Secondary school not allowing kids to eat lunch inside in cold weather

[Bananabrain99]

Secondary school not allowing kids to eat their lunch indoors in this cold weather AIBU to feel cross with this as it is detrimental to pupils' health and wellbeing? My child was upset going into school today due to this and less than half the kids are in her class at the moment due to illness. Reasons cited by the school not to open up the hall is building works and needing the hall for flu vaccinations. Obviously I do expect my DC to have fresh air at breaks, but I don't think many adults would like a freezing cold picnic. Don't think there is anything I can do now (and school say will open a hall in January) but just feel upset about it and not sure if AIBU - I had presumed DC had somewhere warm to eat at least (12yrs old)

They have stopped out door pe in my DD school in this weather how can they justify kids eating out in it? Some posters on here are ridiculous if it was primary school kids expected to do this it would be uproar kids are kids prisoners even get to eat inside

YANBU. What a poorly run school.

"There is no reason why they could not organise staffing to allow children to eat their packed lunch in classrooms.

There are plenty of reasons as many people have explained.

Most schools these days have split lunches. This means that when year 7 are at lunch for example, other years are in lessons so form rooms are in use.

Staff supervision is usually a couple of SLT ( who are and some lunchtime supervisors. Teachers can't be compelled to do duties because like all workers they are entitled to a 20 minute uninterrupted break from work.

. During covid many teachers ate lunch with kids as they were not allowed to mix in large groups but I wouldn't do it again because it was often loads of hassle and goodwill only goes one way.

My school at the moment allows kids to use sports halls, hall, dining room etc as wet break areas but if the OP's school has building work on and the hall set up for vaccinations this won't be possible.

I don’t get this thing that they can’t go inside because there’s no supervision?

Surely it’s the same supervision as would be used outside?!?

Or are we actually saying that they only need supervision if there is property at risk of damage?

If it’s only each other they can damage outside, that’s all fine?

I don't teach any more but retired from secondary teaching. It used to upset me how kids don't have any lunch. No school meal or no lunch brought on to eat. I'm a bit of a softy and used to take be a loaf of f bread in each day and let them make toast in my classroom. It meant I had to stay in my class at lunchtime when toaster was being used and I had to go keep a tub of spread in a mini fridge in classroom too. I just could not see them go hungry let alone pushed out in cold or rain every day.

This is so dumb, used to happen when I was at school too (for our own good I think it was)

You don't need as many supervisors in a school yard as you would need for individual classrooms.

I remember this from school. You were only allowed in the canteen if buying lunch and there wasn't enough room in there anyway. Think I was just cold a lot of the time but I don't remember being miserable. And making us wear shirts for PE in dead of winter, never understood that one either.

That is really shocking. Only in the U.K…. As others have said, imagine if an employer made employees do that.

Who do you think is making these decisions All?

SLTs consist almost entirely of teachers. Even in multi-academy trusts, senior leadership will include members who started out as teachers.

I think Allsnotwell is drawing attention to the fact that the common or garden classroom teacher is not involved in these decisions, as "teachers" is brandished so often on MN to imply all teaching staff.

While staff on SLTs are usually qualified teachers to equate them for the purposes of this thread is specious.

On the other hand, depending on their contracts, SLT are actually liable for lunchtime duties.

Another example is the Christmas choir singing outside weren’t allowed to wear a coat - it didn’t look nice!

Those saying use classrooms unsupervised haven't been in a school recently, I assume.

In the 90s it was fine to have unsupervised teens in form rooms. But now, it would lead to constant issues and complaints from parents about things that have happened. Furthermore, schools are much more aware of safeguarding and peer on peer abuse. I'm not saying that abuse can't happen outside, but it would be much easier if students had free access to form rooms. It just isn't a risk worth taking, due to the ramifications if something significant were to happen.

Schools are expected to be everything to everyone these days. But without a massive building programme for dining halls, there are few sensible lunch options.

I hope you are not a teacher - with that poor attitude, you ou shouldn’t be anywhere near kids.

The thing is though you probably have sufficient clothing to do so. Maybe you work in a really affluent area where this isn't a problem but personally we've kept out dc in or given them choice to stay in all week. Some of them are coming to school in bare legs or thin rain coats , no hats scarf or gloves. We had a child come in in sandals this week. I'm all for kids being put in the fresh air as much as possible and this cold technically shouldn't stop it but they do need to be dressed appropriately and at the moment many families can't even put hot food on the table or their heating on for more than an hour a day let alone buy winter gear so I'd rather send them home knowing they've been warm for her hours they've been in school while these temps are so extreme

I'm amazed at the stuff secondary kids are subjected to and parents just accept it - why are all the parents not complaining ? Writing to the local paper, raising it with that Council and MP? This is outrageous and we honestly wouldn't put prisoners in these conditions.

The very least a child should have is a warm place to sit and eat a hot meal in the middle of the day when it's a freezing.

And just to add - I sympathise with the schools because I know they are under unprecedented financial pressures and don't have the resources to supervise the kids - this is down to government cuts and lack of investment in education.

It's not entirely.

Schools haven't shrunk, though some do have more kids than previously.

A lot is down to behaviour and social change. Behaviour is poorer than in the past. And expectations of schools are higher. A lot higher. Schools deal with constant complaints, criticism and threats of litigation. They are expected to safeguard children to a higher level than ever. Both of these aspects mean that supervision needs to be higher than ever.

A good chunk of investment wouldn't hurt, but societal change has had a bigger impact than any money could mitigate.

Love our schools. 33 degrees? Wear that blazer until you faint! Freezing? Out you go to eat standing up until we let you back in with the warm adults again!

The state secondary school system needs a complete overhaul. They are run like massive prisons these days and have got so much worse in the last ten years. They are failing children and society. Parents do complain, but where do you start when the entire education system needs to change? Many just withdraw children entirely and home educate.

Form rooms could be a chemistry lab or a computer room, not somewhere you can leave children unsupervised.

We used to allow children in their form rooms at lunch time but had to stop as they kids left the rooms strewn with rubbish, crisp packets, half eaten sandwiches etc, then the afternoons classes had to clear up and sit amongst the food smells. Also chucked books out of the first floor windows seeing who they could hit, nicked the pens, and barricaded the doors. So then it was everyone out and doors locked. Teachers don’t generally do these things, so yes they are allowed to eat inside.

You could raise it with the head in writing, and if that gets you no where speak to your LA or Ofsted highlighting concerns. Failing that you could anonymously tip off your local paper and let them publicly highlight what the school is doing.

Heavens, I had no idea about this. I’d be shocked to hear pupils had to eat standing up outside in the snow at poor schools in the 19th C. Absolutely gobsmacked to hear it’s the case now.

Imagine if a school child told a teacher their parents made them eat outside in -2 degree weather. You’d be reported to social services.