When children start at Coltishall School in Reception Class, parents can take them into the classroom in the mornings and wait with them until the class starts.

When the children progress to Class 1, then parents can still take them into the classroom, but are encouraged not to wait with them. What happens in Year 2?

Well, the other morning, having had several hard days in the office, I decided to go into work at 10am and take Ben to School first. It’s a pleasant stroll to school in the sunshine provided you keep a careful watch for motorists who persist in speeding through our village.

Because he starts Year 2 in September, the school is having a trial run of the Year 2 morning ‘dropping off’ arrangements. You take your child to the playground at the rear of the school and they play along with the Year 3 upwards children whilst you either wait and chat, or leave. Suddenly a whistle blows and it’s like statues . . . . all the children stop where they are and stand still. To be honest the parents also stop and stand still.

A ‘voice’ then calls out Class 3 and all the children in Class 3 file in from their various locations on the playground and the remainder stay still. The ‘voice’ then goes through all the classes one by one until only the parents are left. Waiting for their instructions? Well it feels like that and when you don’t receive any such instructions you slip away.

For precision and organisation it’s like the old May Day parades in Moscow. Who said that we don’t have any discipline in our schools?

M D