What is your school planning to do with the Rec, Y1 & Y6 at lunchtime

[paul2louise]

My school isn't reopening on monday. We have been delayed until 8th. We have been open throughout lockdown for keyworkers children. Roughly about 30 children and 20 cooked meals eaten in dinner hall. As far as I know the reception and year 1 children will be eating cooked dinners in the hall on a bubble rota. I will be supervising 3 bubble groups from reception eat their lunch and then continue supervision outside for the remainder of the lunchtime. Then year 1 will eat after we have left the dinner hall. Year 6 will eat lunch at desks in classroom. I don't know exactly how it will happen as I need to attend a meeting before I start work.
I have been working with keyworkers children and we haven't really been enforcing social distancing up to now. So I have no idea how this will work

What is your school doing. Thanks

Packed lunch provided by school eaten picnic style outside if warm enough, sports hall and hall and dining area if not

We have 2 adults per bubble (teacher and TA). each bubble has 2 30 min slits per day that are either from specialist teachers (french, music etc) provided via zoom to the class interactive whiteboard, or PE outside with PE staff, so only one of the adults in the bubble needs to be present and the other gets a 30 min break. not great, but at least something.

Teachers don't get breaks do they

@CallmeAngelina

Can I ask again, when do teaching staff get their own lunch break?

We have staff on a rota (mainly from secondary department, we're a through school) to supervise the children for staggered morning break and lunch time. Teachers will have their lunch separately then, I think. I'm on rota once a week so will be more clued up by Friday!

Packed lunches eaten outside if possible or in their clusters. The older kids (plus the Y10 and 12s which are in different buildings) have been assigned certain outside areas they can be in - like top playing field and pavilion etc (large campus).

Our younger classes have a MSA assigned to them so staff can have a break then, but can't mingle with any staff from another bubble. Older classes have a teacher/TA and the staff will have half an hour break. Teachers and TAs are also covering playtimes every day.

Can I ask again, when do teaching staff get their own lunch break?

We are allocating two members of staff per class/bubble.
The staff will decide between them but will cover for one another to allow each to have lunch/coffee/toilet breaks as required.

We currently have enough staff to do this as we don't have the classroom space to open other year groups, only one.

Packed lunches, covered water bottles at their desks. There is a cold menu available for school meals. They get 25 minutes to eat it, I think.

We’re 2 staff per bubble too. We couldn’t go to the loo otherwise.

Independent sector (no free meals for infants anyway). All children to bring packed lunches. To be eaten in classroom or outside if weather is nice enough.

Packed lunches, classroom or outside. 2 bubble staff (teacher + TA) will between them supervise the bubble at every point during the day, no additional staff - so will cover each other for lunches, breaks, toilet visits etc. It will be intense.

Packed lunches from home for year 6 and kitchen packed lunches for FSM and infants. Staggered outside play. One teacher and one TA in each bubble who will cover each other for breaks.

@CallmeAngelina

Can I ask again, when do teaching staff get their own lunch break?

My child's school has a teacher & ta in each class.

However, remember staff only legally need a break every 6 hours - so if a teacher is working 8-4, and children are in 9-3, they can take a break before and after the children are there.

Teachers don't work 8-4 and most children are in for longer than 9-3 too.

plus, teachers use our lunch breaks to plan and set up resources and classes for the afternoon.

Let's not start "teachers don't need lunch breaks" nonsense.

Not really as the break has to be taken in the middle of the work period, not at the beginning or end.

Not the beginning or end just means you can't have the work longer than 6 hours in a go and then tack a hypothetical "break" on the end.
Things are running differently at the moment and many schools are offering children less than 6 hours for this very reason.

Slothbucket - whilst you are having a break from the children - planning and setting up resources is working so you arent having a break if you use your break to do that. You need an actual 20 mins uninterrupted break.

Packed lunches and eating in bubbles

Government guidance says " the break is taken in one go somewhere in the middle of the day ( not at the beginning or the end)" I don't think 8-9 or 3-4 would count as the middle of the day!

SandieCheeks

So it would be deemed appropriate for the teacher to have their lunch break between 8 and 9 or after 3:30??? Really?

Whilst the children may not be in the room before or after this time there will be set up time, and additional cleaning time too.

For the TAs, also remember that their contract probably also means that they are only paid for x number of hours and they are not paid for lunch or morning break. Our TA contracts are from 8:30am to 3:30pm, minus 15 min morning break and 30 min lunch break. The children are in 8:40am to 3:20pm.

My children’s school day is finishing at 2.30 next term which seems like a totally reasonable time for a break. Adults can eat with the children. Many sessional preschools already operate this model.

Staggered lunch times with hot meals. Teachers not supervising but a dinner lady per class.

School can continue to claim their full FSM entitlement regardless which we have used for all key children, staff and those in need. Universal fsm continues and we provide hampers for those not wanting a voucher.

We have children in from 8.30 until 3.20 so no, it is not reasonable to have a lunch break before or after these times!

Well the very obvious and simple thing to do would be to shorten the school day slightly.

Why would we? We have breaks and lunchtimes covered, all our staff will have a half hour break in the middle of the day. All classes have 2 adults , we can manage.