Parents at The Limes Primary School in Oulton, near Lowestoft, Suffolk, are accusing the school of using children as young as nine to clean up after other pupils during lunchtime due to staffing shortages. Year 5 and 6 students are required to clear plates, wipe tables, and sweep floors, a practice some parents argue is unsanitary because it involves handling others' food without gloves. While some parents support the initiative, citing its educational value in teaching responsibility, others see it as an unfair burden on children and a potential health risk. The school defends the policy by saying it aims to instill age-appropriate responsibilities in students.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
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Suspicious parents have accused a primary school of using pupils to help clear up mess in the dining hall to help plug a gap in staff.
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parents → see → staff
Year 5 and 6 children as young as nine at The Limes Primary School in Oulton, near Lowestoft in Suffolk, are required to carry out tasks including clearing other pupils’ plates, wiping tables and sweeping floors.
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children → require → floors
The school insists this is to instil ‘age-appropriate responsibility’ - but some mums and dads believe it is covering a shortfall in midday supervisors.
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it → insist → supervisors
They also questioned how hygienic the lunchtime scheme is, amid claims that children are not given gloves as they clear away mess.
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they → question → mess
One said: ‘Our concerns are not about children taking responsibility for their own belongings or clearing their own plates.
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children → say → plates
‘The issue is that the children are expected to handle other children's plates, cutlery and leftover food as part of the process.
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children → expect → process
‘We are concerned that Year 5 pupils are effectively being used to carry out the duties of lunchtime staff, including cleaning up after several year groups and handling other children's food, plates and cutlery, while losing a significant proportion of their own lunchtime.
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pupils → concern → lunchtime
Another complained: ‘Making sure each child cleans up after himself or herself is exactly what the school should be doing.
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school → complain → what
Year 5 and 6 children at The Limes Primary School in Oulton, near Lowestoft in Suffolk, are required to carry out tasks including clearing other pupils’ plates, wiping tables and sweeping floors
‘But if you get them to tidy up after someone else that means that person has not done what they’re supposed to do.
‘Why punish another child for something another pupil has done?’
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pupil → require → something
But other parents were supportive, with Year 6 parent of two Tom Beales saying: 'I agree with what you have done - it is a good thing and gives the children some responsibility and understanding of what happens in the real world.
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what → say → world
'My daughter does this as she is in Year 6 and it has helped her to understand a bit of responsibility and she has also shown this at home.'
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she → help → home
Another parent, Laura Bailes, added: 'I don’t have a problem with it.
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I think it teaches responsibility and respect and my kid is getting on with it.'
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kid → think → it
The school, whose mission statement is ‘Growing Learners for Life’, opened in 2018.
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statement → open → 2018
It has around 370 pupils aged two to 11 and was rated ‘good’ following its last Ofsted inspection in 2023.
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The lunchtime scheme was introduced last term and other chores include removing used cutlery and emptying food and leftovers from other Year 5 and 6 pupils’ lunch boxes.
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chores → introduce → boxes
Headteacher Charlotte Thompson and Reach2 Academy Trust have been contacted by a number of parents, who claim neither has responded to their concerns.
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neither → contact → concerns
The school opened in 2018 and was rated 'good' following its last Ofsted inspection in 2023
Headteacher Charlotte Thompson and Reach2 Academy Trust appear to have the support of the wider public, however, with comments online backing the policy
Both appear to have the support of the wider public, however, with comments online backing the policy.
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comments → open → policy
They include ‘Well done school, brilliant idea.
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They → include → idea
More schools should do this.
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schools → do → this
Training for life’ and ‘Poor little dears, they might just grow up to become better citizens’.
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they → grow → life
A trust spokesman said: ‘It is absolutely not the case that pupils are being used to replace lunchtime staff or to fill a staffing gap.
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pupils → say → gap
‘There has been no reduction in lunchtime staffing, pupils are not carrying out the role of midday supervisors, and lunchtime continues to be supervised by school staff.’
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lunchtime → carry → staff
The tasks had been risk assessed, the spokesman added, and adjustments were made for children with additional needs.
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adjustments → assess → needs
Insisting that ‘the responsibilities are age-appropriate’ and pupils' reactions had been ‘positive’, he continued: ‘We recognise that some parents have questions about the initiative and the school will continue to listen to and engage with families.’
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school → insist → families
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