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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that school children (secondary) shouldn't be allowed to lave school at lunchtime

92 replies

BeeInYourBonnet · 07/03/2014 07:17

I drive past my local shops at lunchtime every day, and without fail the chip shop, bakery and kebab shop are full of children from the local secondary school. Its not unusual to see up to 50 teenagers, and when I've been close enough to see (when I am stopping at shops too) they are all without fail eating big pizza slices, pasties, chips, or kebabs. Almost one has a plastic tray of some kind, full of greasy food.

When I was a teenager, we weren't allowed out of school at lunchtime without a note from parents saying we were going home for lunch. When did this stop, and isn't letting kids eat shit at lunchtime contributing to obesity and reinforcing bad eating habits, when actually secondary school is a time when we can make one last ditch attempt to encourage good eating habits?

OP posts:
mummytime · 07/03/2014 09:51

YABU - I used to go home for lunch all the way through Primary and then a lot of secondary (even when this involved me walking for most of my lunchtime).

However DCs school only allows those younger than 6th form to leave if they are going home, and their parents have to apply for a special "home" pass.

Stinklebell · 07/03/2014 10:00

YABU - I used to go home for lunch all the way through Primary and then a lot of secondary

Leaving school to go home for lunch is one thing.

Leaving school to hang around outside the chip shop leaving mountains of litter, pressing all the door buzzers on the local elderly sheltered flats and running away, pushing each other in the road, graffiting and generally behaving like a dick is another thing entirely

Lambsie · 07/03/2014 10:06

I was at school in the early 80's and although you weren't allowed off site everyone still did anyway - mostly to wander about eating crisps as most people couldn't afford takeaways.

mummytime · 07/03/2014 10:15

Stinklebell - we did go to the Chippy in secondary.

Admittedly we didn't do any of the rest of it, maybe that was because there was often a van load of Riot Police parked nearby? (I went to a tough school.) If pupils are behaving in a criminal manner then the police should be called.

SomethingkindaOod · 07/03/2014 10:28

Year 11 is allowed out at DS's school but most stay because they really do have a great canteen on site. They sell breakfast, lunch and after school sandwiches for the ones doing extra curricular stuff, apparently the food is lovely and very popular.
We were allowed from year 7 and would go to the local bakery or chippy then take it to the park. This was over 20 years ago!

Stinklebell · 07/03/2014 10:41

mummytime. Yeah, we used to sneak out to the chippy too, that and the local bakery for their 11p hot sausage rolls

We then used to hide in the little woody copse and share 1 menthol cigarette between about 10 of us, then go back to school.

DD's high school is withdrawing the privilege for year 11 upwards to leave the school site at lunch due to the behaviour I mentioned in my previous post, and will be doing a 'home pass' that parents have to apply for - cue a whole load of parents grumbling about their little darlings' 'rights'. It's a shame they don't seem quite so concerned about their appalling behaviour Hmm

ukatlast · 07/03/2014 10:53

People saying it is not allowed in their school must be wrong as I don't believe the state has any power to stop children going home at lunchtime.

Back in the 1970s at Senior School we were allowed off the premises with a one-off signed parental consent. I found the novelty of walking into town and going to the Littlewoods Cafe wore off within a week and I went back to school lunches.

My own kids occasionally go off site but now they have extended seating in the Dining Hall prefer to stay at school. Queues there can be an issue as someone else said.

I agree that it looks awful to see hoards of teenagers eating standing up but so long as they are not misbehaving, they are entitled to do it. We do not live in a police state (yet).

So best way forward is to monitor the litter situation and make those who leave take responsibility whilst simultaneously making school a pleasant place to stay with attractive food options.

Picturesinthefirelight · 07/03/2014 10:59

Schools have the power to set whatever rules the governors seem reasonable. They may not legally be able to prevent a child from leaving site at lunchtime just as legally they probably arnt able to prevent a child leaving to avoid a detention

But then they can invoke their disciplinary policy which can lead to exclusion for persistent/repeated offences

Dds school is in the middle of nowhere. At ds's school I think only 6th firm are allowed off site.

Remotecontrolduck · 07/03/2014 11:06

Sixth form and possibly year 11 too I wouldn't object to, they're growing up and need to be allowed to make their own choices with regards to food. At that age they really shouldn't be misbehaving and dropping litter either!

I don't think anyone younger should really be allowed out, they do get a bit silly in large groups and it's probably better they stay in school for the duration of the day.

DrSeuss · 07/03/2014 11:10

Our new head made a big thing of changing the logo, signage and uniform in order to improve the school's image locally. Personally, I thought preventing the kids from leaving school at lunch time so that they couldn't hang around at the local shops, outside the pub or outside nearby houses would have been more to the point. There is nothing that says Outstanding School like kids sitting on kerbs eating chips or having an entire packet of biscuits as lunch. One kid who has behavioural issues was eating sweets, biscuits and pop one day. That will doubtless aid his concentration no end!

nannynewo · 07/03/2014 11:16

In my school we were allowed out from year 11-13. I think that inevitably children will go for the chips/pizza/pasties at first as it is a novelty and a rare chance of freedom. And secondary schools in my area had introduced healthy meals by then so it was great! But honestly, the novelty wears off. My friends and I would much prefer a salad pot or various other healthy meals and maybe treat ourselves once a fortnight to something more unhealthy. Yes, you are seeing children eating healthy. But for a lot of those it may well be their treat day. Please don't judge them all to be eating like that every day.

Blueskiesandcherrypies · 07/03/2014 11:20

Well I think they should be allowed to go home at lunchtime and watch Neighbours. That's what kept me going through dull mornings at school :)

ShadowOfTheDay · 07/03/2014 11:23

the school day consists of a morning session and an afternoon session...

the kids are not legally required to be there at lunchtime at all - hence all the different "rules" the school can set as they wish.. Do not assume that a school is in loco parentis for the whole school day... supervision rates DRASTICALLY reduce at lunchtime because of this...

Orangeanddemons · 07/03/2014 13:29

Also, it is very very difficult to get lunchtime supervisors in a secondary school. And as the person above said, this is often a problem at lunch times in secondaries. It is often easier if the kids go off site at dinnertime

Owllady · 07/03/2014 13:30

We were allowed out at lunchtime when I was at school, surely it's not that unusual

WeAllHaveWings · 07/03/2014 13:46

I was at school in the early 80's and left school to buy single cigarettes my lunch. the alternative was pie/chips/beans or spam fritter every day.

innisglas · 07/03/2014 14:18

Not all schools were the same. I'm 60 and we were always allowed out at lunchtime from the day we started secondary school.

cory · 07/03/2014 15:12

Surely in loco parentis means just that: being in the place of the parent, doing the job they would be doing if they were there.

As a parent, I don't watch over my teenager 24/7, I do allow him out unaccompanied, I don't hover over him when he goes to the shops.

So if these people are standing in for me, I don't have a problem with them letting him out occasionally. It is for me to to teach him to eat sensibly.

Catloverandmum · 07/03/2014 16:55

My dc's school used to allow them out in y11, it was too far to walk home for my two but DD used to go to the greggs at the top of town once a week and DS used to walk to my BIL's house to walk his dog and make a sandwich which is next door to their old school.

In 6th Form DD was very often on a "study period" before lunch so would walk home at break and then go back during lunchtime for 4th period. She'd make herself a sandwich or a tin of soup.

Never did either of them any harm. Both have graduated from University with good degrees, and can make healthy choices about food in adult life.

cricketballs · 07/03/2014 16:59

The first secondary school I worked at was in the middle of a large housing estate and students were allowed to 'go home' if they had parents permission. It's amazing how many had permission and didn't go home but the local chippy! My current school only 6th form are allowed off site, but we are close to 2 other secondary schools, many of our students are from out of the area so it makes sense

Finola1step · 07/03/2014 17:02

I left school in 1990. All were allowed out at lunch except the year 7s. Looking back, the school simply didn't have the facilities to cater for 600 girls at lunch.

Some used to go to the chip ship. Some went home. My friends and I would go to the local bakers and get freshly made sandwiches/ rolls and soup. So on balance, probably better than the pizza and chips served at school.

My ds is only 6. But I don't think I want him roaming the streets from Year 7. But I do think its extreme to not allow the year 11's out.

fatlazymummy · 07/03/2014 17:16

Another child of the 70's here.
We were allowed off the school premises - in fact for a while everyone had to leave during lunch time as the teachers worked to rule.
From age 15 I didn't really have lunch - we used to spend our dinner money on fags, which the local newsagents happily sold to us without ever questioning our age.

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 07/03/2014 17:22

We don't let anyone out unless their parents sign to say they are supervising them over lunchtime. Of course, a lot of these parents have no intention of doing so and just let their kids wander up to the fish shop - so we withdraw the pass and they complain...

bemusedisnottheword · 07/03/2014 17:24

ukatlast I'm certainly not wrong about dc not being allowed off school premises at lunchtime. It's one of the school rules! I'm glad to be honest. Ds old school used to let them out and ds never used to come back, bunked off a lot.

WorrySighWorrySigh · 07/03/2014 17:26

While I get that some people might feel intimidated because there is a group of teenagers but that is hugely different from them actually being intimidated IYSWIM.

One of my colleagues always grumbles about the number of retired people in the post office when she goes out at lunch time.

I dont see it as hugely different.

It is easy to be annoyed by people who you think should be more considerate and keep out of your way because you dont perceive them as having a right to be where they are.

I will agree that the littering is wrong. A big step forward would come if the shop keepers would provide adequate bins.