A SCHOOL could be cutting lunch breaks by 15 minutes in a bid to stop anti-social behaviour.

Miles Bacon, the head teacher of Thurstable School, Sports College and Sixth Form Centre, Tiptree, denies the proposal is to save money – but has admitted savings made will help alleviate pressure on the budget.

A consultation document has been sent to parents outlining the pros and cons of the proposals, which, if agreed, would see the school timetable changed from September.

The main change is to cut the lunch break from 50 minutes to 35 minutes.

The second registration of the day, currently taking place for five minutes after lunch, would also take place within the first lesson of the afternoon.

Overall the changes would mean the school day would end 20 minutes earlier, at 3.05pm.

The consultation document states the main reason of the proposal is not to save money.

It adds: “The main reasons for the proposal are the wish to secure a more purposeful day, and more focussed learning in afternoon lessons, to reduce the amount of silly and anti-social behaviour that occurs at the end of lunch without spending more money (which we don’t have) on increased supervision, to give students more time out of school to pursue their own interests -parents regularly tell us they want this - and to improve teaching staff work/life balance by reducing the hours they spend at school during the week in term time.

“However, school budgets are under severe pressure, and there will be savings from reduced heating and lighting, and over time some reductions in support staffing costs, which will be helpful.”

The school has guaranteed no support staff members will suffer a loss of hours and pay if the proposals go ahead.

It adds: “Hours will be redeployed, and only reduced when staff leave or roles are restructured (as they are from time to time irrespective of these proposals as the needs of the school change).”

Morning registration before the day’s classes start would continue and length of each lesson, at 55 minutes, would be unchanged.

Reducing the length of lunch time would mean “less time when students are bored, lightly supervised” as the final 15 minutes of lunch is the time of the school day when most anti-social behaviour occurs.

However, disadvantages would include cutting short lunchtime clubs or cutting them altogether.

The consultation adds: “It appears the current longer lunch break actually causes some students to lose focus, and makes afternoon lessons less effective.”

Mr Bacon said: “There will be a small cost saving over time, however, our main aim is to achieve a pacier day and to move the time for staff to mark and plan and for students to complete homework that is now “trapped” at lunchtime, to the end of the day. “

A majority of parents, staff and students have indicated support for the proposal.

Staff would also have a shorter lunch break.

The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2016 declared Thurstable a ‘Good’ school, including for its pupils’ behaviour.