Can a Teacher...

10 replies

spokeswoman · 17/01/2014 16:33

...keep pupils in class during lunch time so they have no food ,UK ?

Just wondered what the rules regarding this.
Thanks

OP posts:

PeterParkerSays · 17/01/2014 16:45

for the whole of lunchtime? I shouldn't have thought so, unless the children were told in advance and supposed to bring food with them.

MrsBright · 17/01/2014 22:36

Do you have only your child's version of this?

Just be careful before you wade with all guns blazing. Teenagers are very good at adjusting the truth to make it look like it was never their fault and it was the adult in the wrong.

I was once accused of 'locking a Year 10' in an interview room by a parent who'd only heard his daughter's version. I then pointed out that the room had no lock.

Philoslothy · 17/01/2014 22:57

I sometimes keep pupils in all the way through lunch, I collect them five minutes early from their lesson to collect their lunch to eat away from the rest of the school

Original poster

spokeswoman · 18/01/2014 00:05

Yes only have my sons version of what happened so have not contacted the school.I never wade in and remember there are two sides to every story.
My son says the whole class were kept in over lunch time,which is 35 mins so there was no chance to eat.
I don't have a problem with him being punished but think its a long day with no food.

OP posts:

strugglinginsilence · 18/01/2014 08:46

Once had to deal with this, one of my department kept a group of boys in for the first 10 mins of lunch. The three all went home and told mum that they had not been allowed to eat etc. this resulted in furious complaints from two of the mother's who we're not happy with their sons when I was able to check their lunch cards and tell them what time they got to the canteen and what they had eaten. If I remember correctly one had had a roast!

noblegiraffe · 18/01/2014 10:27

I don't think there are any rules, but it would be inadvisable, so a complaint would probably lead to the teacher being told not to do it again.

However, like others said, check what actually happened first. I've had a kid in detention for a reasonable amount of time, let them out to get their lunch but they've then found a massive queue for the canteen and decided not to bother. So they didn't eat, but that wasn't down to me.

lljkk · 18/01/2014 11:09

Sounds like punishment for the teacher, too, I doubt it was done lightly.

Abbierhodes · 18/01/2014 11:12

I don't think this is allowed- we only keep students in for 10 mins maximum during lunch time. Have kept them in for all of morning break though!

WeAreDetective · 18/01/2014 12:01

I think noble is right. I don't remember any rules about this but I guess there would be guidelines. For instance, if there was a planned club running at lunch, students have been advised to get food at break time.

I think there is more to this than you have heard too.

Lottiedoubtie · 18/01/2014 12:10

I wouldn't keep a teenager in for longer than 30 mins of a 50 min break.. And I would only actually do that in extremis as it's a massive punishment for me!!

That said I'm not aware of any hard and fast rules on the subject.

Double ( triple) check your teens story I think!

Flip