AIBU to think half an hour is not long enough for a school lunch break?

[LordTrash]

Hello, really interested to hear all opinions on this, but especially those of teachers.

My dc school did a 'consultation' last month on whether to cut the school day by 10 mins by shortening the lunch break from 40 to 30.

I thought it was a bad move, and said so, giving a number of reasons. The school has now announced the 'following consultation' the day will be shortened as proposed, but they give no details of that consultation or how the decision was arrived at, so I wonder if the whole exercise was just flimflam to make parents think they were being listened to.

Word on the street is that they want to cut the lunch hour so older kids aren't getting involved in home time clashes with kids at a neighbouring (about 25 mins walk away) school.

So, is this done at your school? If so, how has it worked? I can't see how my dc - who do school council/production meetings etc at lunchtimes - can possibly find time to eat and unwind between sessions in such a short time.

My ds originally went to a secondary school that had a shorter day (2.30 finish) and short break and lunch (15 mins and half hour). They fit this in by having 5 minute tutor times at beginning and end of day.
There was many factors but this was 1 why my ds struggled there and couldn't manage their system. There wasn't down time and they didn't get information because tutor wasn't long enough to give it.

He now goes to a school that's a 50 minutes longer day. Ironically he's less tired and more settled. They have 20 min break and 45 minute lunch, the timing of both mean eating in either and/or both is fine. They also have longer tutor periods and a tutor 'hour' once a week too that means ds feels fully informed of what's going on rather than chasing his tail the whole time.

The reality of the 30 minute lunch was counting in leaving lesson and getting to next there was about 20 minutes where as you say everyone is trying to find somewhere to eat or get to/ into the canteen.

Had a little giggle about my crap school !! Which gets 87% A*-C at GCSE last year and is in too 2% of country for Value Added. We have happy kids and happy parents and are one of the top schools in the Country at various sports. Our lunch breaks have been the same length for over 40 years so no change made as one has not been needed. For the OP I'd say please don't worry. School will make sure the kids eat and go to the loo as teaching hungry bursting students is no fun.

Definitely cost cutting. If they have 2 x 30 minute breaks they can avoid calling it "lunch" and then put teachers on duty.

I've experienced this and it's truly shit. I actually had 25 mins and then 5 mins movement. If you had to talk to a student and go to the loo as well then you could forget your lunch.

And the cost cutting is having zero midday supervisors.

Hard for working parents if they keep shortening the school day.

We have 15 lunch time controllers as our lunch break spreads over 1.5 hours. They are wonderful people who chat to the kids and ensure they clear up their mess. Teachers have always done duties - it's part of the job ! I do 2 half hour ones every fortnight and I enjoy my chats with the kids.

Have not RTFT
but the shortest lunch Break DH came across was 20 mins for 1000 pupils
its called - give them least amount of free time during the day and get them out - to reduce discipline problems
its a cop out to deal with stuff that the I'll bet its an academy SLT do not want to