To ask if this happens at your DC's school?

[OhFFSnevermind]

DS1 started secondary school last week. He had school dinner throughout primary school and likes it so we continued with it into secondary. The problem is that the queue is so long at lunch time and despite the bell going for back to class he is still in the queue waiting. Yesterday and today he abandoned the queue as it was making him anxious and he didn't want to be late for his lesson. I'm presuming the children still waiting eat their dinner and get to class late? I don't really understand the timings. I know this is a genuine problem though, because I recall a friend with a child in an older year switching to packed lunch for this very reason.

I can't really get him to stay all day without food and sending him with a packed lunch tomorrow. I should add he is currently being assessed for ASD and we should have the findings any day. His diagnostic meeting was cancelled due to illness but more than likely he has autism. He is a slow eater, he nibbles away at home so needs plenty of time to eat at school too. Is this long queue issue a problem at your DC's school? It seems so disorganised and chaotic.

This is INSANE.

How can schools possibly justify not organising themselves enough to ensure all pupils and teachers have time to eat at lunchtime???

It beggars belief that senior leadership and governors think this is ok. It isn’t.

I’dd be like a dog with a bone over this if my DD were in secondary. It’s just about the epitome of ‘not good enough’.

Have a read of this thread, all too common unfortunately

How long do your secondary kids get for lunch? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4343354-How-long-do-your-secondary-kids-get-for-lunch

This happens at my dc school and all her friends schools too! I think it is strange they don’t do more to stagger lunchtimes and give them longer lunch breaks

Yep. This is why my children always have packed lunches.

Mine prefer packed lunch because don't want to waste time in queue.

Just curious - is it still the case that FSM kids have to wait till all the paying children have chosen their options and got their food and are then allowed to queue ?

When I was at school (all those years ago!) there was a school year rotation system so eg on Monday it was year 1 2 3 4 in that order, Tuesday 2 3 4 1 Wednesday 3 4 1 2 Thursday 4 1 2 3 which continued all year so everyone always got a chance to be the first year group in the queue once every four days.

Which meant a lot chose to only have school dinners when their year group was first or second.........which massively reduced the queues.

@jebthesheep

Just curious - is it still the case that FSM kids have to wait till all the paying children have chosen their options and got their food and are then allowed to queue ?

No.

Pretty standard these days I'm afraid. Lunch breaks are short to keep them out of trouble and to finish the school day earlier. Packed lunches are the answer.

DS gets 30 minutes so 1 - 1.30pm and then the other half of the school has 1.30 - 2pm.
Lunch break is definitely not long enough for him. He takes 30 minutes on his weetabix every morning!

The school uses a cashless catering system where each child uses a fingertip recognition method. I imagine they have many instances where a child has no money in their online account and therefore not entitled to purchase a meal which holds everybody up, so it won't be just year 7s responsible.

Poor DS. A lunch box is just another thing for him to remember when he's already overwhelmed with all the books for the various subjects!