Chat & Play

Starting the school day in the right way

Chat & Play was introduced several years ago as a way of tackling ‘lates’, thereby improving punctuality alongside relationship-building between teaching staff and pupils, as well as supporting a positive start to the day.

A lot of time and effort was spent consulting with adults and children. They were asked what games and activities should be offered that would enhance children's skills and provide opportunities for them to chat, both with their peers and adults. The aim is for children to enhance their social skills and to be ready for learning. The skills agreed include:

• Fine motor skills
• Language and literacy skills
• Memory skills
• Numeracy skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Science skills
• Social skills
• Research skills

This 15-20 minutes at the beginning of the day also enables adults to greet the children into the classroom, spot any barriers to learning, settle the children into the school environment and play with the children as well as checking reading books and home learning.

Teaching staff are encouraged to find a system for self-registration so that adults in the classroom are focused on Chat & Play and are not sitting at the computer completing the register or checking emails.

All activities are to be set up by 8.40am, including skills information cards, which explain the activity and the skills being developed.