LSA breaks

[wineandsunshine]

Hiya - just wondered if anyone knew about breaktime regs?

If you have breaktime duty outside - when do you get a break? Or are LSAs not legally meant to have one?

Many thanks

Btw I have checked contract and it's not there!!

Is it just the same as in other industries - break only after 4 hours? So most of us aren't entitled to 'playtime'?
That's just what I've always assumed having come to education from retail but may be wrong!

You’re legally entitled to a 20 minute break if you work 6+ hours so that would be lunchtime.

How many hours are you working for?

Most TAs get a break before or after a break duty but it depends on the length of their day as to whether they’re entitled to one.

You could contact your union for advice.

Check your start and finish times and the number of hours you are contracted to work per week - you can work out from that whether or not you should be given a mid-morning break.

Legally it's one (20-minute minimum) break if you work more than 6 hours a day. Obviously, if you work over 6 hours a day and have duties over the whole of the children's lunch break, you should have that 20+ minutes break at another point in the day.

Every school I have worked in the TAs/ LSAs do not have a mid-morning break, but come to an arrangement with the class teacher to nip out of class for a few minutes before or after the children's break for a toilet-stop and a drink, and reciprocate by having the class for a few minutes for the teacher to do the same on their duty day.

I work 25 hours LSA plus an additional contract 5 hours for lunchtime supervisor.

My issue was covering break duty then not being allowed a toilet break.....!!

Ask the teacher if you can pop to the loo if you’re desperate?
Teachers have the same issue, you just tend to hold it in.

Does nipping to the loo have to be part of allocated 'break' time?

Not entitled to a break at morning. It's a privilege. You can leave the classroom at anytime to use the loo presuming there's a class teacher or another staff member still with the pupils.

I'm a TA and do break duty everyday. I go to the toilet/stop by the staff room to see if there are any biscuits on my way back up to class - the teachers come out at the end of playtime to line the kids up and take them inside, so I just go once my teacher comes up. I usually beat the class upstairs because the teacher has to keep stopping in the corridor to make sure they're walking quietly.

ASauvignon. Usually for teachers, yes. If youre working with a class/child you cant just leave them to go to the toilet!!