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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

The staffroom

TA in reception......15 MINUTE LUNCH BREAK!

32 replies

calzone · 30/08/2016 17:43

Took on a new job in reception with 4y olds (not office)

30 hours a week.

The way they have structured my day is

8.40-3.15 every day with a 15 minute unpaid break and a 15 minute unpaid lunch. 😱😱. I'm speechless. Never had that before.

I'm doing a lunch hour every day as well.

Does this seem the norm now?

OP posts:

Report

tshirtsuntan · 30/08/2016 17:46

15 minutes is a very short lunch, I'd rather have one half hour all at once. We get 15 mins paid morning break and half an hour unpaid lunch break, also work 30 hours.

pontificationcentral · 30/08/2016 17:47

Here we have to take 30 mins unpaid if we work over 5 hours. (So if I am work from 10-3.30 for example, I only get paid for 5 hours and have to take a mandatory 30 minute break (either in one lot or two x 15min). We aren't entitled to paid breaks until we work 7 hours, and then only get 2x15min break paid. We would still have to take at least 30 mins unpaid breaks a day. So seems similar.

IfartInYourGeneralDirection · 30/08/2016 17:48

I think that fine for a six hour day, I would prefer it to be rolled together so I got 30mins though

bumpetybumpbumpbump · 30/08/2016 17:52

Unfortunately yes that is the norm

ninnypoo · 30/08/2016 17:53

I have two TAs- one has an hour unpaid and the other has half an hour- because she chose to get an extra 30 mins pay and work on duty at lunch too. Was your job advertised as TA when MSA duties?

calzone · 30/08/2016 17:59

I would prefer it altogether.

Not sure I can nip to the loo, eat and have coffee in 15 minutes......

OP posts:

pontificationcentral · 30/08/2016 18:01

To be honest, as a TA you need to work as much as possible when you are there as the pay is so terrible. Minimizing your breaks so you get more wages is sensible (the day is really not that long and you don't have to take work home - you can grab a cup of tea in your morning break, and a quick sandwich during your 15 minutes and then sit down and have a longer break with a cup of tea when you get home. Much more sensible than taking a longer unpaid break during the working day.

MyCatsHateMLMtoo · 30/08/2016 18:03

calzone, can you ask for the two 15 periods be taken as one 30 minute period? I am a TA and have 15 minute tea break and 30 minute lunch break both unpaid. Occasionally I lump them both together and have 45 mins for lunch, but my school is flexible about when I have my breaks.

calzone · 30/08/2016 18:07

You are right about working as much as you can.

And I will be home by 3.30!

I shall put a positive spin on things.

OP posts:

Doraemon · 30/08/2016 19:23

I am paid 8:30 to 3:30 with 1 hr unpaid for lunch - no morning break in Foundation but we have a staff toilet in the unit and a kitchen so you can at least go to the loo and if you're lucky you might get to hide in the kitchen for a minute and try to stuff a biscuit in your mouth without any children noticing..... I live close to school so I usually pop home at lunch and hang washing out etc., an hour sitting around in the staffroom would drive me nuts.

DandelionAndBedrock · 30/08/2016 19:26

I would always let a TA pop out to the loo, as long as I knew that was where they had gone (not in a "you need my permission" type way, just for logistics), especially if you only got 15 minutes.

SisterViktorine · 30/08/2016 19:28

My TAs don't take breaks at all. We don't leave the provision between 8.50 and 3.10. We eat with the children.

They are paid 8.40- 3.30, so for 30 mins when there are no children, realistically this gets eaten up with prep though.

MidnightVelvettheSixth · 30/08/2016 19:32

I work for the local council, I do 6 hours a day from 10-4 & don't get any breaks at all. If I go over the 6 hours then they have to give me a lunch break of 30 minutes.

FruitCider · 30/08/2016 19:44

Just have a decent breakfast and eat snacks at work. I regularly go for 8 hours without even a toilet break and I manage!

yougottheshining · 30/08/2016 19:51

Most people's lunch breaks are unpaid, aren't they? I mean, office workers get paid for a 35 hour week but actually do 40, with an hour a day being lunch. (Well, technically - lots of people eat lunch at their desks of course. ) I personally would prefer to have a full half hour break but I guess if you're only doing six hours altogether then 2x15 mins would work.

CodyKing · 30/08/2016 19:55

Fine if you get away dead on time - not looking for coats or shoes or lost lunch boxes -

Scarydinosaurs · 30/08/2016 20:24

I wouldn't even try and eat in those 15 minutes- I would say snack and then eat at 3:15 before you go home. Do you have to rush to leave at 3:15 or live close enough to work to eat at 3:30? It isn't ideal, I've done it because of the clubs etc I run at lunch means I don't often get to eat, but try to eat a proper 'meal' at 3:30/4.

Scarydinosaurs · 30/08/2016 20:26

Sorry, X post. Eat a 'lunch' at 3:30 and snack on calorie dense stuff when you have your breaks.

Keeping blood sugar levels up will help you get through the day!

PikachuSayBoo · 30/08/2016 20:30

I wouldn't eat lunch at 3:30. As a front line shift working nhs person I would say you'll end up snacking as you'll be hungry in the day. And basically end up consuming an extra meal.

Just eat at your 15 min lunch break. But something you can eat quick, sandwich, maybe a salad. Don't have coffee, have water. You should be able to manage loo and then food in 15 mins.

I know it's not a race to the bottom but I can easily do that at work and frequently do in ten mins or less.

HerdsOfWilderbeest · 30/08/2016 20:32

Schools are exhausting. Can't remember when I last had a 15 minute break to myself. At least you're done at 3:30

GobblersKnob · 30/08/2016 20:37

I realise now I used to have a fantastic job 15 years ago, one and a half paid hours for lunch and two paid thirty minute breaks a day, wasn't that well paid, but still.....

TyneTeas · 30/08/2016 20:42

At least twenty minutes unpaid if you work more than 6hours

www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work

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FruitCider · 30/08/2016 20:58

Pikachu I'm also frontline NHS, I work 13.5 hours and cannot take breaks during certain parts of the day. The very earliest I can take a break is 13:45, meaning 6 hours and 45 minimum. To be fair I do get an hour break when I get to my break, but the layout of my work day is not controlled by the unit manager, but another profession entirely and I'm very much a guest in their establishment so have to work around their needs not mine!

HerdsOfWilderbeest · 30/08/2016 20:58

Yeah. Not really in schools though.

rollonthesummer · 31/08/2016 00:21

My TAs don't take breaks at all. We don't leave the provision between 8.50 and 3.10. We eat with the children.

That's pretty intense. Presume you can nip to the loo?!

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