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Education

The social and educational significance of school breaktimes

Thu, 14 August 2008

The Education and Adolescent Mental Health Programmes recently co-hosted a seminar on a research project on school breaktimes.

Professor Peter Blatchford and Dr Ed Baines, Institute of Education, University of London reported the main findings as:

• Pupils being overwhelmingly positive about breaktimes, but feeling they did not get enough time to play, exercise and socialise.
• Nearly all schools organised clubs and other activities for pupils during breaktime and after school.
• Primary schools valued breaktime as an opportunity for pupils to exercise and to socialise. Secondary schools saw its value in more functional terms - providing time for eating and drinking and giving teachers a break.

However:

• Further reductions were reported since 1995 in the length of lunchtimes with the virtual abolition of afternoon break at Key Stage 2 and secondary levels.
• Total break time during the school day had declined and the length of the lunchbreak had been reduced at all age levels in school.
• Schools and pupils were in agreement that the main problem at breaktime was poor behaviour. Pupils also noted insufficient opportunity and space for fun activities and time to eat.
• Staff supervision was much higher in primary than secondary schools during break time, the ratios had not changed since 1995, and secondary schools were less likely than primary schools to offer formal training and support for the supervisory staff.
• Most schools agreed that behaviour outside school had declined since 2001 (although primary schools felt that breaktime behaviour had improved).

Full details of the research project can be accessed via the project website http: //www.breaktime.org.uk/ and a copy of the seminar briefing paper can be downloaded here

Last Updated Thu, 14 August 2008