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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

AIBU to think half an hour is not long enough for a school lunch break?

107 replies

LordTrash · 17/07/2017 09:37

Hello, really interested to hear all opinions on this, but especially those of teachers.

My dc school did a 'consultation' last month on whether to cut the school day by 10 mins by shortening the lunch break from 40 to 30.

I thought it was a bad move, and said so, giving a number of reasons. The school has now announced the 'following consultation' the day will be shortened as proposed, but they give no details of that consultation or how the decision was arrived at, so I wonder if the whole exercise was just flimflam to make parents think they were being listened to.

Word on the street is that they want to cut the lunch hour so older kids aren't getting involved in home time clashes with kids at a neighbouring (about 25 mins walk away) school.

So, is this done at your school? If so, how has it worked? I can't see how my dc - who do school council/production meetings etc at lunchtimes - can possibly find time to eat and unwind between sessions in such a short time.

OP posts:

Witchend · 17/07/2017 23:15

Our dc's school has 25 minutes, being cut to 20 minutes last year. Huge 14 form entry school. I find it amazing that they can get everyone through in the time, but the children assure me they do and it works.
The only complaint they have is that they can't have clubs at lunchtime really. But then one after school finishes relatively early.

Yellowheart · 17/07/2017 21:48

I'm a teacher, we have an hour lunch. It's far too long. Lots of opportunity for mischief and often spend afternoon sorting this out. Would much rather finish earlier so can make productive use of afternoon

vohetero · 17/07/2017 21:45

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TheMysteriousJackelope · 17/07/2017 21:19

It was not ideal but my DC had 30 minutes for lunch at elementary and middle school. The lunches were staggered and started at 10.30 a.m. for my DC when they were in third grade (school starts at 8.00 a.m. here). That actually worked out well for one of my DDs who is never hungry in the mornings and didn't like to eat breakfast. By the time 10.30 came around she was ready to eat. They had a snack at around 12.30 p.m. The final lunch serving was around 12.30 p.m. and those students would have had snack at around 10.00 a.m. and would have no afternoon snack. To encourage the students to eat, nobody was allowed to talk for the first 10 minutes of lunch.

Now they are going into high school and the school district are doing the opposite of yours. There is going to be a 'power hour' where the students get an hour for lunch. School will start at 8.30 a.m. and finish at 3.40 p.m for high school students.

LockedOutOfMN · 17/07/2017 21:15

Haven't read the whole thread but presume shortening lunch breaks also saves the school some money as then they don't have to pay so much for lunchtime supervision. If this is the case then the cuts that are still coming will probably affect many schools' lunch breaks.

StormFrontage · 17/07/2017 21:13

Smaller tubs of gravel.

Original poster

LordTrash · 17/07/2017 21:12

, Storm.

Though I have read that a number of schools in the US have cut it to 15 mins. How is that even possible?

OP posts:

StormFrontage · 17/07/2017 20:57

I had five minutes to eat a full tub of gravel and then lick road clean wit' tongue. Luxury.

Lavabravacava · 17/07/2017 20:44

Our school has an hour. 30 mins to eat and then 30 mins for choir / orchestra / sport club. When will these schools do their clubs?

ragged · 17/07/2017 20:41

lol. We had 35 minute breaks in the '80s. It was plenty.

Geronimooooo · 17/07/2017 20:20

Erm... I'm in year 8 and have 20 minutes. Whats the problem here? If your kid can't eat in 30 minutes it's not the schools fault

PettsWoodParadise · 17/07/2017 19:40

DD does several lunchtime clubs including language twilight classes. Her lunch break is a smidge over an hour and she says they still don't have time, the year groups each have a day a week they get to go first. An early lunch pass if they have a club or choir etc is like gold dust, they have to have a photograph on it! It would be a shame to miss out on friendship time and occasional club time.

Leeds2 · 17/07/2017 19:16

My DD never experienced this, but a local friend said her DC's school did the same to cut out bad behaviour. I am not sure 30 mins is enough to eat lunch and do any lunchtime clubs, so I assume clubs just cease to be.

StormFrontage · 17/07/2017 18:44

I agree with that. It's definitely an issue at academies.

Original poster

LordTrash · 17/07/2017 17:41

Storm, another concern I have is the impact on kids with FSM. If they don't get near the front of the queue sharpish, they could miss out on their one decent meal of the day.

OP posts:

StormFrontage · 17/07/2017 17:23

Oh and some pupils had 'lunch break' at 11.20. I kid you not.

Original poster

LordTrash · 17/07/2017 17:09

And yes, one of my concerns is how hard this will be on the teachers, who already have an intense working day and have taught 4 hour-long sessions by lunch break, with a 20 min break.

OP posts:

Original poster

LordTrash · 17/07/2017 17:08

Dd2 described today's lunch break to me:
10 mins late leaving class (by no means uncommon)
Queue for 20 mins (by which time only one vegetarian option left, which she didn't like)
10 mins to eat.

The new lunchbreak will cut out the 10 mins she had to eat...

OP posts:

LoniceraJaponica · 17/07/2017 16:59

I agree, but I used to be a governor, and this reason was given for the short lunch break at my school. The SLT said that anything over 45 minutes made the children more likely to make mischief.

randomer · 17/07/2017 16:56

How sad that less time for bullying seems to be a popular reason for short lunch break

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 17/07/2017 16:50

Ds's school has 30 min lunch break and 10 in the morning. I have more of an issue with the fact it's not until 1.45pm .

PosiePootlePerkins · 17/07/2017 16:43

DS has this, he usually takes a packed lunch as the canteen is too busy. Unfortunately he has got into a bad habit of eating really quickly (no choice at school) and then gets annoyed when we ask him to slow down a bit at home

StormFrontage · 17/07/2017 16:28

DS's school cut the lunch break to 25 minutes meaning a lot of the pupils on FSM didn't have time to leave class, queue up, get their meal, eat it, and get back to class on time (1250 pupils, large site, small canteen). Really discriminatory.

Converter academy.

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