To want all kids to have a proper break time in school?

[SugarPlumLairy2]

AIBU to think my dd should have sufficient time during lunch to actually eat her lunch?

My DD has additional needs and goes to a mainstream school. She has an EHCP in which she MUST have movements breaksthroughout the day. Usually the school useplay time/lunch for these breaks.

So I am fed up of her coming out of school, hungry, on verge of meltdown, anxious etc. Because there wasn’t time to have a movement break AND lunch. Other parents (SENS and Mainstream) have complained of the same, kids being held back because someone is messing about so WHOLE class has to wait. They miss break in the morning , Miss part or all of lunch break as punishment/to complete class work /practice lining up neatly etc. No afternoon break routinely scheduled . I’m fed up.
So many parents complaining of same thing too. Those breaks are really important for the kids to let off steam and rest before afternoon classes. And then when they are wired etc in the afternoon the teachers have to deal with the fallout. How is this helping anyone?

So this petition hit my Facebook and I have signed it. AIBU to ask you all to have a look and sign/share too? Please.

Our kids are under so much pressure in school, at least let them have a decent lunch.

you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/legislate-for-90-minutes-playtime-in-a-school-day-and-make-removal-of-it-illegal?source=facebook-share-button&time=1558197250

Have you taken this up with the SENCO? That'd be a better way forward than signing a petition. If she has an EHCP that states she needs movement breaks then they need to ensure she has them.

What age is she? I think they usually have a PM break in KS1 but not KS2 where we are. Maybe you need to speak to school. Yes it may be helpful for some especially. Our secondary starts early (8.20) to allow time for breaks and also ones between lessons, as they feel this is important. So, things can be done / changed...

Oh yes, I should have clarified, I have most definitely had this chat with the SENCO, on more than one occasion. But there are kids in her class who are either undiagnosed or don’t have an EHCP and they have nothing to fall back on. They get 45 mins for lunch, that includes queueing to leave class, walking down two flights of stairs and making their way to lunch hall, queueing to enter lunch hall, get their food, get seated etc. Try to eat and socialise, clear their food away, use bathroom and then queue up so not late returning to class.

It’s a nightmare, I feel for the poor teachers dealing with all the stress kids nearly as much as I feel for all the overstressed kids 😔

Our reception and ks1 children get 90 mins. Ks2 get 75 mins. More than enough particularly given that lots of lessons are active e.g. PE, active maths warm ups, daily mile, acting out stories etc. I wouldn't say an afternoon playtime is desperately needed to be honest. Most experienced teachers would take kids outside or get them active in the classroom if they were flagging.

Learning isn't just sitting at desks in silence you know! On Friday my kids had an active maths warm up outside making shapes with their bodies, in English they had an active warm up outside looking at verbs and nouns, they then acted out a story before writing. We had a daily mile. In the afternoon they had various tasks to complete from the week and then golden time. Very little table stuff all day. That's common several days a week.

It varies so much from school to school. Our school says don’t use the trim trail equipment to play on before/after school, due to possible injury/insurance claims I suspect. So no play there!

Things CAN change but it shouldn’t be “I’m alright Jack, my school/kid is ok” we’ve got an EHCP, so to some extent we are ok, but other kids? Not so much.

The petition had some really interesting points in it, I normally am not big in signing these things, but this one hit a nerve. Things CAN change but should change for ALL our kids. We keep reading about our kids mental health issues, everyone acts worried “oh think of the children” yet something as basic as their playtime is whittled away on a daily basis with no regard for what it means to them.

Signing this petition might open up a dialogue, if not in parliament then perhaps in school communities.

How old is your child? Do they have any allocated provision for a 1:1 who could facilitate the breaks?

Schools are moving to shorter days (including in some cases early finish on Friday) to save money. How do you propose schools raise the cash to lengthen, resource and staff the longer school day? Especially in secondary where afternoon breaks would be hard to fit into a 5 period day.

And curtailing breaks as punishment - what do you propose as an alternative punishment to detention given that’s basically all we’ve got?

Your petition is very primary-minded but includes secondary, which I think is a mistake.

guylian that sounds awesome and should be the norm, sadly it isn’t.
Your kids are very lucky. My one gets a LOT of table time, sedentary work (hence EHCP insists on movement breaks) the get 15 mins in morning and 45 mins for lunch. Even with PE where they play knockout or team games I am told there is a lot of sitting and waiting for her turn.

I’d love her to have access to the breaks your child has. So I signed the petition.

90 minutes' break? You realise that if this passed then it would be even harder to fit in all the things we're supposed to teach. So either the school day gets longer which is more pressure on teachers or more subjects that aren't English or Maths will be dropped.

I agree children need a proper 1 hour lunch break but 15-20 mins in the morning should be enough. The issue you have is your daughter's ECHP is being ignored, which is terrible. You need to discuss this with the school and the breaks need to be factored in for her. She needs to go for lunch 10 minutes early (or come back 10 minutes later) and not miss her break (or if she does then make it up straightaway afterwards).

Op are you talking about primary or secondary?

Certainly in secondary, longer lunches can be difficult for some (particularly) SEN kids to manage. It is a long period of unstructured time.

I agree with you completely op and I've signed.

My DD is primary but talking to friends with kids in secondary as well and they all have similar problems.

I think the petition was worth signing so that a dialogue can be had on the subject. This is not about just my child’s experience, or just your child’s experience. It’s part of the broader how are we failing our schools. Sign the petition and see if it gets heard, bring the matter into public discourse. I’m so glD for the kids getting 90 mins already, proves it’s achievable, I’m glad I can remind the school they are obliged to keep my DDs movement breaks but what about the other kids? Do we not care about them?

In secondary kids move about every hour travelling to lessons.

Agree with noble, they do move around a lot at secondary. (Ours tend to take the longest route to each lesson..)
Ours have time to get food and go enjoy lunch. Some sit down for most of lunch but most of the younger years 'grab and go' - they'll eat outside so it isn't a case of queueing for a sit down meal, clearing it away etc.

SENCO could just include movement breaks in class eg take the register back ...check in the library etc

I love the individual solutions, and also that some children are clearly getting more appropriate lesson plans and breaks. That is wonderful but it’s not a nationwide experience.

If you have these benefits, i would hope you’d want them for other children too.

Signing the petition doesn’t mean schools HAVE to find 90 minutes, it means the powers that be need to consider how we bring these benefits to all children. Surely that’s not unreasonable?

Give her sandwiches- no queuing, waiting etc.

Ds’s primary school in KS 2 they had 30 minutes break in the morning and 45 minutes for lunch, finishing at 3:30pm. Plenty of break and movement when you consider they are moving for PE, around the classroom, down to the hall etc.

Highshool 20 minute break in the morning and 50 minute lunch break, moving between each lesson, during lesson, and games, Pe, drama , DT etc. Finish at 3.10pm. Again plenty of time for break and movement.

90 minutes is way too much!! Where are teachers going to fit in the curriculum? Do you propose they teach until 4:00 or more? Sorry but it’s not going to happen, and many, many people will be against it!!

I understand that it's difficult for your dd and her specific needs, which obviously need to be met. I also think longer breaks are probably better for younger primary aged children more generally. However, my secondary school dd would hate to have a longer lunchbreak as this would mean a later finish and less free time after school.

I remember thinking even in primary school about how much time was wasted over the lunchtime period. I always wanted shorter breaks and a shorter school day, so I couldn't really support your petition.

Also, as others have said, schools don't have enough funding as it is. How on earth are they going to cover the costs of a longer day and more lunchtime supervision?

I'm not going to sign it because I don't agree, for various reasons stated on this thread already.

We went to view a school this year where in the pamphlet children get half an hour for lunch - on packed lunches, they get ten minutes to sit down and eat, anything not eaten is left.

I get the impression schools these days are like cattle markets, everything is constantly in a fly to meet standards. Lessons taught, homework, grades (both students and teachers), underfunding, oversubscription etc. Our education system needs a complete rehaul.

SnowyAlpsandPeaks my DD takes pack lunch, she has to queue politely to get to the lunch bag trolley. Then find a seat then put her bag back on trolley. They finish at 3.15.

I’m glad YOUR kids are getting upwards of 70 mins a day, our school gets less than 60 minutes a day. It makes a difference. They don’t do the active lessons mentioned upthread, our circumstances are clearly different and we aren’t even the worst affected!

I absolutely agree and understand that schools need to get a lot done during the day. Some schools are succeeding better than others. Some children are being stifled and let down.

Without the people in charge having these discussions how do changes get made? If we don’t sign petitions but just talk online how do we register our concern on more than just a “my child” basis.

The kids we let down now, the kids with anxiety and issues compounded by stress and pressure from school, including limited breaks, these are our future citizens. We reap what we sow, I think they deserve better.

Again, I’m very glad for all of you whose children DON’T have these issues, but it’s more than just MY child, she has certain protection in place with her EHCP, but she still has to deal with those who don’t, who are clearly struggling and would benefit from a decent GUARANTEED break. If you only have a 45 minute lunch and waste most of it queueing, waiting for another child to behave etc... well you don’t really have a 45 min break.

No one is obliged to sign but it struck such a huge nerve for me I thought I should share here too. Thank you for those who read and sign and understand this about bringing it to the att3ntion of those who can review the situation.

My secondary school has 15min break and a 25min lunch! 45mins sounds like luxury!

Although I sympathise with what you are saying re: your daughter and her need for movement breaks I will not be signing to say that removal of 90 minutes break would be unlawful.

I don't believe whole classes should be kept in for the behaviour or a number of children (and if the whole class are misbehaving then there must be a massive issue re: behaviour management!) However, schools need to maintain discipline and the withdrawal of breaks for some pupils acts as a massive deterrent to poor behaviour. If we keep removing the power of schools then ultimately we'll have worse and worse behaviour.

Speak to the SENCO , formulate a doable plan for your child and if she isn't having time for movement breaks and food then that completely unacceptable but you don't need to impact upon the way the school runs as a whole-this should be as simple as parent and school working together to implement the EHCP.

OP, you clearly have a specific issue with your child's school trying to fit too much into his lunch break. 45 minutes is ample time for most DC to eat lunch and have time to play.

My secondary school age DC would not want longer breaks as it would mean a longer sschool day. Their school also closes 90 minutes after lessons end. This allows for after school clubs to take place but they don't keep it open longer, as a cost cutting measure. Enforcing longer breaks would mean school would have to stay open which would cost more and frankly I can think of other better uses for that money. As well as during school there is plenty of time to play before and after school.