ‏ 6

7. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 7 Activity Two: What is the purpose of lunchtime? 7

8. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 8 Activity Two: What is the purpose of lunchtime? Mealtime Relax/refresh Re-charge batteries for the afternoon school session Exercise, let off steam Social skills, social interaction –Co-operation, turn taking, understanding rules. –Fewer opportunities for young children to interact freely “in the street” Play (structured/unstructured) ‏ –Should playtime be “free time”? For some or for all? –“Free choice”, “structured choice” or “no choice”? Learning opportunity 8 Can any of this NOT happen on a wet lunch time?

9. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 9 Activity three: What is our role? Health & safety Plan and organise activities Promote and develop play Manage behaviours Prepare children for afternoon school Listener, befriender, mentor, supervisor 9

10. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 10 Activity Four: What would an “excellent” lunchtime look like to a child, parent, teacher, headteacher or inspector? 10

11. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 11 A real OFSTED report: 5. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes contribute significantly to the pleasant atmosphere around the school. Behaviour is good at breaks and lunchtimes. For example, during a wet playtime pupils were very well behaved in classrooms and engaged in a range of constructive activities such as board games and puzzles. Pupils are clear about the behaviour expected of them. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/125/125026.pdf 11

12. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 12 Making it all happen A wet lunchtime is an excellent opportunity An excellent wet lunchtime rarely happens by accident! We need good planning, activities, structures and management 12

13. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 13 Structures and Management What Structures are in place to support you? How well does Management support you? What structures and management are in place in your team? 13

14. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 14 Structures Consider the overall plan for the lunchtime – fitting round the mealtime, how much time is there, and when? Is the mealtime structure the best (family service, sittings, cafeteria, by class or year group or vertical family grouping? In wet play, is there an area for each class or for each activity? What is the structure / composition of the mid-day team? What whole-school involvement is there? In what ways are pupils involved in supporting lunchtime planning, activities, management, supervision? How and when are they briefed and trained?

15. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 15 Management Who takes charge of planning? Who decides “wet or dry”? Who acts as “Air Traffic Control”? How and when? Who manages (and trains and praises) the child helpers? Who is kept in reserve for incidents? How and where are these managed? Who takes charge of evaluation and review? What senior staff involvement is there? How do all (staff, parents, children) find out about the rules, expectations, routines? Plan for good communication – Radios? Whistles? Who plans the budget for equipment maintenance? Where do materials come from? (Budget, PTA, Appeals….) Where are they stored? How are they checked? Who builds and maintains an “Ideas Bank”? (See bibliography) ‏

16. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 16 Planning Time to plan: “Plan time to plan” Staff involvement Pupil involvement Plan for routine AND variety Plan for the 5 Outcomes Plan for fully wet / part wet Play to your team’s strengths Consider other staff Look at use of space Plan to buy resources – books, materials Plan to spread lunchtime clubs 16

17. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 17 Activities Consider main benefits –Fun, enjoyment, development, learning, improved behaviours & motivation –Social skills, language, physical and cognitive development Consider degree of choice – Free, limited or none Consider DURATION of activity (1 minute per year of age) ‏ Special Needs & Disability – Any adjustments needed for individuals. Consider TRANSITION (“Countdown”, “Round Robin” or otherwise) ‏ “Leave them wanting more next time” Plan a variety – don’t welly the favourites! Consider types of activity –Circle timeCircle games –“from the front” whole class (Quiz, Mastermind, “just a minute”) ‏ –Table (small group) (Board games, dominoes, Lego, puppets) ‏ –Paper based –Physical –Individual activities –Use of TV or ICT –Club based (Music, ICT, Dance, Drama, Art) ‏ –Wet Play Time Box (Several, rotated, monitored by “Box storeperson”) ‏

18. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 18 Activities Wet playtimes can be a good time to support children with SEN with special activities – talk to your SENCO Different types of SEN need different activities. Circle Time activities & Hand Group/Dyspraxia activities can be really useful

19. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 19 Developing language skills In many schools, wet playtimes provide an opportunity to support one or more small groups –Dyspraxia group –Speech/Language group

20. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 20 Equipment What have we got? Where is it stored and who looks after it? How is it funded? How is it given out, monitored, returned? What else do we need to offer a wider range of activities? Do we make use of pupil support, PTA, appeals? Do we have an “Ideas bank”?

21. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 21 Equipment Free or paid for? PTA Parents Staff library of activity books Wet play boxes

22. Activity: © Rik Ludlow Jan 2006, Sep 2007, licensed for use by Access Training Language Skills: Discussion, negotiation, explaining, planning, listening, public speaking, singing, learning vocabulary, Cognitive Skills: Reinforcing lesson learning, thinking, sorting, matching, counting, time, understanding rules, memory, right/left laterality, Social Skills: Turn-taking, cooperating, caring role play, sharing, leading, working together, confidence, public speaking Physical Skills: Cardio-vascular, stamina, strength, coordination, stretching, balance, throwing, hand/eye, hopping, climbing, fine motor – threading, cutting, colouring Type of activity:Number of children Supervision neededRoom Advance planning & equipment: Evaluation – Next time I will.. What to do:

23. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 23 DfE: Citizenship: Years 1 and 2 - Working together (1) Structure a 'draw and write' activity about the children's views on eating lunch in the dinner hall e.g. what they like and don't like about the lunch (including choices and menu, and how they collect the food), and the arrangements for entering and leaving the hall. The results of the activity could lead to a class discussion in a class council or circle time about ways to improve the experience of eating lunch in school. Example taken from: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/ks1-2citizenship/cit01/?view=activitieshttp://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/ks1-2citizenship/cit01/?view=activities This is no longer viewable, but is replaced with the following, which also mentions school lunches: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/ks1-2citizenship/cit01/?view=get

24. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 24 DfE: Citizenship: Years 1 and 2 - Working together (2) You are approaching the end of the school year, and it is a really wet summer term. How might you use some wet lunchtimes to work with children to support the smooth transition of children into the school at the start of the new school year? Assume that your school is a primary, taking children from several nearby nursery establishments, OR base your thoughts on your own school

25. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 25 Activity Five: Planning and Reviewing an activity Think of an activity, or use the “Citizenship” screen, or the “New year group” screen, or if resource books are available, choose an activity from one of them Complete the Games Planner sheet. Does this help you to focus on type of activity & types of learning? A copy of the games planner is available to download from www.trainyourschool.co.uk/gameplanner.html

26. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 26 Activity Six: Tricky Situations Activity – Think of a tricky situation that you have encountered, or use one of these. Discuss possible strategies or solutions. 1. Class teacher complains that in previous wet play children messed with the whiteboard and left lids off pens. She now refuses to let children use her classroom for wet lunchtimes. 2. Some children lurk in the loos and bully others who come in to them. 3. There are 6 staff in the team. 3 are needed in the dining room, leaving the other 3 to supervise all corridors and 10 classrooms. The dining room is needed for the whole of the lunch break period, and there is no other large covered space. You have concerns about supervision.

27. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 27 Further Ideas for Good Practice Involve children in planning their own play, and older children in supervision and support of younger classes Adult involvement should be about suggesting and initiating play, not “running the game” School council involvement Governor involvement?

28. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 28 Activity Seven: Sharing Good Practice List your other “good practice” ideas that we have not covered so far Review all the “good practice” ideas that we have discussed this morning

29. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 29 Headings for Action Plan Name of school Date Priorities for change What might you want to experiment with in order to improve effectiveness? Agreement about any common approaches you are ready to adopt Agreements re: –commitments to any further explorations/piloting of change –identify any support you need How will you track your progress and share experience? Date of review

30. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 30 The Five Outcomes: –be healthy –stay safe –enjoy and achieve –make a positive contribution –achieve economic well-being. Safeguarding Children. Anti-bullying. How can we now better support The National Picture?

31. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 31 Questions & Further Help Access Training: www.trainyourschool.co.uk www.trainyourschool.co.uk –229 Scraptoft Lane, Leicester LE5 2HT –0116 241 5801 Tear-off slip at bottom of evaluation form Resources: Handouts- & ideas for further reading

32. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 32 Bibliography Lunch Matters: NASEN (2000), ISBN 1-901485-18-8 Training Lunchtime Organisers: Walker, Mayall & Gregory (1993) Manchester LEA Wet Playtimes(5-11): Deborah Sharpe (2005) Scholastic Publications ISBN 0439-97176-4 Wet Playtime Games (4-11) £16, LDA item code MT10080 Games for building social skills (5-11): Mary Fielding(2004) Scholastic Publications ISBN 0439-97133-0 Spelling Games and Activities: Dorothy Smith (1995) NASEN, ISBN 0906-730-740 Several website links & further reading for this course are available at: www.trainyourschool.co.uk/mcbw.htmlwww.trainyourschool.co.uk/mcbw.html

33. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 33 Summary Wet Lunchtimes give important opportunities for children’s development The opportunities need to be planned With careful planning, and with the right structure and management, behaviour and motivation can be improved Wet lunchtimes can be enjoyed!

34. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 34 Conclusion ACTION to improve wet lunchtime arrangements & behaviours Evaluation Sheets Certificates Notes, Bibliography, Web Site Action Plans

35. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 35 Managing Children’s Behaviour in the “Wet Lunchtime” : Course Objectives We will: 1.Look at the challenges that wet lunchtimes pose 2.Look at the opportunities and purposes of lunchtime 3.Exchange ideas about what does / does not work 4.Consider what a parent, child or OFSTED would consider to be excellent “wet lunchtime” practice 5.Consider the structure, organisation and management needed, including planning time, consultation, participation and equipment

36. © Rik Ludlow 2010, licensed to Access Training. Slide no: 36