compulsory sleeping at school

[Danny]

Had to do this at infant school in early sixties , anyone else remember doing it ?

What is known now as Reception so we were all 4-ish, every day after school dinner we returned to class and 'got the mats out'

For the next hour you had to lie on your mat and be still and quiet while the teacher did paperwork at desk

After first few mins of fidgeting and whispers we all settled into a doze, an hour later lights came back up and we had to put the mats back into the cupboard.

A room full of grumpy kids rubbing their eyes and whinging cos we'd been flat out and wanted to go back to sleep!!!

[Heather74]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

They did it at the Nursery stage at our school, I was a Milk Monitor/ office helper and when running errands for the school secretaries we always had to tip toe though the Nursery classes.
I was always a bit put out that I missed out of Nursery stage as it was not built/opened until the following year that I started school

[Danny]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

OMG! Milk Monitor and then Admin on here , you must be a natural authority figure.

Question : - errrrrr ( nervous gulp ) you're not errm Maggie Thatcher in real life are you?

[Heather74]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

*Bats eye lashes and flashes sweetest smile at Danny*" I have no idea why you'd think that"..........*Cracks whip* "Now get back to IT!!!"....

[Danny]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

ROFLMAO

[Chaeo]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

How bizarre. I've never heard of this sleeping thing. Anyone know when that stopped?

[Danny]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

I can't find anything on line but apparently it was due to the post war rationing ,( so I got told at weekend by some old dear in her eighties)
kids were on such a poor diet it meant they were low in energy and it was thought helpful to give them a nap

Rationing got phased out but school cooks took a long time to adjust so naps continued.

This procedure hung on in some education authority areas until about 1965 surprisingly enough!

[Heather74]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

This procedure hung on in some education authority areas until about 1965 surprisingly enough!

Our Nursery school did not open until at least 1979/1980 and as I say they were still doing it then!

[Danny]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

That's maybe cos it was Nursery , when I was there it was for Reception and Year Ones - Don't think the concept of state run Nurserty classes had been thought of in those days

[Heather74]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

Ahh yes thats where I'm going wrong, I missed Nursery school(3 to 4 year olds) as it was not built and we did not have a reception class - We didn't even go by "years".
I just went straight into class 1(4 to 5 year olds).And by then of course you are quite right we did not get "Nap Time".

"Years" did not get mentioned until high school where you went into the 1st year and finished in the 5th year!! All changed now.

Sorry to have confused things. Heather

[pedro]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

Yes i remember this from my nursery day's in the early 60's along with a glug of Cod Liver Oil and a smartie(yes 1 smartie) to take away the taste. Not sure when it was fazed out but my kids did the same when we lived in france for a bit in the late 80's

[purplecat]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

I remember doing this - must have been 1964/5 and I was at nursery school

[Music-Reunited]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

I remember this too, and to let you know my little boy is now 3 and
they still do it at pre-school. dont know about reception year yet,
but I will let you know in september if they still do it there too....

[Marine Boy]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

I've worked in Nursery and Infants schools for some years and whilst a snooze still seems to happen in nursery, I have never known reception year childen to have a sleep-break. Though it wouldn't be a bad idea!

[smurfie1]

Re: compulsory sleeping at school

we did this at my school in the 80s!