Assemblies

[Guest]

Hello,

 

Hope you can help, I am working in a reception class and have been told by my head that we need to be going into assemblies (whole school, key stage, good work) every day. I find it a waste of time because the children seem to get nothing out of being in an assembly. I would much rather spend time on snack, outdoor provision, exciting activities etc. I feel I am stopping and starting and achieving very little simply through going into assemblies. What is the general feelings on assemblies and do the majority of reception classes participate.

 

Thanks Emma xx

[Guest]

We have 4 whole school assemblies a week. The reception children go to selected assemblies in the autumn term (mainly the birthdays/celebration assembly, harvest and Christmas) but after Christmas they go to all of them.

As far as I am aware children are supposed to attend a daily assembly ("collective worship") once they are 5. Maybe others know differently?

[Guest]

PS Welcome to the forum Emma Kate - just noticed it was your first post

[Guest]

My Reception children went to special assemblies in the Autumn Term and now go every day. Actually they enjoy going and feel really grown up. They love singing the songs especially the modern ones. I think it is good for them to feel part of the school and gets them used to sitting still and listening. We also go to church at least once each term.

[mundia]

We dont do assemblies generally in reception. We go to special ones and build up to going more regualarly in the summer term but quite frankly I find them a complete waste of time, too long (often half an hour) and innappropriate for young chidlren. They do enjoy joining KS1 for a sing song once a week.

 

the only guidance I could find on this for the FS stage isnt very much but its

here

 

q.A8.

 

Hope that helps in some small way.

[Guest]

Hi there and welcome,

 

Our reception classes go to a Star of the week assembly every thursday, and then we have our own assemblies with nursery on tuesday and friday mornings as part of collective worship and singing.

 

Last year we started off by going to all assemblies, but the little ones kept falling asleep.

[Guest]

I am not in a school but I personally feel that one, maximum 2 assemblies a week is sufficient for reception class children. I agree that it makes them feel like part of the community but assembly boredom does set in quickly - I remember my children coming home and all they seemed to have done, wich I know not to be true is had a"boring assembly" - probably not the fault of the teachers but when you are trying to inspire a part/whole school five times a week - must be difficult - and as you say it can really make the day disjointed with lots of lost learning outcomes when you are continually looking at the time to get your class ready and getting them to finish off somethin in a hurry when really it would be good to carry on.

I am not sure on the ruling on this one it would be interesting to find out - someone suggested that it was every day - so getting the children ready to go to the hall, coming back, tidying up etc must take some time and those in the older years having to do their literacy and numeracy plus break times, doesn't leave much time for much else.

Just my humble opinion and I am really not in a position to say as I don;t work in a school - but just know how my children felt and still do about assemblies.

Nikki

[Guest tinkerbell]

My Reception went into assemblies from week1.In asmall village school of 110 children they enjoy them and they felt to be part of the school from the beginning

15 mins

Monday Head teachers assembly

Tuesday DT assembly me singing songs and hyms (with Boomwhackers)

wednesday Ks1 assembly with birthday candles

Thursday (teachers on rota) themed for the half term

Friday Head teacher/or me Good Effort assembly

 

Incidently they didnt have the same play time as the rest of the school for the first half term as they were all playing with the older children and not making friends in class!!You just can't win.

[Guest]

Last year we started off by going to all assemblies, but the little ones kept falling asleep.

47938[/snapback]

 

This made me chuckle I too find assemblies extremely boring

[catma]

From the point of view of someone who had to take assemblies often, I didn't want Yr R there as they fidgeted and fiddled and interrupted the proceedings with non sequiturs in the way that small children do. (And they were my class too, I sometimes had to take them with me in order to do the assembly as DH so don't all start jumping on high horses!!! ) However for the rest, we didn't go regularly, just to those that were interactive - singing, KS1 class assemblies and the like. (And my assemblies were NEVER boring)

 

It's true that currently statutory school age is the term after the 5th birthday which does raise the issue of what to do with those children, but from the direction of travel document, the EYFS will have statutory schooling starting the SEPT after the 5th birthday so all Yr R children will be FS the whole year. This may eradicate the issue of what to do with 5 year olds, albeit sfter 2008 I think.

 

I don't think there has ever been a requirement to all get together in a large hall though, you just have to have an act of daily collective worship, so assembly can be done in many different ways, as the guidance flagged up earlier says. If your head directs you though you will have to go, unless you can persuade otherwise with offers of alternative assembling?

[Guest]

Hi

 

Just wanted to add my own personal feelings about school assemblies. The ethos in my school is that all children from nursery (yes I know) to year six should attend assemblies. However as we operate as a foundation stage unit we have been able to argiue that attending whole school assemblies in a blanket form disrupts the operation of the unit whcih the head is keen to see develop and progress. So there is our get out of jail card!!!!!!!! Personally I find the whole school asemblu inappropritae for younger children (including Year 1 in our school) as the way in which they are delivered- even following the SEAL materials excludes meaningful participation from younger children.

 

However, we also have a lower and upper key stage assemblies. As a lower key stage teacher (FS) I have to plan and lead an assembly every four weeks. During these assemblies I take the theme from the SEALs materials and hopefully deliver it in an appropriate way uisng prop, puppets, interactive stories. Reception and Nursery children attend this assembly (nursery only recently as staffing has made this so!!!). I ensure that I keep to the proposed time (20 mins) and incude songs etc that all can join in with.

 

The biggest problem that our school has with assemblies is running over time- sometimes assemblies can last for 40+ mins!!!!!!!!!!

 

As regarding collective worship I am 100% sure that providing you are offering opportunites for a shared reflection that is appropriate (linking in to whole school worship in our Church of England school or whatever is required by your school/ setting) within the classroom at whatever time or form is suitable then you are fine.

 

I really don't see any need for children to sit for 20+ minutes in a hall when I would not expect them to do that in any other circumstance. In fact good practice would suggest that this is not a good thing to do!!

I have also realised that I find assemblies really difficult (my attention wanders, I fiddle and I'm an adult!!!!!!!!!!!) Have to say I'm awful on courses due to the amount of sitting down and listening I have to do!

 

Regarding assemblies as a transition to key stage 1- well hopefully key stage 1 should be taking a lead from Foundation Stage!!!! Also attendance at whole shool assemblies as an act of transition could be introduced very gradually. Hopefully there are better activities and ways of easing the transition than enduring 5 assemblies a week?

Hope this helps (again only my personal feelings)

 

 

Lisa

[Guest]

Hi

 

Thank you all very much for your help and advice it is such a boost for me to be able to contact others and obtain such 'good' advice from those actually in the classroom rather than those that sit in offices and know very little about the practicalities and realities of working with 4 year olds!!!!!!

I feel liberated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Emma

[Guest]

This subject is something I've struggled with too.

 

All of Reception attend assemblies 3x a week, and my nursery (30+) are expected to attend one assembly a week. Which I'm not sure about - breaks up their play, is a hassle to get to, and is not really all that interesting for them!

 

Sure, it gives me 15 minutes to repair the classroom but i'm not certain of the benefits to the children!

 

Lisa - where do you find your assembly ideas? I have to lead one in a few weeks (my first assembly!) and am bereft of ideas. Want to include puppets of some kind, but not sure where to start - any suggestions?

[Marion]

Before we became a unit the reception children attended all whole school assemblies while nursery attended 2 (1 morning 1 afternoon) per week. Since becoming a unit we only attend special assemblies but have a daily whole unit prayer.