You can also use classroom exits to playtimes and at the end of the day as a reward for children who have behaved and worked correctly during the lesson. Strengthen the children’s understanding of how to behave in different situations by teaching them the importance of when to move quietly and other times when they can be freer in their interactions with others.

PE Lessons
Taking the class to a PE lesson in the school hall or on the playground provides an excellent opportunity to train the children about how to exit the classroom in a quiet and orderly manner. Once the class have changed into their PE kit they can line up quietly in the classroom in single file ready to exit to the hall or playground. It is important that the children understand the importance of not talking until they have either entered the hall or stepped onto the playground so as to avoid disturbing other classes in the school. At the start of the school year, this rule should be enforced rigorously so that you return to the classroom each time one of the children starts talking for the exit process to be repeated. You might need to to this action a number of times in the first few PE lessons until the class understands the need to maintain silence when moving so as not to disturb the rest of the school. If you spend time training the children at the start of the autumn term then this will pay dividends for the remainder of the school year.

Playtimes
You can use the children’s exits at playtimes to reinforce good work and behaviour by allowing some pupils to go out to the playground before other children who might have wasted time during the lesson. If the class have completed an activity before playtime then you can get the children to tidy away their work before sitting quietly on their table before being dismissed. Use a countdown timer on the board to encourage the children to tidy up the classroom in a set amount of time. If the class don’t manage to tidy up the classroom in time then any wasted time can be subtracted from their time on the playground. You can also use the children’s work to reinforce classroom standards. At the end of each lesson, spend time checking the children’s work so that any child who has not labelled their work correctly with their name, title and date can be kept behind to correct the work whilst their classmates are allowed out to the playground.

Assemblies
Taking the children to a whole school or year group assembly needs to be carefully managed so that the class are settled and ready to participate fully in the activity in the appropriate manner. At the start of the year, you can spend some time teaching the children how to line up correctly in the classroom prior to the assembly before leaving the classroom for the school hall. The class should be used to the sequence of when they need to leave their desk to join the assembly line. Select tables closer to the door to line up first to avoid overcrowding in this part of the classroom. Ensure the class are settled and quiet before leaving the classroom so that they are ready to reflect on the assembly themes. If some children are unable to proceed quietly to the school hall for an assembly then they can be encouraged to practise the action during their playtimes. Always reward children who are exiting and walking correctly by drawing attention to their good habits instead of pointing out the bad habits of children who may be talking and interacting with others.

End of the School Day
Help the children into a settled routine to managed their exit from the classroom at the end of each school day. Train the class into packing their school bag and collecting their coats from the cloakroom to leave on the table so that they are ready to go home. Once the children have prepared their belongings for home time then the class can meet on a carpet area in the classroom for a story or discussion. You can then dismiss the children one-by-one or in small groups from the classroom so that there is an orderly exit from the classroom at the end of the school day. The class will then need to collect their belongings from the table without rushing around the classroom causing delay for others. A well-trained class will mean the end of the school day is less fraught with problems and confusion leaving you time to deal with any individual queries that some children might need answered before going home.