Does your school let the children go/play outside at lunchtime?

[Dontbestupid13]

Seems to be the norm round here that secondary schools don’t allow the children to play outside at lunch time.

I don’t mean outside of the school premises. I mean the schools don’t let them go into the playground at all.

I’m currently looking around schools with my year 6 child. I also have a 17yo.

When my 17yo was at secondary school they could eat outside but they had to be seated, they would get a detention for standing up/walking around. Unless they were getting food/going to the toilet.

Just wondering if this is the norm for most schools these days? I feel quite sorry for my year 6 ds going to secondary school next year.

Not normal at ours.

Nope my son is in year 7 and they spend most of lunch time on the Astro football pitch

Ds school actively encourages it!

I wouldn’t expect secondary DC to want to play outside in a playground tbh.

The DC’s school had an astroturf and basketball court, which were available for use.

Yes they can.courtyard in winter, field in summer.

Its staggered lunch so they can't be in the school (except the cafeteria) at lunch.

EtA: theres also various equipment they can sign out (balls etc)...

Yes at our school the kids have to be outside at lunch time unless they are in the library or a club. They are not allowed to be in the corridors at all, because there are two staggered lunch breaks so lessons are still going on. The clubs are all in rooms that can be directly entered from outside.

Having said that, since covid there seem to be very strict rules in schools. I think that things have been harder for both the kids and staff post-covid and it is leading to their being more strict rules in general, so it might be to do with that.

Up to yr11 they have to go outside unless they're attending clubs, choir etc, t's raining or in the canteen. Sixth form have a common room in the 6th form centre. Sixth form can also leave the grounds.

Yes at my school the kids all have designated areas to play, though if it is raining really hard some year groups only have classrooms, but during dry weather lots and lots of kids ( right up to and including sixth form) actively play outside, the rest sit around in little groups and chat. Apart from dealing with the occasional ridiculously over rough play it is one of my favourite times of the day, watching all the kids chilling, socialising and relaxing.

At secondary school yes of course they are allowed out at lunchtime and break and they are allowed to leave the premises at lunchtime too.

They are all allowed out of school grounds and into various spaces inside and out during lunch. The young ones especially are encouraged into clubs so there is sports every day or something called lounge where you grab a giant bean bag and hang out in one of the sports halls. There’s a fair amount of dungeons and dragons being played apparently. The library is open too.

Ours is a pretty small highschool (400) pupils and it’s a community campus so lots of facilities. I think it’s much easier to manage than some huge schools.