Pupils 'left hungry' due to lunchtime queues - mum

Haughton Academy said it has since "tweaked" its staggered lunchtimes

Parents have complained their children have been unable to eat lunch at school and are going home hungry, due to long queues.

Haughton Academy in Darlington had to "tweak" lunchtimes for each year group on Monday, after students claimed they did not have time to eat from the cafeteria.

One mum said her Year 9 daughter only managed to grab something for the first time on Tuesday but did not have time to eat, adding: "It is just frustrating as a parent that my child isn't eating anything until she's home."

A school spokesperson said: "We have never knowingly turned a pupil away from having food."

The new school term began on 4 September and its hour-long lunch period starts at 12:00 BST.

However, the new staggered timings mean Year 9 students cannot enter the cafeteria and start queueing until half an hour later, the parent said.

The mum, who wanted to remain anonymous, was hopeful the changes would result in her daughter being able to eat, but added: "Again [on Monday] my daughter didn't manage to grab anything.

"To me, 30 minutes isn't enough for that year [group]," she told the BBC.

'More challenging'

Other parents took to social media to hit out at the queueing system, one said it was "disgusting that kids are going all day without lunch", while another asked: "I'm just wondering when they get the time to socialise?"

Haughton Academy said the first week of the school year tended to be "more challenging" due to the "high number of new pupils on site experiencing the lunchtime systems for the first time".

"The school operates two eating areas and staggered lunchtimes for various year groups to help minimise waiting times and these have now been tweaked so pupils have ample time to enjoy their food.

"All years were through by 12:42 BST on Tuesday. This was the same on Monday."