Secondary Split Lunch - Good idea???

[DamienTT]

Hi all

 

Slt are pretty pro about split lunch times for next year. I remember attending a timetable meeting some time back and the mere mention of 'split lunch' caused a number of timetablers to gasp in sheer horror, (I'm a timetabler).

 

Slt are looking at this from a behaviour point of view, but have asked me to ask the forum if it's worth it!?

 

So, if you currently have split lunches, or did and reverted back, can you please let me know the downsides to it, if any?

 

Was it a timetable (staffing) nightmare?

Thank you in advance

Damien

[pickman]

Cant help with the timetabling. but we have had split lunch for a couple of years. Behaviour wise it is much better as we keep upper school and lower school separate.

 

It also means the canteen does not get so packed and we can get lunches through quicker.

 

I do know we have some classes where they have lunch in the middle of their lesson so they leave all their stuff in the classroom and go and finish the lesson after lunch (we run 1 hour Lessons)

[Boredguy]

For several years we had split lunch, with KS3 on lunch for an hour, while KS4 were still in lessons, and then vice versa and worked quite well since our 1960's hall could not cope with 1000 students in 60 minutes all wanting lunch.

 

For the last 18 months our SLT have switched back to a single 55 minute lunch session.

 

There was a marked improvement in behaviour when we had the year groups split for lunch compared to now, and it made exam periods easier to manage as we would just switch which KeyStage had the early lunch slot for that day or week (where as now we have to bring the whole lunch break forward by an hour which means the kitchen staff have to rejig their staffing patterns)

[psydii]

I can echo pickman's experience. This was with 800 students.

[Boredguy]

Oh timetabling wise it was actually no different than a single lunch break as classes/staff still only had 5 lessons a day, and it was just a case of stipulating in Nova-T when the staff had their lunch break (either lesson 4 or 5)

[RLR]

We have split lunches for years. Around 600 students. I don't know what effect it has on timetabling but I've not heard it be an issue.

[korifugi]

Currently I'm sat in a SEN school that operates a split lunch. Staff complained when it was first set up but it seems to run fine, it also seems to do quite well with preventing behavioural incidents.

[FN-GM]

We have lunch split into 3 here due to the lack of space in the dining room. Everyone got used to it now.

 

Thanks

[DamienTT]

Thanks everyone for their input, and so quickly. I think I'm thinking (worrying) more from a timetable point of view. We have 1 hour lessons and they want 30 minute lunches 30 minutes apart, during P4. So ks3 12.30-1 KS4 1:30-2.

 

What is messing with my mind is in their suggestion period 4 will be 90 mins (with 30 minute lunches at the first a last 30 minutes) and all other lessons 60 mins. SLT asked if there is any need for 'lunch' to be timetabled in Nova. The answer is no, but this will lead to difficulty I assume in covering staff absence (ie, which side of p4 they're lunching).

 

Proposal is (clear as mud)

KS3

9.10-10.10

10.10-11.10

11.10-11.30 Break

11.30-12.30

12.30-1 Lunch

1-2 P4

2-3 P5

 

Ks4

9.10-10.10

10.10-11.10

11.10-11.30 Break

11.30-12.30

12.30-1.30 P4

1.30-2 Lunch

2-3 P5

 

Perhaps there's a timetable forum somewhere! haha.

 

Time for a vodka

Damien

Edited February 29, 2016 by DamienTT

[Boredguy]

That does sound strange, but should be possible. Maybe a chat with other timetablers is in order.

 

30 minutes does seem quite short for a lunch break. Our staff were upset when they had 5 minutes cut when we moved to a single lunch and it went down from 60 mins to 55 (the fact that support staff only get 30 mins didn't matter to them)

[DamienTT]

Yeah, it doesn't take much to upset staff. Currently we have 40 mins lunch.

[gaz350b]

40 mins lunch here with 60 minute "Lunch" period. KS3 go to tutorial at the start for 20 mins and KS4 have 20 mins at the end. There is a 20 minute overlap in the middle where we have 900 students at lunch, its not too bad as KS3 essentially join the queue as the queue disappears. The key to a short lunch is a 100% cashless system with some grab and go areas away from the normal canteen area.

[DamienTT]

Hi gaz, thanks for the input. So, how does cover work should a teacher be absent? How do you know what side of lunch they do? I assume that your cover person has to manually check each staff TT? Or are your 2 lunches set in NOVA-T so show up in timetable?

Many thanks

Damien

[Danp]

450 students and lunch starts at 12 for R-6 and 1235 is first lunch for a a few year groups and then 1305 for the remander. This swaps about during the week depending on what's going on.