abwsco Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Do any of you know if students have to be given a lunch break. DD has her new timetable for this year and for over half the week she has no lunchbreak but has a five minute break in which to get some lunch and get to her next lesson. Surely this can't be right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 I'm sure that can't be right. A couple of questions though: How old is your daughter? What time does school start and finish? I'm wondering if it's working on a continental school day perhaps finishing at 1pm. Neither am I an employed teacher, so I'm not certain of the actual rules, but if she's under 16 and the school has a 'normal' timetable, I'd say there is something wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 I'm not a teacher but this doesnt sound right. What yr is your daughter? They need a break for their concetnration and without food some would faint. Teenagers as any mum knows eat and eat. I would question that, I mean what about loo breaks. Very iffy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted September 11, 2009 Author Share Posted September 11, 2009 She's in year 13 - so A levels. School day is 8.40am to 3.05pm. She has frees on some days but today she's had one free then one lesson, short break then three lessons including working over lunch to school finish. Next week she's got three days working over the lunchtime The timetable is on a Week A then Week B then Week A, Week B etc just to confuse as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTree Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 I don't think that sounds like a good idea, not unless she's allowed to eat in class. Are the teachers giving up their lunch breaks too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 My daughter is in year 13 too and works on a two week timetable. I know some schools stagger lunch-breaks and it sounds to me as if your daughter has been a victim of the time-tabling because of the subjects she has chosen. I would contact the school to ask for advice. Maybe in year 13, some teachers won't mind her munching during a lesson, especially if she's a special case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Sounds like she has been the victim of some timetabling problems - I have taught sixth form classes during lunch and after school - as a teacher the time is made up to us elsewhere. I always let the kids eat in my class if they were there at lunchtime. This will have happend as it would have been the only way to fit the classes in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted September 11, 2009 Author Share Posted September 11, 2009 Thanks everyone. She didn't ask the teacher who had her for a double lesson starting at lunch time today if he'd managed to get any lunch but I'm sure she will on Monday as it's the same then. It wouldn't be so bad if the canteen was open during the five minutes in which she's supposed to get some lunch and move classrooms, but that's the unorganised school for you She won't take a packed much! They had no planners at all last year as they couldn't afford to provide them and wouldn't let the pupils buy one. They have them this year but then the Head of Sixth told them it's because Ofsted are due in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainboarddude Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 i am in year 13 and it doesnt sound right to me that she does not get a lunch break. by law i think you have to have a substantial enough length to eat your lunch and have a lunch break, i would certainly make a fuss if i didnt. hope it sorts itself out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Their timetabling is rubbish, my school manages to fit everything in and everyone gets a 25 min break and an hour lunch break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanut12 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 As a head of VI form myself, this sounds ridiculous. Legally, all students are entitled to an opportunity to eat - and I would say it is unreasonable to expect this to be done in 5 minutes. It may be the school are assuming she will eat in her free periods - however, I would've thought the rules would be similar to working conditions i.e. one break of at least 15 minutes in a 4 hour period (or something like that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted September 11, 2009 Author Share Posted September 11, 2009 One Friday her free is 9.00am to 10.00am then 4 lessons which run over the lunch and then on the other days she has her frees until 11.15am so she's going to have to go to the shop to get something for lunch as the canteen isn't open. I do realise it must be a nightmare to do the timetabling though. The problem imo is that the sixth form is added on to the school with the same teachers who teach years 7 to 11 and they always get priority over the 6th form students. She's only been back since Monday and already had one lesson where the classroom was in use by another class and after 30 minutes of them trying to find a classroom the teacher just gave up. They were even sent to a room which doesn't exist! A great start My comments on the Ofsted form will be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 How many kids are in some of these classes? This is usually the problem - in order to get a sixth form going schools will keep classes going with VERY small numbers - obviously not cost effective and then they have to squeeze them in with existing teachers as there isn't the money to employ more. Colleges would just s"Ooops, word censored!" the courses and tell the kids they have to do something else. I@ve taught classes with 3 kids - my friend did an entire 2 year course for 3 kids. A couple of years ago I covered a music AS class with just 1 kid in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 How many kids are in some of these classes? This is usually the problem - in order to get a sixth form going schools will keep classes going with VERY small numbers - obviously not cost effective and then they have to squeeze them in with existing teachers as there isn't the money to employ more. Colleges would just s"Ooops, word censored!" the courses and tell the kids they have to do something else. I@ve taught classes with 3 kids - my friend did an entire 2 year course for 3 kids. A couple of years ago I covered a music AS class with just 1 kid in! OMG, 1 child in a class. DD tells me there are eight in one and nine in another. Thing is they're Economics and Business Studies so not wierd and wonderful ones -lol At least she's a free today just before lunch so can get something to eat then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 We sadly have lunchtime and twilight lessons for 6th form at my place too. The room I register my little yr 7s in has lunchtime IB maths 3 days a week - we wait for them to finish (always late!) and then we come in and register for 20 mins, then I log-off, the maths teacher reappears and we swap over again! All is well unless I touch the whiteboard! They do bring sandwiches and snacks to the lesson though and have them as they go along. I think it is a combination of part time teachers and a full timetable. I do feel sorry for the students though. Hope your daughter gets to grips with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 My son is in Y13 too. His school's 6th form runs a Consortium with two other schools in the borough in order to offer a greater choice of AS/A levels. It means that some students are travelling back and forth between the schools for their various lessons. He thought that he was going to have to do 4 twilights a week this year. Thankfully they seem to have rearranged the groups so he wont have to do that now. It sounds like your daughter's school doesnt know how to use the timetabling module in their Management Information System.....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
