Primary lunchtime duties

[Triangle5]

I'm a new TA in a new school. I'm on duty in the lunch hall every day with 100 kids, with absolutely no training, protocol or staff meetings about processes or rules. Two other TAs on duty. We are doing our best, but kind of muddling through Teaching staff sit at table in lunch hall eating their lunch. We've been told to have high expectations for behaviour and table manners. When questioning the SLTA, I'm told to follow the behaviour policy. Noise levels are high, lots of pushing and shoving when we go out to play leading to incidents, and multiple accident forms to be filled out (on a computer inside). I've really tried hard to maintain discipline, but it's an uphill battle as most kids don't know who I am. I dread this part of the day, and it's kind of embarrassing with the teachers table just sitting there heads down. No senior teachers have been down to assess the situation or provide any support. I think it would be a good idea for the staff to sit at the end of each table to promote good manners/behaviour. Feel like no one wants to know, and I'll be laughed at and told teachers are on their break.
Do I just need to get better at supervising lunchtimes? I absolutely hate it, and might leave. The school don't employ lunchtime supervisors.
Any advice appreciated!

Could you put together a proposal for lunch time rules. SLT are probably more likely to say "yes, that looks fine" to something you've put together, rather than taking the time to create something themselves. I don't think you'll get teachers to sit with the children. You could also speak to whoever is in charge of health & safety and convince them that by supporting you, they will reduce the number of accidents.

It seems quite a few schools have dispensed with the MDS roles that once covered these duties. Pre covid, our school had all their lunch supervision covered by MDS staff, now they expect the TAs to cover it all.

Asking teachers to sit with kids won't work unless you offer an incentive. In our school we used to get a free school meal for eating with the kids. Some teachers then sat with kids sometimes in pairs. They chatted with each other and with kids on their table and kept an eye on other tables while eating. It did make a difference as kids were definitely less feral. It has to be voluntary though. Teachers are not paid for lunchtimes. I would however speak to slt or put in an email (paper trail so better) that behaviour is poor in the dining room and ask them to observe it. Ultimately in order to get the kids to listen to you you need to be seen to be supported by other staff. Someone in slt should be doing this. Where I work the deputy supports the lunchtime duties by being out on playgrounds etc.

Talk to your boss about safety. Provide incentives in order to change things.

High noise levels at lunch seem a universal thing. The kids are letting off steam and then it’s an unfortunate natural consequence of loads of kids squeezed in an echoey school hall that they can’t hear each other so they start to shout above the noise.
I honestly don’t know what the answer is as it’s overcrowding that’s the real issue.
The only thing to do, I think, is repeatedly doing the special clap for silence, then reminding them to talk quietly to the people next to them only (rather than shoot across to the far end of the table). That resets the noise level to low for a few minutes before it builds again!
Problem stems from what they do once finished eating. Whilst they are eating the noise level seems to be tolerable but once a number have finished eating, then of course or rises as they get bored and fidgety.
It helps to dismiss them one at a time once they have finished, but that’s not always possible depending on space and supervision on the playground.