45 minute lunchtimes?

[phlebasconsidered]

I am posting as a teacher about a move recently made ( without consultation!) at my own kids school. It's a primary academy.

DS came home and told me he didn't get as long to play last week. Lo, a newsletter pops up yesterday informing us that lunchtime is now only 45 minutes long, as behaviour problems were occuring the last 15 mins of lunchtime, so they cut the break!

Now, I have a) worked at that self same school and so can see that yes, the kids were troublesome. But also that b) they need to put something into place so that they are not, and that something is NOT punishing the good kids by cutting their break. The head is, I think, trying to increase work hours by stealth.

My own workplace has no trouble at lunchtimes, despite a similar intake because lunchtimes have plenty of actvities to do. It also has a great behaviour system with organised "golden time" activities that the kids love, so they behave because they don't want to lose those activities. DS's school chose to cut golden time completely. Now they just have a lot of stick, no carrot.

I really hate that my kids are now at an academy,( we didn't have a choice, a done deal as the school went into SM) and it seems that they are behaving terribly, IMO. I'd move them but all other schools within commute (30 miles! We are rural) are full to capacity.

Does anyone have any experience of governing bodies in academies? Is it even worth approaching them, or are they basically in the pocket of the trust? I'm not approaching the head, who is a power freak and won't listen. Relatively new and very pro-academy.

Any opinions or advice? Other than "Move their school!" which isn't an option for this term at least.

ours get 50 minutes so not much longer

DD gets 45 minutes as well. She is at secondary school and they found that the pupils got up to too much mischief in longer lunch breaks. It isn't a problem

I think 45 or 50 min lunch breaks are more normal than the full hour TBH.

Sound like the school has lots of issues. I don't think this is a big one.

Our senior school went to 50minutes for the same reason (they wanted 45, but people said it would make clubs impossible).

It's ridiculous, I have one sporty and one musical DD, they simply don't bother to eat.

My old school moved to a 45 minute lunchtime-I hated it and there were so many children to feed that there were always some who hadn't finished or had to be hassled to speed up :(

The head also moved the start of the day from 8.55 to 8.45, the end of the day from 3.15 to 3.25, removed afternoon play completely (ks1) and shortened morning play from 20 to 15 minutes. Assembly was also cut from every day to 1-2 times a week. That's a lot of increased contact time!

I'm not there any more...

We have two 30 minute breaks a day. Some students eat in both. I get time to eat in neither. I normally have my 'lunch' at 3.10pm.
Looking to get out...

We have 40 mins for lunch. Behaviour improved no end. I would never want to go back

We went into SM last year and now have 30 mins for lunch, including getting kids out of class, setting up for next lesson, getting to and from staffroom.

Needless to say, hot food is no longer an option.

My boys high school chsnged lunch to 30 mins but a 'moving bell' goes 5 mins before the end and they are expected to make their way to the next class. So by the time thry get out of the lesdon before lunch they end up with about 20 mins! I thunk its crap, but its become an academy so not much I can do and I like yhe school other than that.