In a recent Head Teacher’s Update, I shared with parents and carers our proposal to shorten the lunch break and finish school earlier. Thank you to everyone who sent me their thoughts on the proposal. As is often the case with change, there were mixed views. We also discussed the proposal with our Parent Council and asked all pupils for their views via registration classes.
Taking account of the feedback, we have decided to pilot a change in the timing of the school day for the five weeks from Monday 8 January to the February break. The lunch break will be 45 minutes long and the school day will finish ten minutes earlier. Timings for registration to period 4, and for Friday, remain unchanged. Below are the timings for the school day during the pilot, Monday to Thursday.
- Registration 8.44am – 8.56am
- Period 1 8.56am – 9.55am
- Period 2 9.55am – 10.53am
- Interval 10.53am – 11.09am
- Period 3 11.09am – 12.08pm
- Period 4 12.08pm – 1.07pm
- Lunch 1.07 pm – 1.52pm
- Period 5 1.52pm – 2.51pm
- Period 6 2.51pm – 3.50pm
Please take particular note that school will finish at 3.50 pm. For pupils who travel home on a school bus, the Prentice buses will leave school five minutes earlier than they do at present, at 4.00 pm. For senior pupils who are sitting benchmark assessments during the pilot, the start time of afternoon assessments will be adjusted accordingly.
Having a lunch break of 45 minutes would bring us in line with the other five secondary schools in the authority. The timing of their lunch break is as follows:
- 3 schools: 45 minutes lunch break
- 2 schools: 45 minutes first bell; second bell five minutes later, by which time pupils are settled in class and ready to begin learning.
Head teachers of the other schools report that 45 minutes gives pupils adequate time to buy and eat their lunch, even for those who choose to go out of school. All schools offer a variety of lunchtime clubs and activities and manage to fit these in to the 45 minutes comfortably. For example, most of our music instructors work in other schools in the authority as well as Knox, so they are used to the 45 minute timing.
Pupils told us that, generally, they like the earlier finish as it gives them more time after school for extra-curricular activities and they can get home earlier. Some also said that they get bored towards the end of the long lunch break. Pupils have three main concerns about a shorter lunch break: less time to buy and eat lunch; less time for clubs and activities; and those getting buses would have a longer wait at the end of the day. The experience of pupils and staff in the other five secondary schools in the authority indicates that, with a 45 minute lunch break, pupils do have time to buy and eat lunch (even for pupils in those schools situated further from local shops than Knox) and lunchtime activities still run successfully. Regarding buses, the school buses will be leaving five minutes earlier; pupils getting a service bus can wait in the Food Court if they wish.
As I outlined in a recent Head Teacher’s Update, East Lothian is currently exploring the option of having a common school day for the six secondary schools. If this is put in place, the lunch break is likely to be 45 minutes. This pilot enables Knox Academy to see how we can work within that timing.
We will evaluate the pilot timings before the February break and I would welcome comments from parents and carers once it is up and running. Please be assured that, in piloting this change, our focus is on what is most beneficial to our pupils’ learning, both within and outwith the classroom. Our hope is that shortening the lunch break will ensure pupils settle more quickly in class period 5, and the slightly earlier finish means pupils will be less tired and remain focused on their learning until the end of period 6. The evaluation of the pilot will tell us whether that is the case.
Lauren Rodger
Head Teacher,
lrodger@knox.elcschool.org.uk
