Outside Play In Small Schools - Advice Needed

[Guest]

Hi, I am after some more advice about outdoor play in a mixed reception and year 1 class. So after a discussion with my head - I am not fencing off any play area. In her previous school the children went outside for an hour everyday, then the resources were packed away, and they didn't go outside again. I am not sure about this, as in my head there should be freeflow throughout the day.

Also what do other schools do re-packing everything away for playtime and lunchtime? Is there anything that you leave outside or is it a case of putting everything back in the boxes at these times?

Also how do you cover planning for the 6 areas, especially if you are packing everything away?

 

Thanks

Emily

[Guest tinkerbell]

I have r/yr1 and I have a fenced off area and an outside door to that area.Weather permiting /adult availability we do free flow throughout the day.I don't know how people manage to tidy away each playtime/lunchtime etc it would be so time consuming.

 

Tinkerbell

[Guest]

To me that goes against the grain of EYFS because they should be able to come back to whatever it is they are doing and have extended play-taking their play to its conclusion. I have a small outside play area which is fenced off and only used by us in reception. Playtimes take place with the rest of the school on the playground. My outside play area is tidied only at the end of the day and even then some things are left out for several days eg. my boys love waterplay and have set out a highly complicated water tunnel thing with guttering pipes today-this will probably stay out all week as they add to it.

deb

[Scarlettangel]

On our very first ofsted in 1998 we were marked down and it was seen as an issue in nursery because we only had a set period of time outside.

 

Now we have a fenced area as do reception for free flow 90% of the time.working round lunch time when we do shut the doors!