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Original poster

What do you think? DD not being supervised eating lunch

29 replies

historyrocks · 18/10/2020 15:31

DD2 (who is 10) was in tears last night at the prospect of returning to (primary) school on Monday (we're in Scotland). I knew they eat their lunch in the classroom, but found out last night that they're not supervised at all. A bunch of boys in the class are taking the opportunity to bully DD. Nothing too extreme, but we've already had problems with one of the boys who has bullied DD very badly. (Including picking her up off the ground by her throat and tripping her up in the playground and kicking her on the ground.)

I understand that the teachers need their lunch, but also can't have DD being picked on. How would you approach it? DH is all for marching down to the school on Monday, but I'm also unsure about if I'm being unreasonable to expect children in primary school to always be supervised?

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 18/10/2020 15:33

They should always be supervised. In this situation I would imagine the teacher and TA are alternating their breaks so that one is always with the class.

Please call the school Monday to inform the of the bullying and ask what the arrangements are.

chickenyhead · 18/10/2020 15:34

They most certainly should be supervised where there have been incidents of violence.

It is their duty of care to keep your daughter and others safe.

In the covid world I am not sure on storming down there but I would definitely do the email equivalent

Original poster
historyrocks · 18/10/2020 15:35

There is definitely nobody in the class with them. They don't have a TA.

OP posts:
MJMG2015 · 18/10/2020 15:37

YANBU expecting them to be supervised.

I know schools are stretched, but that doesn't mean they can just leave the kids unsupervised like that.

Poor DD. I'd definitely speak to the HT.

Is the boy who hurt her still in her class?? No way would I put up with that either.

LastGoldenDaysOfSummer · 18/10/2020 15:37

Perhaps the head is asking one teacher to supervise too many classes.

Her class teacher may be on her break, I think they only get 20 minutes, which is a disgrace.

TheCanyon · 18/10/2020 15:37

Our dc don't have anyone in the classroom supervising them either at lunchtime.

I'd be straight on the phone to the school to make them aware of what's happening.

pickingdaisies · 18/10/2020 15:39

I would let your husband storm down there to be honest.

Original poster
historyrocks · 18/10/2020 15:41

Yes, he's still in the class. The problems happened last year. Both the school and his parents took it very seriously. The boy is autistic and does sometimes have an extra teacher specifically for him (not sure if that counts as a TA), but she clearly isn't there at lunch. As far as I knew, everything had been OK since they went back in August.

OP posts:
Lau52 · 18/10/2020 15:52

If another child had picked my child up by throat and been kicked I would be straight down there. They have a duty of care after all to keep your child safe during the day. No child should ever be subjected to this. I would be absolutely livid.

Scweltish · 18/10/2020 15:54

Yanbu and I’d actually be complaining about this as two separate issues. One being the lack of supervision (what if someone choked?) and also the bullying. It’s shit if the teachers are lacking proper breaks, but the children are their responsibility.

babasaclover · 18/10/2020 15:58

If you don't want to embarrass your daughter, or make it worse. You could go down the school and say you are worried about choking hazards? With no teacher present that's very dangerous at any age

Coldandwet123 · 18/10/2020 16:05

They need to be supervised. We sit and eat our lunch in the class with the children.
I couldn't relax knowing my class were on their own!

Suzi888 · 18/10/2020 16:06

I’m with your DH I’d be furious.

hippohector · 18/10/2020 16:12

Do the school not have lunchtime supervisors (used to be called dinner ladies)?
Children should be supervised when eating. Apart from bad behaviour/bullying issues, what if a child was to have an allergic reaction or start to choke?

doctorhamster · 18/10/2020 16:15

Yes they should be supervised. Let your dh March down there tomorrow op.

Original poster
historyrocks · 18/10/2020 16:15

They have people supervising children outside (they have staggered play times), but DD was very clear that there’s no adult in the class with them at lunch. Their teacher puts a film on for them to watch.

OP posts:
CarpeVitam · 18/10/2020 16:16

That's a massive safeguarding issue! Definitely speak to the head.

KatherineJaneway · 18/10/2020 16:16

@pickingdaisies

I would let your husband storm down there to be honest.
Agree
IggyAce · 18/10/2020 16:17

I’m a lunch time supervisor and they should be supervised, it’s a safe guarding issue if they aren’t.
I would contact the school about the it and a state the lack of supervision is a safe guarding issue which has led to bullying and you want to know what steps are going to be taken to keep dd safe.

Original poster
historyrocks · 18/10/2020 16:29

Thank you for the response. I wasn’t sure whether I’d be told that I’m asking too much of teachers in the current circumstances. It’s a large primary school of 800 children so lots of classrooms to cover. . I really do hope they’re supervising the younger ones.

OP posts:
Positivevibesonlyplease · 18/10/2020 16:47

Lunchtime supervisors and SLT should be covering. I would stay calm, but speak to the Head, expressing grave concern.

FluffyPJs · 18/10/2020 18:32

I eat my lunch in the classroom with my class now. I have had to change what I bring in so I don't need to go and heat it up etc, but that's not much of an issue really when it's to ensure safe distancing.

However, that's kind of beside the point - they shouldn't be left unsupervised at all. What if someone chokes? I would definitely raise it with the school, make sure the bullying is dealt with and stops immediately.

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 18/10/2020 18:53

Your keyword here is safeguarding. They need to ensure the children are all safe. That includes being supervised by an adult. Children do misbehave when there are no adults in the room. This is an incident waiting to happen.

Your DD should feel safe at school. In our school the children who need 1 to 1 LSAs (TAs) have a 30 minute lunch because the child they are assigned to has a lunch time supervisor watching over them, then for the other 30 minutes of lunch the LSA is back with them. This is also a 3 form entry school. SLT are involved with supervision due to them eating in classrooms.

saraclara · 18/10/2020 18:58

Absolutely they should be supervised. This would never have been allowed in any school I've worked in.

Definitely go in and question what's happening, as well as reporting what happened to your DD. But 'storming' isn't how you go about it. That's when people in authority get defensive and stop listening,in my experience. Cool, calm, collected, concerned and quietly firm is the way to get something done.

TheBaroucheBox · 18/10/2020 19:08

When I was at primary school, those who were on packed lunches (like me) had to eat lunch in classrooms and were unsupervised. I was repeatedly bullied by the same group of girls every lunch time and this was 27 years ago when the concept of safeguarding didn't exist and I can't believe this is still happening. Schools need to get their act together and organise supervision or this will keep happening. I am a teacher and in my school, all students eat together in the lunch halls and there is always a teacher on duty. Another teacher takes over when they finish their lunch and play outdoors. The teachers still get a break, so it can be done. I am so angry for your poor DD! I hope they sort it out.