No lockers and no lunch rooms - is this the norm?

[pickledsiblings]

A school that I am familiar with appears to have no seating arrangements for students who choose to have packed lunches. Some of the Y11 girls have resorted to eating theirs in the loos .

The same school also does not have any lockers or cloakrooms for students. I was just wondering if this is the norm and would be greatful for any replies before I sit down and draft a letter to the Governors.

It is a State Comprehensive Senior School with around 1200 students.

Just a thought - were the year 11 girls having you on do you think? Any school that really doesn't have anywhere for students to eat apart from in the toilets would have been noted by parents or H & S by now surely?

I did wonder hocus but have since had it confirmed by a number of members of staff. I don't believe that parents know how unsatisfactory the lunchtime arrangements are.

I must ask my own dds what arrangements there are at their schools!

I take my walkie talkie everywhere at school. Usually forget to switch it off while teaching until a voice breaks through the quiet in the classroom!

Have never been in a school with lockers - from 1500 kids in first job to 500 in this one.

Look,pickledsiblings - I don't think many people would disagree with you that the things you are worrying about aren't ideal, but the fact of the matter is, education budgets (like all public spending) are finite. If (and we all know it's never going to happen), but if each of my dcs schools were given a few hundred thousand extra - enough to build a dining room big enough to sit all the pupils - I could write a list of dozens and dozens and dozens of things that would be more valuable to the pupils than a large room that's only used for an hour a day.
Personally I'd start with properly financed support for those who find it difficult to access education. Others might choose to reduce class sizes or provide decent sporting facilities, but I think, however many people you asked, not many would think it good use of money to be providing large dining rooms for schools up and down the country.

Dining rooms can be used for much more than simply eating in. We use ous for staff meetings, staff social events, school social events, meetings with parents, special school events, mentoring sessions, numeracy and literacy sessions. It is also hired out to the public which brings us in revenue.

Right. A quick poll at home.
Dd2's comp has packed lunchers and diners sitting in the dining area - always somewhere to sit. Lockers never used as just get broken into so all bags carried in school. No cloakrooms.
Dd3's comp has a dining room that is bursting and lots of packed lunchers sit on the floor in groups to eat their lunch. Lockers are secure and are in the cloakroom but not used all the time due to time constraints between lessons.
Both schools outstanding with approx. 1000 students.

And are you happy with that hocus?

I didn't like dd2 not having a secure locker when she first started but it never became a problem for her. She's yr12 so a bit late for me to moan now! Dd3 is yr9 and says the only problem with sitting on the floor at lunchtime is that people trip over you or you trip over them! But she doesn't seem bothered so it's ok with me.

I agree with backforgood

I am not asking the school to spend money - just unlock a few classrooms, that's all. One presumes the reason that this is not done is an issue of trust or rather lack of it. Again, another sad state of affairs.

OP, it's not as simple as opening a few classrooms. Even the nicest, most well-intentioned kids sometimes spill drinks, knock pots of yogurt open, lob half eaten sandwiches at the bin and miss, and so on. If a classroom was going to used as a lunch room for those who bring their own food, it would need to be cleaned both before and after lunch time. Most schools don't have the resources for that. If a room is being taught in both before and after lunch, there simply isn't time to make it hygienic for eating and then clean up afterwards.

OK Evil I can see what you're saying.

I think a lot of teachers do open classrooms at lunch for kids to eat in. If a child spills a drink in my room they go and get a cloth and clean it up. It is not a replacement for a dining hall though. I would not want 30 kids eating lunch in my room.

It does also rely on teachers giving up their lunch time to supervise students in their room. I can only do this one or two days a week as I am normally in my office. However I don't mind doing this when I am free. There is a difference though between me choosing to supervise students at lunch and being expected to do so.

I do the same as molly - I teach performing arts and let a group of students use my room to have lunch and play instruments most days. I give them the key, and trust them to be responsible. Still, there are 8 of them at most, and it's my choice. State schools are not allowed to compel teachers to do lunch duties.

Molly and Evil, what you two are doing for those individual students is great and I'm sure they appreciate it .

When my DDs were at high school there were some lockers bur not enough for all students. So most of them carried their coats and bags round with them. Packed lunches were eaten in the canteen although they could get permission to eat them in their form room. DD3 is now at college and students eat packed lunches in the canteen or sometimes in the students common room.

pickled - I'm sure there are teachers at the school you're talking about who do the same. I also allow students to use the other drama room for dance practice at lunch times, and they eat in there too. I know I'm not the only teacher who does it. Believe it or not (and from a sensible grown up perspective, it seems ridiculous, I admit), some kids prefer to not wear coats and to eat their lunch in the stairwell. They just do.

I LOVE the assumption that fee paying schools do not use 2 way radios - without a SHRED of evidence !!!

My DCs are at a 1600 comp. The canteen can cope with about 800 but the packed lunch kids eat in their tutor rooms in winter and spread around the grounds in summer.
Lockers are only any use if you are back near them at lunch time - but in a big campus style school they are just a waste of money and space.

DCs state comprehensive school has cleaners after break and lunchtime to clean the common rooms. Obviously the students are expected to exercise reasonable care, and there are consquences if their facilities aren't treated with respect. I don't think they realise how lucky they are to have this space.

These rooms are used for other things during the day also, but there are comfy seats and carpeted floor.

TalkinPeace2, why do you assume that I don't have a SHRED of evidence? I have knowledge of many Independent Schools that don't but I do not obviously have knowledge of every Independent School in the country.

because unless you are dealing with support staff, caretakers, techs etc
you may never spot the systems used to keep schools running smoothly on the surface
and the extensive use of im etc will make the levels of communication between staff nigh on invisible

You can't miss teachers walking about with walkie talkies - they are pretty easy to spot, roger.

Pickledsiblings are you talking about a school on the south coast?