Are Lunchtimes Long Enough? What the Data Shows

Two major studies, The Lunchtime Listen (School Surveys) and the UCL/Nuffield Breaktimes Study, shed light on how pupils experience their break and lunchtimes in English schools.

Together, both studies highlight a common concern: many children are not being given long enough to eat, play and socialise during the school day.

Scale of the studies

The Lunchtime Listen gathered responses from over 11,000 pupils across 43 primary and secondary schools in England, making it one of the largest recent pupil voice surveys on the subject.

The UCL/Nuffield research examined school breaktimes across England over three decades, drawing on national surveys of schools conducted in the mid-1990s, mid-2000s and most recently in 2017. By tracking change over time, it provides a rare long-term picture of how the structure of the school day has shifted. It is considered the only study of its kind with a specific focus on lunch and breaktime. 

Just about the only systematic data available on breaktimes in schools in England, “and, as far as we know, anywhere in the world”, comes from the two previous national surveys (the 1995 and 2006 sections of the Nuffield study), notes the 2019 report.

Aims

The Lunchtime Listen was designed to capture the pupil perspective, focusing on how students feel about their lunchtimes, what works well and where improvements could be made. Themes included food, time, space, activities and behaviour.

The UCL/Nuffield study aimed to understand how school breaktimes have changed over time, including their length, management and role within the school day. It also sought to examine the wider significance of these unstructured times for pupil wellbeing and development.

Key findings

From the Lunchtime Listen, one of the most striking results was that more than a quarter of pupils said they do not usually have enough time to eat lunch. Only a third said they “always” had enough time.

The issue is most acute in secondary schools, where 14% of pupils report lunch breaks shorter than 30 minutes. Pupils in the least affluent schools were also more likely to experience short breaks than their peers.

The UCL/Nuffield research confirms these concerns in a broader context. It shows that breaks in general, including lunchtimes, have become shorter and more restricted over the past 30 years. Break and lunchtimes now require more staff supervision and are increasingly withheld as a form of discipline.

Why lunchtimes matter

Both studies underline that breaks and lunchtimes play a vital role beyond the formal curriculum. They allow children to release energy, enjoy fresh air and take part in physical activity. They also provide important social spaces where friendships are formed and sustained, as well as free time for pupils to make their own choices. Mealtimes add further value by combining nourishment with opportunities for shared experience. Together, these elements support wellbeing, concentration and personal development in ways that structured lessons simply cannot.

What pupils would change

When asked whether they would accept a longer lunch in exchange for a later school finish, secondary pupils were divided. The Lunchtime Listen found 37% in favour and 45% opposed, suggesting that simply extending the timetable may not be the solution. Instead, both sets of findings point to the importance of making the best use of the time available. Queues, crowding and limited dining space often cut the real time for eating and socialising down to just a few minutes.

Addressing the challenge

School break and lunchtimes are undeniably complex and a great many factors contribute to successful and happy lunchtimes for pupils and staff. 

As the school day becomes further from the picture in 1995, for so many reasons, giving our young people sufficient time to eat, relax and socialise, is more important than ever. Indeed, the very existence of young people is drastically different from previous generations. School stands as one of the few places they may spend time with peers ‘in real life’, away from technology and social media. The benefits of this unstructured time outside of lessons is made very clear in both studies and so cutting breaks short is not an effective solution. Instead, we must acknowledge the logistical challenges that lunchtimes can present for schools today and respond efficiently.

Not having enough time to eat was a persistent issue raised in both studies. In direct response to this, targeted changes to the dining environment can make a significant difference, particularly where capacity is stretched. 

Building architecture and layout has a clear impact on behaviour, wellbeing and learning in schools. Outdated infrastructure and crowded, poorly-designed spaces are consistently linked to negative issues in schools such as discomfort, bullying and anti-social behaviour. These negative issues are the very drivers for the dramatic reduction in break and lunchtimes over the past three decades.  

In contrast, well-designed schools improve visibility, safety and navigation, creating spaces which promote positive behaviours. Nowhere is this more important than during the unstructured break and lunchtimes which can be so problematic for schools to ‘get right’.

Greater physical space, improved flow design and multiple serving points are examples of practical design interventions that can help to reduce queuing and maximise the benefits of lunch for pupils. Schools considering making effective design interventions to improve their break and lunchtime offer can find out more, here or explore the case studies below.