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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Do year 7s use phones instead of playing at lunch?

43 replies

schoolphone · 15/09/2016 22:03

DS has started secondary school and is enjoying all the lessons but really disappointed about play and lunch times. Apparently everyone just uses their phones to play games and there is no interaction at all and no one from year 7 runs around or kicks a ball or has any fun.

He loved break and lunch times at primary school but is with all new children at this school. DS really doesn't want to spend lunchtimes on his phone. The only 3 lunchtime clubs for year 7 are all on the same day so he still has 4 other days of the week to fill.

Is this normal for secondary schools now?

OP posts:

youngestisapsycho · 15/09/2016 22:08

That was problem at DDs school and now this year, phones have been banned! yay. They can have them in their bags switched off or silent, but they are not allowed to take them out once in school, even break times. I think it's brilliant.

FionaJT · 15/09/2016 22:13

Phones now banned at all times in my DD's school too, she is Y7 so I'm not sure what the previous rules were but I am very pleased with this.

PrincessHairyMclary · 15/09/2016 22:15

Phones are banned at our school, boys always seen playing foot ball but lunch is only 35mins so by the time they've eaten not much time left anyway.

Brokenbiscuit · 15/09/2016 22:15

They can have them in their bags switched off or silent, but they are not allowed to take them out once in school, even break times. I think it's brilliant.

Same rule at dd's school, thank goodness. Not a phone in sight until home time.

Freshprincess · 15/09/2016 22:16

Nope, They aren't allowed to use phones in school.

Ditsyprint40 · 15/09/2016 22:16

Some sit and play on phones, but most the boys play football

elephantoverthehill · 15/09/2016 22:16

Not in the school where I teach. Phones off at 8.15, back on at 3.15. Year 7s want to play.

NicknameUsed · 15/09/2016 22:17

They aren't allowed to use phones at DD's school either.

beatricequimby · 15/09/2016 22:19

It is not normal to have so few lunchtime clubs. Ds's school has about thirty. Kids are allowed their phones but lots go to clubs or out to play football.

Are you sure there are only 3 clubs? That sounds really unimpressive.

nicp123 · 15/09/2016 22:23

Oh dear! Parents should mention this to the Head of school if not pleased.
My children's schools asked parents to provide old type of phones without cameras, games or internet access. Phones are switched off by pupils before registration and kept for safety by the class tutor until home time.

NicknameUsed · 15/09/2016 22:23

"It is not normal to have so few lunchtime clubs"

Are you sure? The lunchtime period at DD's school is too short to have lunchtime clubs. They have 45 minutes in which to queue for food and eat it. By the time they have finished it isn't worth going to a club.

Rosieposy4 · 15/09/2016 22:34

We run clubs in 45 minutes, kids can bring a sandwich or buy one at break and eat it then, or take it with them tomthe club and eat it there. Whilst an hour is much better for clubs it is easy enough to run them in 45 mins

Original poster

schoolphone · 15/09/2016 22:34

How disappointing that his school has chosen not to ban phones. My DS is really upset about it as his ex primary friends at the school he chose not to go to are having great fun still at lunchtimes. There are clubs every day but they are for different year groups on other days. Not sure how much time there would be for clubs but I cant believe 11 year olds are not running around having fun - what type of childhood it this. I am not aware that anyone else is unhappy (either parents or children). DS thinks all the other year 7 children are really happy. It is sadly not something he was aware of in his choice of school.

OP posts:

NicknameUsed · 15/09/2016 22:57

" but I cant believe 11 year olds are not running around having fun"

DD says that when she was in year 7 they didn't run around having fun.

tribpot · 15/09/2016 23:00

Phones banned here as well. Even the sixth form are only allowed to use them within their common room. Too right. As ds and his friends from primary have all been put into separate classes lunchtime is when they do get to hang out together, would be awful if they spent that time on mobiles.

Leeds2 · 15/09/2016 23:28

My DD left school this summer. When she was in Year 7, phones weren't a problem because there was no signal! I was very pleased!! Phone mast was subsequently installed (huge protests by both parents and local residents) but I don't think they spent all break and lunch times on their phones. My daughter certainly didn't, and I am fairly sure that the others didn't too.

Also seems tough that the only clubs your DS can go to are on the same day. I think I would ask about that.

leccybill · 15/09/2016 23:32

No phones allowed at all where I teach. Lots of Year 7s play football or generally run about and chase each other. Girls congregate in little groups chatting or walking up and down.
Is the library or an IT suite open maybe?

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 15/09/2016 23:38

Ds only gets 40 mins for lunch,by the time they've eaten,had a wee and a quick chat with their mates there isn't any time to play.

deepdarkwood · 15/09/2016 23:38

Yup, phones banned at ds' school too. Although he said a lot of people spent a long time in the loo on the first day that pokemon was released...

I'm not sure how much running around he does (not a footie boy) but there certainly sounds to be messing around ;-)

Hardly any lunchtime clubs at ds' school - they are all after school as the lunch slots are very short to fit in everyone - does your school do more clubs after school?

eyebrowsonfleek · 15/09/2016 23:45

Ds and his friends play basketball since y7. Dd and her friends chat.

Titsywoo · 15/09/2016 23:52

Not allowed at our school between 8.20 and 3.10. I think that all schools should have this rule tbh. How awful to let them all stand around playing on mobiles.

lljkk · 16/09/2016 05:25

phones are not banned at DC secondary & the kids do mostly interact with each other during lunch break.

Badbadbunny · 16/09/2016 08:16

I'd have loved to have been able to sit quietly somewhere and play on my phone when I was at school. I found breaks and lunchtimes truly horrid due to bullying and being excluded from what the others were doing. I spent all breaks and lunchtimes just watching the clock wishing the time away. Usually stood in some corner somewhere trying to be invisible.

Kids should have choices as to what they want to do. Having blanket bans on mobiles just because some people think they should be playing is hardly freedom of choice is it?

redskytonight · 16/09/2016 10:01

DS nominally has 40 minutes for lunch, however at least 15 minutes of this is spent getting back to his locker and getting his lunch at the start, and then putting his lunch box away, getting his books and going to his next lesson at the end. By the time he's found his friends, found a spot to eat, and eaten he doesn't really have much time left.

The football brigade generally have a kickabout on the field but other than that, as well as no time, there is also no space to actively play!

No lunchtime clubs here at all.

Original poster

schoolphone · 16/09/2016 10:06

Interesting there are such diverse opinions!

OP posts:

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