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)

And imagine defending it by saying it's good for team bonding!

Ridiculous. It's absolutely freezing. They need to eat in a classroom.

All the justifications for it too, it may be directed by HTs and the SLT but there are teachers on here defending it - telling parents if they don't like it complain - teachers are supposed to care for our kids, you keep telling us you are professionals and yet to stand by and allow this to happen, it shows how little you care. Treating kids poorly does not make them behave better. Poorly behaved kids should not be physically punished but what would you call standing outside freezing every day - it hasn't killed any of them yet - since when did that become the standard we live by when caring for kids.

I assume all the staff are eating outside as well then? No? You surprise me 😂!

There needs to be a rota of paid duty staff to supervise pupils eating. These should be volunteers,not a statutory duty. No one should be expected to eat outside,nor should staff be expected not to have a proper child free break either. As a side issue I am concerned that some pupils may be losing the skill of eating a meal.at a table in company. For some,school might be the only place they get chance to experience this

It always amazes me how many school leadership teams, and many teachers, expect children to behave to their school and their teachers with respect when they are shown so little in return.

Spending an hour outside is not a problem. Having to eat in cold or freezing temperatures possibly with now tables/chairs is.

The problem is there is often no physical space- schools are being crammed ever more full of students, and what was sufficient space to eat, say, 15 years ago now isn't enough for all students. And in this case the hall has been used for another function which is also important.

What really needs to be done is for schools to be given suitable funding to build decent canteens and eating spaces and to have them supervised.

Eating in form rooms isn't always appropriate- would you really want your kid eating in a science lab after it had been used for something like a heart dissection or plating bacteria, for example?

Well said @Postapocalypticcowgirl

Our building was designed for 900 students. We now have 1200.

A mobile has been built to accommodate but it's awful in there.

Don't forget the government have decided to send round inspectors to see if there is any space in schools where we could possibly cram more pupils.

I don't expect that whether the canteen can cope would register as any sort of consideration.

schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-plans-to-check-pupil-capacity-in-secondary-schools/

LiveAndLetLiv· Yesterday 21:02
I work in a secondary school. We allow the kids to get lunch in the hall but they only have 15 mins per year group and then they have to go outside.

1200 kids. We can’t keep them all indoors and supervised for the entire lunch period. It’s cold, sure, but the staff on duty in the playground manage! They’ll survive.

I am shocked. 15 minutes to eat lunch is completely unhealthy. That’s wolfing. It’s also uncivilised. This could be a time for conversation.

As for putting them outside to eat, they’ll survive, yes, but it is hardly pleasant.

Why don't they let kids who can go home for lunch to make room for the rest to eat inside?

Yes, I remember seeing this! We're due to have a new secondary open in 2024, but AFIAK building work hasn't even started on it. I bet the plan is to cram the 900 or so students that school was intended to serve into other local schools instead. Lots of schools around here use split lunches already- so students can't eat in classrooms- there's a lesson going on in them!

I also recently saw something about there being around a 7% (figure may be wrong) increase in 16-18yos in the local area in the next few years. Post 16 provision is already pretty full, I'm not sure where they are all going to go (especially the less academic students who won't want to do A-levels at a school sixth form).

I agree 15 minutes to eat lunch isn't great at all but for those asking if teachers are held to the same standards, we're not generally expected to eat outside, but eating in 15 minutes is very normal as a teacher.

And if there's no other space available, what's the answer?

Of course, the thread becomes a teacher bashing thread, as usual.
You do realise teachers don't make the rules?
Often it's simply down to lack of space and supervision. I can't imagine they all sit down together and say "yes let's make them go outside, make them suffer."

😂😂😂

Payback for talking during the register

I agree 15 minutes to eat lunch isn't great at all but for those asking if teachers are held to the same standards, we're not generally expected to eat outside, but eating in 15 minutes is very normal as a teacher.

And if there's no other space available, what's the answer?

It sounds as though the school buildings are not designed to fit the numbers using them at lunch. I am not sure what the answer is but the packed lunch eaters could be inside in their classroom with a teacher perhaps? And then others staggered to use the dining room for 30-40 mins each?

Of course it isn’t the teachers’ fault.

but the packed lunch eaters could be inside in their classroom with a teacher perhaps?

No, because as explained, teachers are on their unpaid lunch break therefore cannot be required to supervise pupils.

noblegiraffe · Today 22:47
but the packed lunch eaters could be inside in their classroom with a teacher perhaps?

No, because as explained, teachers are on their unpaid lunch break therefore cannot be required to supervise pupils.

When I was a child our teachers ate with us so I had not realised that, and missed that point made here - so my apologies.

In that case this is another shortfall in education as schools should have the means to employ staff to cover these times.

@ScrollingLeaves did you have an hour lunch, teachers are in the dining hall with you then you went outside?
These days we get 30 minutes to eat, go to loo, do last minute prep for afternoon/detention. It's a mad scramble.

Yanbu too cold atm

I thought schools were paid per pupil - is this not incentivising schools to become overcrowded- it’s one way to make the books balance?

I find it quite surprising. There were over 1,000 kids at my high school and two dining rooms. One for first to third years and the other for fourth years up. It was first come, first served, with a teacher doing crowd control at the doorway.

When it was full, there was a queue, one out, one in.

GuyFawkesDay · Today 06:35
@ScrollingLeaves did you have an hour lunch, teachers are in the dining hall with you then you went outside?
These days we get 30 minutes to eat, go to loo, do last minute prep for afternoon/detention. It's a mad scramble

I am sorry it’s a mad scramble for you. It is definitely unhealthy.

We did definitely have an hour or possibly a bit more, though not all of that full hour would be for eating which was more like half an hour.

A private school in my area has longer so clubs can be fitted in. ( Most people would be going to some sort of club, or some people might do music practice or homework.)

They shouldn't be, they are not paid to and the unions should be making sure they don't.