School kids eating outside

[SistemaAddict]

Parents livid after schoolchildren made to eat outside in the rain www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/theyre-treating-kids-like-animals-18871993

Not my dcs' school but I raised the issue in the summer of where mine would eat if it was bad weather. I was told they didn't know! Year 7 has priority to eat inside if it rains but otherwise they all have to eat outside. Bloody ridiculous. I don't have solutions as the day isn't long enough to have 5 years groups of over 300 each eating in 2 canteens.

Seeing as there's no social distancing anywhere in school it seems a bit pointless anyway to be making them uncomfortable outside in this weeks wind and rain. Imagine January and eating outside? Ffs

Our school has big tents with roll up sides as extra dining space. Seems to be working while it is relatively warm.

Not sure I'd be keen in December

Primary DS eating in classroom. Collect hot dinner from hall and walk back to classroom to eat. Secondary DS eating outside in whatever the weather. This isn’t a Covid thing this has always been the case. I was horrified when I realised last year but doesn’t seem to bother him.

@Bol87

I always used to eat my lunch in the classroom at school 16 odd years ago. Why can’t they do that?! Maybe not ideal in normal times but needs must!

As we have said. There needs to be supervision and there is not enough staff.

At my daughter's secondary school they are doing 15 minute staggered slots for each year group. Apparently after the 15 minutes is up that's it! Some kids apparently went hungry today as there wasn't enough time!

Our secondary have said outside all weather's as there's no where to eat indoors that's safe. They're also not having tutor indoors that's outdoors too.
No changing facilities for pe or whatever

Also canteen is closed. FSM children have a packed lunch provided to take out.

Think we are changing to Scandinavian schools and spending more time outside!

Well we saw all those nice SD photos of Danish schools. Those children seemed happy to eat lunch outside.

I work in an infant school. We are eating in classrooms. As we aren't currently having hot school meals and only sandwich bags, it means we have additional lunch time supervisors available to supervise the children indoors and staggered playtimes after that.

We do eat outside in nice weather normally, but not possible for us at present due to the staggered times, even if it was warm and dry.

In my school we have hot and cold meals all served in takeaway packaging, hellish for the environment and somehow, chicken, gravy and mashed potatoes in a takeaway box is yucky! Meals are in classrooms with 1 person supervising 3/4 classes.

@MillicentMargaretAmanda

Other countries either do fund schools well enough anyway that they have money to build shelters if needed or else they have been given extra funding. Schools in England (don't know about other UK countries) have been given no extra funding to deal with Covid. Not even for hand sanitiser and cleaning.

Or the children wear warm clothes!

It should be fine to eat outside even in January under a roof/rain shelter.

Cant eat in classrooms, no staff to supervise. Teaching staff already working through normal breaks.

At ours the Y12&13s don't have a slot in the dinner hall rota, they can pick up a sandwich at break. The only outdoor space available is a tiny garden, and apparently the path it too slippery in the slightest bit of rain so they were all sent off site today for lunch.

Goodness knows what happens if its wet a break time, the dinner hall is the allocated space for another year group bubble, no ideas of they will still be able to buy something. Since they operate a cashless system I hope they do, it's not like all the kids will have money on them to buy something elsewhere.

I grew up in a place where it was normal to eat outside unless it was pouring. It was absolutely fine, and quite nice as a teenager to be able to hang out where we wanted.

It's also vastly safer from a virus transmission perspective as eating is a risk time - in lots of Asia they are making the kids eat with individual perspex separators or similar, surely that's worse? And unlike some say here, open windows in September (or any time of year) are not going to cause colds. Eating in a busy underventilates indoor hall might though.

Honestly don't understand why British parents are taking so.much delight in whinging about every possible permutation of schools' efforts to do the right thing. We'll have a mass resignation of head teachers at this rate...

Lots of rooms in schools that kids can’t eat in anyway, 13 of our rooms are science labs, obviously not allowed to eat in those, computer suites ditto. Wouldn’t be enough space in the remaining classrooms even if there was supervision available ( there isn’t)

@MrsRedFly

In my DDs high school (Scotland) - they use gym halls, assembly hall, dining hall for different year groups (they have also said they can stay in classroom if appropriate - not science) but as all Windows are open I've had 2 out of 3 with colds and it's not even winter yet!

To be fair, you don't catch a cold from the cold!

We have a relaxing of the usual rule, so they are now allowed to eat in the 6th form common room. Seems that in all the putting up signs over the summer, no one took down the no food allowed ones. Much happier and drier Dd home today.

At my dc's infant school they ate outside in almost all weathers. They'd put their coats on. They thought it was fun-like having a picnic.

We'll have a mass resignation of head teachers at this rate...

That is already happening. A huge number of Headteacher positions are being advertised in my local area this week.

Pisses me off a wee bit to see adults describe objections as "whinging"

Spending PE, or some of lunch/break outside in very bad weather? Not too bad as long as clothes are appropriate and it's possible to move around.
Eating outside in dry weather? Fine.
Eating outside in drizzle? Bearable.
Eating outside in driving rain, or when its bucketing down or heavy snow?? Really shit!
I do not believe the adults on here talking about "whinging" would "put up with" eating in those conditions.
You know, the kind of rain where you get soaked within seconds... I am a bit weird and enjoy running in that weather (bracing!) But no way could I sit and eat a meal in those conditions! Sounds horrible.

I hope these schools get something sorted before the winter weather really begins.

Strong winds, heavy rain, hail, snow.... Winter is coming!

@SquishySquirmy

Pisses me off a wee bit to see adults describe objections as "whinging"

Spending PE, or some of lunch/break outside in very bad weather? Not too bad as long as clothes are appropriate and it's possible to move around.
Eating outside in dry weather? Fine.
Eating outside in drizzle? Bearable.
Eating outside in driving rain, or when its bucketing down or heavy snow?? Really shit!
I do not believe the adults on here talking about "whinging" would "put up with" eating in those conditions.
You know, the kind of rain where you get soaked within seconds... I am a bit weird and enjoy running in that weather (bracing!) But no way could I sit and eat a meal in those conditions! Sounds horrible.

I hope these schools get something sorted before the winter weather really begins.

Strong winds, heavy rain, hail, snow.... Winter is coming!

Campaign for the Government to give money to schools. That's that only way schools can do anything. There is NO money to pay for sanitiser, never mind outdoor shelters

I agree Pooie - sorry if my post comes across as blaming the schools too much.
It is daft that no extra money at all was available to address some of the (very obvious) problems schools would face on opening. (Maybe some will be found eventually: This gov likes to chuck huge sums of money at catastrophes but don't like spending smaller amounts to prevent them).
It seems to be handled very differently across different schools. I know that the main reason for the variation is due to varying facilities and set ups but also some leadership teams will be better than others (eg the variation in home school provision!).

I know some schools will have their hands tied without additional funding. But I also think that eating outside every day with no shelter is not an appropriate solution in the winter.
I was more objecting to the tone of some of the posts on here the gist of which was "suck it up you softy wimpy kids! I go outdoors sometimes and I'm fine so what are you moaning about?"

The cold can’t give you a cold!

@PablosHoney

The cold can’t give you a cold!

Some viruses do better in cold weather. www.healthline.com/health/does-cold-weather-make-you-sick#culprits

Covid 19 seems to be one of them.

We sit outside in the snow for picnic lunches when we are away skiing.
Just need appropriate clothing!