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)

Yes they can if they are paid for it or given lunch. Some schools do separate contracts for supervising break times instead of hiring outside staff which costs more.

I don't think 15 mins is too bad
At work I get 30 which realistically is 5 mins for toilet (including walk there and back), 15 to eat, then 5 mins left to make a brew/quick call/whatever you need to do. The last 5 is walking to and from canteen/kitchen/outside

Thats cruel.
The weather is literally fr..fr..freeeeeezing right now.

Get in touch with your local councillor. When the local authority get their hands on the headteacher heads will roll.

The school need to use their common sense and let kids eat in classrooms, where its warmer, its better than kicking them out.

Pelo22 · Today 14:09
I don't think 15 mins is too bad
At work I get 30 which realistically is 5 mins for toilet (including walk there and back), 15 to eat, then 5 mins left to make a brew/quick call/whatever you need to do. The last 5 is walking to and from canteen/kitchen/outside

That is not really all right for anyone’s health, though.

No wonder so many people show signs of living on fast carbohydrates and have disordered eating habits.

And someone needs more time in addition to just eating for those other aspects you mention. There also should be time for a break, and time to talk to others around.

Of course some academies don't recognise unions and school management can be very hostile to staff trying to protect their employment rights.

Different because we're in a primary but teachers do often help with lunch (to the extent of donning a hair net and dishing it out) because we're so short staffed. We could technically refuse but on occasion that would be mean the children couldn't actually eat so what choice is there? Staffing in schools is bad.

@ScrollingLeaves I've never had longer, in any job
Including retail, pubs, NHS, contact centres... all give 30 mins

To add, it is essentially impossible in a nice primary school with nice pupils to hire a midday supervisor so I can't imagine secondaries would have much success hiring someone to supervise pupils in lots of different classrooms.

Pelo22 · Today 14:45
@ScrollingLeaves I've never had longer, in any job
Including retail, pubs, NHS, contact centres... all give 30 mins

That confirms the possible correlation of the breakdown health related to food.

It used to be called the ‘lunch hour’ for a reason.

That's appalling and will continue to happen while you agree to do it. What would happen if teachers refused to be canteen assistants? Do you really believe your school management would let pupils starve? I bet they wouldn't want this to get into the local press...

Update is that I wasn't being unreasonable and the school came to their senses and did open up an area yesterday for kids to eat. It was a bit sad when my DC said "and mum it even had chairs to sit down on" like this is a huge luxury. Today the school closed at lunchtime so no need for any dinner hall (although I don't know what happens for kids on free school meals when the school closes early so hope they are ok). I gave my DC a flask of hot chocolate, their warmest coat and handwarmers yesterday also so felt.a bit more prepared.

Thanks for all the comments, this certainly wasn't a criticism of teachers who I fully support, but more a wake up call to me to double check what actually goes oasin school as I think as a parent I had assumed certain things. It has happened previously such as pre-covid I didn't know we were supposed to give our kids soap to wash their hands as there was none supplied in the toilets I would never have known this had other parents not raised it. I will not assume anything in future! Hope everyone has a good Christmas holiday break.

School is being ridiculous.

Morale is important in a student body. Being treated like shit doesn't build morale.

Staff aren’t supposed to eat on duty but yes if they do they’ll be eating it outside whilst supervising the children.

They wouldn’t ‘Starve’ hyperbole at its best.

yep this needs addressing with the governors. Power trip on behalf of the school or what? not to mention they are all sat together all classtimes anyway. WTF. If they are that concerned just let the classes eat in their classrooms after their lessons. That keeps the groups separated.

Because parents will go mental if a fight breaks out, trust me things are totally different these days in terms of what parents hold the school accountable for.

You don’t have the first clue. A. It’s not teachers who set the rules they just have to adhere to them B. They rarely get a lunch break C. They are outside, supervising the children 🤦🏼‍♀️

Fair enough. I doubt that senior management would see pupils go without their midday meal if teachers refused to act as canteen assistents.

Probably not and support staff do duty in the senior school I work at and would muck in if necessary.

Bananabrain99 · Today 18:20
I will not assume anything in future! Hope everyone has a good Christmas holiday break.

What happened at your DC’s school will alert others here not to assume anything either. Glad it’s ok now for your DC and you all have a good Christmas break too.

Our senior management is the head teacher, that's it. Sometimes he's not even there. We are a tiny, tiny school.

more a wake up call to me to double check what actually goes oasin school as I think as a parent I had assumed certain things.. This is not your fault because you assumed a school take care of your child - this is such a bonkers statement, the schools are failing here not the OP. I think schools do not see kids as humans that deserve care and respect. They are little commodities that need to be controlled and managed with as little input and cost as possible.
It's not the school's fault that the Gov has insisted schools are run like businesses on unrealistically tight budgets - and examples like shoving kids outside to eat, to save money, rather than providing a safe, warm, comfortable area for them to take some time out from their studies is one of the unintended consequences - it's like battery farming education...I don't think we know the half of it!

I don't think we know the half of it!

The school estate isn't fit for purpose and needs billions in investment just to bring it up to a safe standard.

The govt schools rebuilding programme (which replaced Labour's much more comprehensive Building Schools for the Future programme) has just announced that only 43% of schools with buildings "at imminent risk of closure" will be rebuilt in the current round.

schoolsweek.co.uk/rebuild-snub-for-over-half-of-schools-at-risk-of-closure/

Palacepicker · Today 09:39
it's like battery farming education...I don't think we know the half of it

That’s exactly right. What an apt way of putting it. There can’t be a better description, Palacepicker.

The govt schools rebuilding programme (which replaced Labour's much more comprehensive Building Schools for the Future programme) has just announced that only 43% of schools with buildings "at imminent risk of closure" will be rebuilt in the current round.

schoolsweek.co.uk/rebuild-snub-for-over-half-of-schools-at-risk-of-closure/

It’s not just buildings, even though that is crucial, it can be the thinking behind policies that matter.

’They’ can have 15 mins to eat. It doesn’t matter how undernourished ‘they’ are. It doesn’t matter if ‘they’ get cold.