Primary school teacher can I pick your brains

When you say you can't get schools interested, how have you tried to so far? Have you approached the head teachers of schools? I'm sure our head (who isn't in London) would be happy to speak to you about it and then give you time to present your ideas to staff.

I'm not sure from your post what type of equipment you are talking about (and who is to use it) and also who exactly it is that is meant to take the children to these parks.

Sorry I can't type a long reply as our system keeps crashing.

I've emailed 30 schools with one reply. I left it a week and made follow up calls, wasn't allowed to talk to heads so left messages. Its been a month and nothing

I have various bits of equipment like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_golf but the aim is for little equipment as poss.

I would met the children in the parks after school.

this is taken from the info I was given by my boss

To promote the development and education of children in the London Boroughby the provision of free, active, outdoor play opportunities in parks and open spaces in the Borough and by providing them, and their parents and guardians, with support and training to enable them to play in a safe but challenging way and to help them overcome barriers such as language and physical ability.

You mean you would meet them and their parents in the park?

Surely there are huge child protection issues involved here if you will be involved with the children?

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We are all CRB checked, its a gov/lottery/local council thing. We are not just a bunch of random people! We have insurance and everything is ready to go. Just no schools/children.

I would imagine if it was out of school hours and done not on school premises then schools would have very little to do with it as parents would have to take their children not the school?

I take it you want to speak to heads to get it publicised more? Or is it supposed to be a school thing? I'm just not quite clear on what it is that you want from the school.

I cant imagine any primary school teacher wanting to take kids to the park at the end of the day tbh.

It would have to be treated by the school as a trip, thus meaning transport would have to be provided as appropriate (walking could be deemed as "transport", and risk assessments would have to be carried out.

A good start in our area (which I know you arent in) would be to free the park of dog sh!t and youths hanging around.

I think you would be better targeting businesses and setting it up as something that can be done at the end of the working day by busy parents.

I am not familiar with the process of clearance to work with children, but in my experience if you are working FOR the school then they will want to run their own checks. If you are working alongside the school they may or may not accept the clearance that you currently have.

Rhea, do you want to email me through my profile? I'm working on an evaluation of a programme which sounds very much like the one you're working on - if you want to explain to me in the email what it is you're wanting to do I can explain to you what the projects I've worked with have done.

Are you being funded by the Big Lottery Children's Play programme?

Wow that sounds so fantastic. what a great idea. Such a shame more schools haven't gone for it but I guess there's so much to do at school that things do get pushed to the side. Especially at this time of year with SATS etc.

Can't really help but I really hope more schools go for it, it sounds brilliant. Good luck x

Thanks everyone, sorry the computer system would allow me to type for 2-3 mins before crashing. So I was rushing as I am a slow typer!

Nichola, we want to talk with the headteachers so we can do the sessions in the school (usually playtime) and then met the children in the park. Any children can join in at the park sessions. We don't want the schools to do anything, we will run and organise everything.

St Knickerless, we don't want teacher to be involved. We have done risk assessment and the park rangers clear glass/dog poo. Generally the parks are very good around the borough. Unfortunately I cannot change the spec I have to do the layout set by the lottery and local council. Its not perfect ad there are quite a few things I'd change.

Hello Sunshine, it is funded by the big lotto, I will email you in a moment, thank you

Loula, thanks I need all the luck offered my way. Your right a lot of reception staff have said its a bad time because of the SATS.