Teacher lunch hour!

First off, I am glad I left primary teaching last year after 20 years in; things are only getting worse. I feel for the colleagues I left behind.
It is now becoming a common expectation that, for many different reasons, teachers are now being expected to supervise children over the lunch hour.
I used to avoid this by taking the time to which I was entitled but in order to do this I had to physically leave the building - go for a walk etc. In reality of course this was only for about half an hour or so as I wanted to be back in time to prepare my afternoon lessons.
AIBU to think teachers should be entitled to a lunch break?!!

Teachers are only paid for the statutory amount of holiday - the rest of the time is unpaid.

Of my 28 days of summer holiday, 7 of them were spent working 10 hours per day in school setting up a new classroom and other resource provision. That’s 70 hours of my unpaid holiday. It doesn’t account for time spent working at home during the holidays on lesson planning/SEND documentation/ data analysis.

I’m on this thread as it’s my unpaid day off. I’ve worked 5 hours so far today, having completed 4 days in work 8-6.30, and still have about 2 hours worth to complete. Children may go home at 3.30 but that’s not the end of the day. We have meetings, parent meetings, after school clubs before we even start on our own work.

Yes, but someone has to be present who is 'in charge'.

It's not fair (or safe) for people who are largely untrained and have zero behaviour management training to have responsibility for so many children without suppprt.

Reducing ancillary staff frees up money to employ more teachers, which directly benefits teaching and learning.

It also allows the senior management team to be appropriately rewarded and incentivised- commensurate to the skills and experience they bring to the school. That means a much higher standard of leadership and strategic vision.

Some schools spend hundreds of thousands a year on office and cleaning staff, which is not a good use of resources.

Primary school teachers have been very lucky in that most schools have lunchtime supervisors. High schools haven't for quite some time and all staff have to do lunch a break duty on a rota. They do get a free school meal when on duty but that's it and yes I do think this is unfair but I'm assuming it's again a cost cutting exercise so they don't have to employ more staff.

First off, I am glad I left primary teaching last year after 20 years in; things are only getting worse. I feel for the colleagues I left behind.
It is now becoming a common expectation that, for many different reasons, teachers are now being expected to supervise children over the lunch hour.
I used to avoid this by taking the time to which I was entitled but in order to do this I had to physically leave the building - go for a walk etc. In reality of course this was only for about half an hour or so as I wanted to be back in time to prepare my afternoon lessons.
AIBU to think teachers should be entitled to a lunch break?!!

Reducing ancillary staff frees up money to employ more teachers, which directly benefits teaching and learning.

It also allows the senior management team to be appropriately rewarded and incentivised- commensurate to the skills and experience they bring to the school. That means a much higher standard of leadership and strategic vision.

Some schools spend hundreds of thousands a year on office and cleaning staff, which is not a good use of resources.

And neither should nurses and therapists be doing cleaning.

But here we are. We have a rota in my team to keep our offices and kitchen at a reasonable standard. So once a month, a new patient slot in my diary is blocked out to do this.

@BeachLife2 I'd love to know what you do for a living?!!! 😆

Reducing ancillary staff frees up money to employ more teachers, which directly benefits teaching and learning.

It also allows the senior management team to be appropriately rewarded and incentivised- commensurate to the skills and experience they bring to the school. That means a much higher standard of leadership and strategic vision.

Some schools spend hundreds of thousands a year on office and cleaning staff, which is not a good use of resources.

Every teacher’s contract will state that they must perform any reasonable duty as directed by the headteacher.

Staff at academies and free schools are also often on contracts which allow them to be used in an efficient, agile and innovative way.

In schools, cleaning staff should clean all areas. Teachers don't do cleaning.

Every teacher’s contract will state that they must perform any reasonable duty as directed by the headteacher.

Staff at academies and free schools are also often on contracts which allow them to be used in an efficient, agile and innovative way.

Who is supposed to supervise children? I recall there always being a teacher present. Usually they would take it in turns like some rota.

Show me that in a teacher’s contract - it doesn’t exist - the unions wouldn’t agree.

Show me that in a teacher’s contract - it doesn’t exist - the unions wouldn’t agree.

@MagicLoop Give me an example of a job in which one is in loco parentis for multiple children over their 15/20 min lunch/loo break?

So you'd ask someone responsible for the exam results for the school, who affects the school's OFSTED result, to hoover and clean the tables, rather than carefully planning lessons and marking?

I'd prefer to hoover frankly. It's a lot easier. But I wouldn't do both after a full days teaching. Take your pick. You could always ask the cleaner to sub for a couple of classes. They cost less than teachers.

Schools have to balance their budgets and maximise the amount spent on teaching and learning. It’s much more efficient to use a resource already in the building to supervise lunches than paying expensive outside staff.

Tbh I think teachers could be doing much more ancillary work to free up resources. DH is a headteacher and teachers at his school do a lot of admin, cleaning, maintenance and catering tasks.

That means he has more resources to spend on DC.

Teachers must carry out any reasonable instruction from the headteacher. That can absolutely include ancillary tasks if the head wishes.