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Plymouth primary school bans handstands and cartwheels | Plymouth primary school bans handstands and cartwheels |
(about 17 hours later) | |
Handstands and cartwheels have been banned during break times at a primary school after pupils kept injuring themselves. | Handstands and cartwheels have been banned during break times at a primary school after pupils kept injuring themselves. |
Children at Old Priory Junior Academy in Plympton, Devon, were stopped from carrying out all "gymnastic activities" two weeks ago. | Children at Old Priory Junior Academy in Plympton, Devon, were stopped from carrying out all "gymnastic activities" two weeks ago. |
The school said it made the decision after a number of minor injuries to wrists and to backs. | The school said it made the decision after a number of minor injuries to wrists and to backs. |
It said it had been contacted by one parent about the issue. | It said it had been contacted by one parent about the issue. |
Alison Russell, whose child goes to the school, said it was "ridiculous" and "silly". | Alison Russell, whose child goes to the school, said it was "ridiculous" and "silly". |
Another parent, Lewis Harvey, said: "It's health and safety gone mad. Kids should be able to do what they want in the playground as long as they don't hurt anyone else." | Another parent, Lewis Harvey, said: "It's health and safety gone mad. Kids should be able to do what they want in the playground as long as they don't hurt anyone else." |
'Every forward roll' | 'Every forward roll' |
Interim head teacher Emma Hermon-Wright said: "Over a series of a few days we had quite a few [injuries] for the same reasons. The children said they had been doing cartwheels and handstands and had fallen and we thought it was causing us a problem at school. | Interim head teacher Emma Hermon-Wright said: "Over a series of a few days we had quite a few [injuries] for the same reasons. The children said they had been doing cartwheels and handstands and had fallen and we thought it was causing us a problem at school. |
"In PE lessons in primary schools they are carefully supported and carefully controlled to help learn skills of this nature and we have very good gymnastic capabilities in our school. | "In PE lessons in primary schools they are carefully supported and carefully controlled to help learn skills of this nature and we have very good gymnastic capabilities in our school. |
"[At break times] we've got a lot of children in one go and you can't be supporting every child for a backward roll, forward roll, cartwheel, handstand or whatever they're doing at play time." | |
The school said it had responded to one parent who was concerned about the decision. | The school said it had responded to one parent who was concerned about the decision. |
It said: "Ultimately, the safety and wellbeing is our responsibility and it is paramount to everything we do here." | It said: "Ultimately, the safety and wellbeing is our responsibility and it is paramount to everything we do here." |
It was not trying to stop children from having fun, the school said, and the ban was temporary while staff worked out a way of allowing them to take part in gymnastic activities under staff supervision. | It was not trying to stop children from having fun, the school said, and the ban was temporary while staff worked out a way of allowing them to take part in gymnastic activities under staff supervision. |