HAPPY LUNCHTIMES!
We had an inspiring day when Steve Harris visited school, in November, to help staff and pupils improve the lunchtime experience. He ‘taught’ us all about the Happy Lunchtime system which we have now introduced in school.
The School Council worked with Steve to help set our goals for lunchtimes, these are:
- For pupils to show respect to staff, equipment and each other.
- For pupils to play with kindness and consideration
- For pupils to show good manners, especially in the dinner hall
Everybody is enjoying the new system, pupils say they enjoy the different activities in the Play Zone and staff have noticed pupils having a go at new games and playing well in groups.
KS2 lunchtime table of awesomeness.
Lunchtime Fun
Happy Lunchtime and Lunchtime Behaviour System for Lunchtime supervisor Supervisors– Trial 2020
Following our Happy Lunchtime training we are trialling a variation to our whole school behaviour system for lunchtime supervisor supervisors to use. The trial will take place during the academic year 2019-20, commencing 2nd December. The system will only be used by lunchtime supervisor supervisors during the lunchtime period. Over the trial period amendments may be made to the lunchtime system to suit school and pupil needs. It is intended that the lunchtime supervisors lunchtime system will dovetail into the whole school behaviour system and be fully implemented from March 2020.
Our Happy Lunchtime System is as follows:
The Zone – an area of playground will be known as ‘The Zone’. Each day a different activity will take place, drawn from a wide range of activities designed to appeal to differing ‘styles’ of play.
The Zone will be supervised by lunchtime supervisor staff who will determine each day’s activity. They will ensure the rules are known and respected.
The Zone is designed to be inclusive – a place where everybody is welcome to come and play.
The Zone is designed to embed ‘novelty’ into the playground offering.
Lunchtime supervisors will take it in turn on a rota to plan the daily activity. This will be put up on a board so pupils know what the game is. (At a later stage, pupils may be allowed to introduce their own game of the week.). A booklet of activities is available for lunchtime supervisors to get ideas from.
Rules for the Zone
- Use the equipment in the zone – it can’t be taken out of the zone
- Everyone can join in (Children should reply ‘Of course you can’ when asked by another child if they can join in)
The Dining Hall
Staff and pupils want to ensure that the hall is a respectful and pleasant area to eat dinner. All pupils should show each other and staff good manners and respect while eating.
Wet Playtimes
The school will trial using themed rooms for wet playtimes eg a games room, a ‘TV’ room, an active room, a quiet room. This will be developed over the trial and will begin in January 2020. We will be requesting resources from families to support our wet playtimes.
At lunchtime the Lunchtime supervisors will use the following 3 tiered Sanctions:
1 = a QUIET WORD – used when somebody ‘gets carried away’. This involves telling pupils what is not acceptable without ‘telling them off’.
Lunchtime supervisors will: 1. Listen if a child wants to explain. 2. Remain quiet and calm. 3. Be crystal clear about expectations 4. Leave pupil with a smile.
2 = this is orange behaviour. This is used when expectations / or school rules have been made clear but the pupil decides not to follow them. It is deliberate/ pre-meditated misbehaviour. It becomes 5 minutes ONLY if the pupil is un- cooperative or disrespectful to the lunchtime supervisors.
Lunchtime supervisors will explain what was unacceptable and the pupil will have a 2 minute time-out accompanied by the staff member quietly. The pupil will be asked to apologise and reflect on what they did, accept that they were wrong, show respect and take responsibility. At the end of the reflection period the lunchtime supervisor will end the period positively with a thank you.
If the pupil refuses to co-operate and show the lunchtime supervisor respect then the lunchtime supervisor will give them a warning. If you don’t do it now it will be 5 minutes.
If the child still refuses then the reflection period becomes 5 minutes.
3= this is red behaviour eg bullying, racism, violence, swearing, out right defiance (eg refusing 5 minutes reflection with lunchtime supervisor).
In this instance, the pupil is sent to the senior leader who is overseeing lunchtime on that day. The senior leader deals with them according to our school behaviour policy. The senior member of staff then takes the pupil back to the lunchtime supervisor for the pupil to apologise and spend 2 minutes reflecting with the lunchtime supervisor.
Rewards
- Pom Poms. Lunchtime supervisors and kitchen staff can award poms poms freely for positive behaviour during lunchtime. Pom poms will be collected in classes. The winning class will be announced in Friday assemblies each week.
- Certificate – each lunchtime supervisor will nominate a pupil for a special mention in Friday assemblies. Certificates will include pupil name, staff name and reason for the award.
- Top Table – Once every half term the lunchtime supervisors will nominate a pupil each to sit at the ‘top-table’. The table will be decorated. A lunchtime supervisor and a member of the kitchen staff will also eat with the children on this special table.
Review
During the trial pupils will review the happy lunchtime system via the School Parliament
Lunchtime supervisors will meet with the Deputy Headteacher at least once every half term to review the system.
Teachers will have an opportunity to review Happy Lunchtimes at half termly summary self -evaluation meetings.
At the end of the trail period pupils will complete a class questionnaire which will be analysed to ensure progress has been made to ensure lunchtimes are happy and safe at St Joseph’s
