concernedmum
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Lunch time chaosAnyone here know about the chaos at lunchtimes due to a lack of mid-day supervisors?
Apparantly kids are running riot, not eating and the teachers are not interested.
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AR
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LunchtimeIt is unfair to accuse teachers of not being interested, they have had no responsibility for lunchtimes for at least 20 years. They are entitled to a lunch break.
The ultimate responsibility lies with the headteacher who can take a break outside the children's lunch time.
The head and governors are also responsible for employing enough supervisers and arranging their training.
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concernedmum
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I agree but what about trying to teach hungry children, they will not learn if they are hungry.
I know everyone is entitled to a break but children are entitled to a supervised meal time.
I am wondering about the health and safety implications of understaffed lunchtimes. In this instance all the staff should rally round support to ensure the children are properly supervised .
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stan
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And when do you suggest the teachers who are in class teaching eat and go to the toilet???
Dinner times are the responsibility of the head to organise staffing so that non-teaching staff are able and qualified to supervisor children!
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concernedmum
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Then the head should be sorting this out, I have worked in education and know that I have stepped in to help out as have my colleagues. Why is this school so different? Is this another failing on the head teachers part?
We ate with the children and it can be organised so everyone gets a break. It is a short term measure and while not ideal LONG TERM neither is children running riot in a school hall, disrupting lunchtimes and making the whole event upsetting for the younger ones.
Children should be supervised properly and if a teacher is dedicated to the profession then they know a child learns best on a full stomach and happy.
I originally only asked a simple question, that of ,does anyone know about the lunchtime problems and as this is part of the school day, in a school which is "troubled" surely all parents should be concerned.
Or maybe not, maybe it is simply not that important to you.
It is to me though.......
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AR
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LunchtimeI am sorry 'Concernedmum' but you are off mark with this one. I don't know when you worked in education but in the 70s teachers worked long and hard to obtain better working conditions, including strike action, and the right to a lunch time break was a major issue. You have no right to ask teachers to give this up to sort out problems. There have been activities and work given by teachers as 'goodwill' which have then been used by authorities and the government as part of contractual duties. Starting to help out again at lunchtimes would be a start on a slippery slope.
I emphasise again it is purely the head teacher's duty (contractual) to ensure that lunchtime supervision is adequate and safe. You need to gain evidence of the 'chaos' and write to the head, then the governors and if you receive no answers (and judging by this forum I'm afraid you probably won't) go to the authority.
The pattern so far, as I have been following the threads in this forum, is that the action group complain for months on end, bring it to as many people's attention as possible and nothing happens. But suddenly something happens in school which proves the action group right all along and hey presto the authority act. Look at the information regarding internet safety. The authority have now been into school and sorted out the machines. This was even after a letter from the chair of governors to parents asking for the action group to apologise for making a fuss and that there was nothing wrong with the security.
SO continue to make a fuss. Collect evidence. Expect Mr Turner to say publicly that all is well at lunchtimes, and that children are well behaved and eating well. BUT do not expect teachers to sort it out. That is unfair and wrong. Hopefully you will get somewhere before a child has an accident or runs off.
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concernedmum
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I am not off the mark at all, I am working now, so I know how a good school pulls together to make IT work.
It would seem little concern is given to the safety of children, do you children attend the school, would you want them to be running unsupervised and not eating meals either from home or a school one?
Hungry children will not concentrate so it doesn't matter how much the teachers streamline and challenge the children in the afternoons they will not do so well. Its common sense!
I am keeping tabs on the situation, I already know of one mother who is currently agonising how to deal with a situation and the bad press surrounding the school at present is not helping.
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helen
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concernedmum I agree with you the situation sounds awful and needs sorting out. This is the job of the head teacher, as other people have pointed out. I have friends who work in schools and I know there is a national agreement that means that teachersshould only be doing jobs that need a teacher to do. Supervising children at lunchtime does not need a teacher it needs people who can look after the children while they eat their lunch. If the job isn't being done properly it is up to the head teacher to deal with it. It is not up to the teachers to do the job. If the school wasn't being cleaned properly and the children were at risk of germs etc would you expect teachers to step in and do this too? No, SOMEBODY has to take responsibility. That somebody is Mrs Coupe she needs to employ more dinner staff if this is what is needed to solve the situation.
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AR
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LunchtimeConcernedmum, I agree with Helen and this is what I was trying to say above. I know you are worried - you have every right to be, if a child is not eating or has an accident. But if the teachers spend lunchtimes supervising the children and don't get a break then the children will suffer in the afternoon too. Also the head will probably just leave them to it - that's what used to happen before teachers took action.
It really is the job of the head to get it sorted. I don't mean to sound uncaring but headteachers are now paid an excellent salary for what they do, and sorting lunchtimes is part of their contract.
Keep monitoring.
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