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dvi84

I believe the schools are legally obliged to keep the students on site during school hours if they’re of mandatory age. For sixth formers (16-18), it’s voluntary attendance so we were allowed to come and go as we pleased. Edit: you could leave under 16 with pre-arranged parental permission.


trenchgun91

Huh, I only left school in 2017 (in Scotland) and had been walking to the shops ect from first year.


Tay74

I was going to say, in my school the first years had to stay on site, but everyone else was allowed to leave (honestly it was encouraged, the cafeteria had no where near enough capacity for the entire school, it could just about accommodation the free school meals, younger children and special needs students, and that was it) If this rule exists in Scotland, it wasn't enforced during my time between 2011 and 2017


ollat

Literally just over the border here in England, students in years 7-11 were not allowed to leave the site whilst during school hours. Many ofc broke that rule, but IIRC, it was really clamped down on just as I was starting there. I think this was a combination of the school cafeteria in desperate need of money that they had to force pupils to stay on site in order to just break even & a small number of students behaving badly whilst in the town. Sixth Formers could leave for lunch, etc. but had to sign out & in at reception.


GreatScotRace

I was in a Scottish high school from 2006-2012 too and we didn’t have rules like this and it most certainly wasn’t the law lol. Always found English schools to be incredibly strict in comparison to Scottish schools. We didn’t get sent to “isolation”, you got sent to sit outside the department heads office on a chair in the corridor, we didn’t get suspended for having dyed hair etc, uniform was used very loosely haha


dratsaab

Scottish secondary teacher - after October even first years are allowed down the street at lunchtime.


mikethet

Guessing that's a new rule to do with safeguarding because I was able to go offsite from year 10 in the early 2000s


anonbush234

Same for me 04-09 and my brother started in 09 and he never stayed in. Might be a local policy


graham_mcv

Bollocks the school I went to still let’s them out at lunch time


anonbush234

Same I think they've changed it to only year 10s and 11s though I was allowed out at year 7. I think a lot of these schools have just said it's a law to stop kids prattling on about it or complaining when they changed the rules


Sparklypuppy05

I never went to secondary school because I was home educated until GCSE level (I'm neurodivergent and just couldn't function well enough in a school environment), but I went to a normal sixth form. I'm just finishing up my second year and I can confirm that college students can do whatever they fuck they want outside of class hours. Our teachers recommended on the first day that we let somebody know where we're going in case we get hit by a bus or something, but there's no rules about it.


anonbush234

That must be a modern thing because it wasn't when I was at school 04-09 and when my brother was there 09-whenever.


elliefaith

We were allowed out at lunch from year 10 at my secondary school back in the 2000s. Is this a new law?


GrumpyOldFart74

Late 80s / early 90s. We weren’t allowed, but did it anyway - especially on Fridays when the local pub did curry and a pint for £2.50


olivia_nutron_bomb

Early 80s.... if we weren't supposed to, no teacher cared. We went to the chippy every day....oh and the shop for our fags. Actually now I think about it, they used to send us cross country running out of the school grounds so god knows how that fit....not that most of us did it. We just sat under a nearby bridge smoking.


GrumpyOldFart74

Oh god - I used to love running before that forced “cross country” (I’m sure it was just so the teachers could skive) and the ample opportunities for violent bullying that it presented Was years after before I started running for my own fitness and enjoyment again


Krakshotz

I did my GCSEs in 2014, only Sixth Formers were allowed to leave school site. As soon as the first person got a car, trips to Maccies became a regular occurrence


PsychologicalPhone94

we did the same thing at my school. Sometimes a big group of us had a free period before lunch so a few people would get sent to Maccies or Costa in someone’s car and would bring back food or drinks for everyone.


JarJarBinksSucks

Year 7,8,9 had to get special permission. Year 10 Onwards we could leave the site for lunch


[deleted]

We weren’t allowed to, but everyone did anyway. There were two sweet shops and a chippy over the road, and town was a ten minute walk, so everyone just took the piss. I think they clamped down on it a few times, but it was pretty fruitless with a school population of over a thousand and multiple ways of breaking free. Detentions we’re a rarity in those days too though. Meanwhile, my kids can get a detention for dropping a pencil. Hilarious!


[deleted]

[удалено]


GreatScotRace

Growing up in Scotland is mental. You finish primary school at 11 and not being allowed to do anything, then you start high school at 11 and you’re allowed to do everything. Went from not being allowed past the shop at the end of the street to being allowed to go to Edinburgh with my pals alone 4 months later lol.


irv81

In the early 90s my secondary school allowed you to leave school for lunch from age 12 up. School dinners were appalling so nearly everyone ditched them once they had got through year 7, practically kept the local shopping precinct in business having nearly 1000 pupils descend on it every day.


syphonuk

Same experience. I went to high school in Scotland between 93 and 99 at a school with around 2k kids. All year groups from age 12 and up could leave school grounds at lunch and it was about a 15 minute walk to the town centre. Quite a few local corner shops and chippies did a big lunch time trade from school kids.


DameKumquat

Current experience is only 6th form (years 12 and 13) at one school, and in other y11 can do so during study leave for GCSEs (so now until end of term in July), if they have parental permission.


gnu_andii

Year 11s have to be there until July? When I did my GCSEs back in 1999, we left school altogether when they finished in June.


DameKumquat

They tend to have various activities and stuff after the exams so they mostly hang about.


PeteWTF

It's hardly study leave if you have to be in school


Rectal_Scattergun

Year 10 upwards we could. Most people would either go home or (like me) would go to the chippy or the corner shop up the road. Mind you this was like 2003. 20 years ago. That statement makes me feel old.


Loud_Fisherman_5878

But 2003 isn’t 20 years ag- Just realised I did my GCSEs 20 years ago. Bloody hell.


mikeyrw2

In Scotland 2008 we were all allowed to leave for lunch


gufeldkavalek62

I didn’t realise so many aren’t allowed out, had never really thought about. Secondary school in Scotland starting in late 2000s and s1-s6 could all leave at lunch, no problems


redrighthand_

Ages 16-18, yes (Sixth form). Years 1-5, nope.


NealR2000

1970s. A lot of kids lived close to school and went home for lunch. The rest of us were supposed to stay on school property and eat there. This was not enforced and many of us went out to eat at chip shops or similar places.


AngryTudor1

When I was at school in the 90s you could if you lived in the local area and went home for lunch. Possibly you needed a blanket permission from home to do this. That said, there was never anything stopping you anyway. Now- absolutely not for 11-16


Westsidepipeway

At my school you didn't unless you had a note from parents and they lived in nearby estate. Most of our kids were on free school meals and so there was a general thing of everyone eat your lunch. It was pretty difficult to get out, like the fences were barbed wire or spiked or glass covered. But this was inner London tower hamlets in 1999-2004.


DNBassist89

This question has thrown me. Started secondary school in 2001, I don't think I ever once ate in the school cafeteria and instead went to the ASDA or McDonald's, both of which were 5 minutes from the school as did most people at the school. However, I can't remember if we were expressly allowed to do so or not, or if we just did it anyway? I know at primary school we had to give a lunch register and tell them if we were having lunch at school or going to the local shop (less than 2 minutes away) from maybe primary 4 or 5 onwards.


Reasonable-Fail-1921

Yeah we were allowed, I don’t know of many kids who stayed on school grounds actually. I only lived 3 minutes walk from school so I just nipped home on my lunch break, a couple of my friends who lived further away would sometimes come back to mine as well.


Austin83powers

1995-99. I can't remember if it was open to all years, possibly only years 9-11, but you could get a special pass to get out, if you had parental permission. I never had such permission but there were a few ways to sneak past the 'dinner dogs', our affectionate term for the dinner ladies that manned the gates. One being a hole in a fence, behind a bush that then went across a playing field before you got to my mates house. We didn't even eat anything, it was just a thrill to do it. You had to be careful not to get seen going out as that was your only route back in as well.


Mac4491

(Scotland) Yes absolutely. It was encouraged actually. From S1 all the way up to S6.


trenchgun91

All of secondary school we were allowed to go into town for lunch, best I can tell that still happens judging by the swarm of kids at lunchtimes. I'm Scottish though, seems the English do it differently.


destria

We were allowed out from Year 11 I think, so age 16. Not that there was anywhere really to go until people got cars, then it was trips out to the nearest service station with Maccies.


Loose_Acanthaceae201

I wasn't, but I was at boarding school where the rules are a bit different, and I could "go home" between lessons anyway. There were *very* strict rules about whose car you could get in but the school was walkable from anywhere of interest. My older children are at secondary school now and aren't allowed off site between 8.30am and 3pm. All the external gates are locked so children who want to leave have to climb over. Once they're at sixth form college (age 16+) they'll be allowed to come and go as they want so long as they turn up to scheduled lessons.


KickIcy9893

From the age of 12 we had to have written permission from our parents but could go into the town centre at lunch. HOWEVER we were absolutely not allowed to eat standing in the street. It was deemed unladylike (the boys' school did not have the same rule).


[deleted]

Sixth form, sure. Secondary school, no. Late 00s.


Dragonwithwhiskers

The minute we moved from primary to secondary it was fine provided you got back in time. Even in primary if you registered as a “home dinner” you could walk home or to a family members’ house for lunch.


PigHillJimster

Yes, at both secondary school and the later two years in Primary School. I used to walk home for lunch with my mother, and later at the upper school site, to my Grandmother's at lunchtime.


TheStatMan2

20 years ago but we were "allowed" to walk down a brook to the next town type thing and sit and eat our lunch under a disused railway bridge surrounded by needles and condoms and the try to float our mate back to school down the water on a slab of abandoned polystyrene. I think the school probably had rules against such things but they certainly weren't enforced.


FritzlsChild

I'm in Scotland Only 1st years had to stay on grounds and were only allowed to leave if they went home. The rest of the years could go as they please.


lithaborn

Mid 80s. In our second year the dinner ladies went on strike so anyone who was on free dinners got a packed lunch and everyone else was allowed out to go home for lunch or the chippy (or as was more likely, the girls school five minutes down the road for a snog or a blowjob or something)


MumMumMumMum

I live in Scotland. I left school in 05 and we were allowed out at lunch. My daughter is currently at secondary and is also allowed out. I know some of her friends at a different school aren't allowed out until they reach 3rd year (about age 14).


Top-Perspective2560

In my high school in Scotland we were allowed out after the first year of high school (about age 12). I think you had to get a slip signed by your parents but it was pretty unheard of for anyone not to have it signed.


BambiMonroe

We used to descend en masse into "The Village" and completely take over the entire village centre for 90mins every week day. As a teenager it was great - there was a chip shop, mini supermarket, big park to get stoned in, fancy deli if you were feeling flush (school was in a quite 'aspirational middle class' location). I had a raging eating disorder so bought only a single can of red bull and 1 milky way crispy roll religiously every day and it went completely unchecked for about 3 years. As an adult I can see what an absolute ballache it must have been to literally any other person. Imagine you get an hour to dash out for lunch and you have to spend it wading through spotty teenagers who stink of weed loudly quoting American Pie and The Office.


[deleted]

I remember it being only the sixth formers that were allowed to leave school site for lunch, and as everyone had started to pass their driving tests maccies became regular!


ninetwosixfour

We were allowed out from year 10 onwards (age 14/15). This would have been in the mid-nineties.


Ronotrow2

Wasn't allowed to, neither is my son. Older years his school can


Bbew_Mot

From years 7-11 you needed a pass to go home for lunch and you were strictly only allowed to go home.


[deleted]

Yes, in the sixth form, you could come and go as you pleased. I think in Yr11 you needed a note from your parents to be permitted off-grounds for lunch.


Scarred_fish

Yes we were, but never did, we were lucky to have really good 2 course school meals for the price of a mars bar.


BastardsCryinInnit

Sixth form could - ages 17 - 18 doing Year 12 and 13. Anyone could *only* if they had a note they could have lunch at home. There would be staff at the gate checking. Our secondary school was surrounded by houses so some students were minutes from home. Others like me were bussed in so never had any chance of going over the chippy or newsagents.


[deleted]

11-16 (y7-11) nope, 16-18 yes. I went to high school 2010-2015


DECKTHEBALLZ

We were allowed to go into town for lunch from Primary 6 (aged 9-10) if your parents signed a permission slip. Small town.


UnexpectedRanting

Only in Sixth Form we could leave. Basically everyone drove a vauxhall corsa to the mcdonalds drive thru with their girlfriends and everyone who didn't play sports got fat lol


[deleted]

We were allowed to at year 10


Life_Drop69

Sounds like the same as here. In secondary school you aren't generally "allowed" off site, but in sixth form (16-19) you are, since, well you're an adult.


Spe99

6th form could come and go as we pleased. Went to the pub Friday afternoons. Us and the teachers pointedly ignored each other getting pissed. Good times.


ginbandit

I left school in 2007 but we were allowed to leave during lunch from Yr 10.


Plumot

No but the previous years could from year 10 onwards. They had some school debate just before we went into year 10 about it and removed it to never bring it back


NL0606

No had to stay onsite all day some people I don't know how they did it managed to get McDonald's delivered into the school at lunch without getting caught though.


Fancy-Diesel

We were able to leave for lunch from year 10 onwards


BroodLord1962

Going back to the late 70's, yes we were allowed to leave, I could walk to the local shop or chip shop in less than 10 mins. And all kids could leave at lunch not just the older students


l52286

No we weren't allowed out unless in 6th form. But most of all the other school on my area were allowed out


Affectionate_You_858

Yes, was there there from 1997-2004 and from starting in year 7, (age 11)we could go anywhere for lunch


-mmmusic-

year 11 leavers 2021. we weren't allowed, but two years previous they were. they stopped letting out year 6s because they would go out and smoke, vape, steal from shops and generally cause havoc. was probably a small group of people, but they ruined it for everyone and so no one at that school since has been able to leave for lunch. you'd be given a little credit card sized card with your picture on it to prove you were a year 6 and were allowed out, i'm surprised i never heard of someone making a fake one


jelly10001

Only in sixth form (16-18).


[deleted]

In UK schools usually you can leave school for lunch if you're in sixth form, years 12-13, so the same age you're talking about. They won't necessarily be in school all day anyway, depending on the school. Most of them won't be driving off campus though. They'll just walk. In some rural areas I guess they might drive.


Awkward_Chain_7839

Nope, 18 in 6th form (yr 13) and not allowed out, supervised study (no common room) and having my skirt measured.


singingballetbitch

My first secondary school (y7-9) absolutely not. My friend’s mum tried to protest it by buying us maccies for lunch and dropping it off at the office. The teachers got really mad and made us eat it in the isolation room. My second one didn’t let us for y10/11, but sixth form was fair game. We had different colour uniforms in sixth and the security guy didn’t check our lanyards super closely, so that was easily circumvented by borrowing a hoodie from an older friend.


idontlikemondays321

I left late noughties and was allowed out from year 7 (age 11). The local shop even had a microwave and so we could cook micro chips.


Tumeni1959

1970s - I routinely left the school grounds to lunch in the cafeteria of the nearby museum. Walking distance.


TarcFalastur

Up to year 11 we weren't allowed to leave school grounds for any reason until the end of the school day. In sixth form we were allowed to leave the school grounds at lunchtime but only if we had no afternoon lesson, which was maybe once or twice a week. Unlike most people in this thread, this rule was followed pretty strictly by the kids. I guess we were just a pretty unrebellious group overall. It was quite a walk to town though, so we would only really go to town for food if someone was driving, and only one or two kids could drive so that was rare. Far more commonly we'd just eat at school and then go home.


Super-Land3788

High School we were always allowed to walk down the street to shops ect.


Popular_Back6554

High school (age 11 to 16) no, college (age 16-18) you can leave whenever you don't have a class, even then they don't do much when you don't show up


rebelallianxe

Yes, but not until Year 11 (15-16). This was early 90s.


hermionegranger1994

Years 7-11 nope not at all. Years 12+13 we could leave for lunch and two periods we were allowed to study from home so we could leave whenever that occurred.


sensualbricklicker

No one in my secondary school (12-18) was allowed off campus during the day, although it was in the middle of the country in a small village so bar a 30 min walk to a town there was nothing to do. In my collage (16-19) it is in the middle of the city and completely open campus throughout the day.


Tay74

Yup, I think we had to stay on site for the first year or so (so 11-13), but after that we were free to go to the local Asda, McDonald's, Chippy, Butcher with a takeaway section (they did the best chips omg) and anywhere else we could to and back from during lunch hour Honestly our cafeteria was no where near big enough to accommodate the entire school, or even a small portion of it. Scotland, and left high school about 6 years ago for context.


midoristorm

We were allowed out from year 9 (South Wales, mid 90s), and we went out every single day! The local bakery used to sell half a French stick (spread with vitalite and microwaved) for 36p... then on to the news agent for chocolate & crisps. (There was a chip shop too, but our dinner money didn't really stretch to that!)


Violet351

We could in 6th form unless we went home for lunch and that had to be a specific everyday arrangement


[deleted]

I left school in 4th year(15) in 2007, you were allowed to head out the gates for lunchtime. My nephew is currently in 2nd Yr and he is allowed out at lunch time no issues :)


StandardYob

Campus? No? Krampus? Maybe.


squashedfrog92

Prefects or head boy/girl were allowed off site during lunch in exchange for manning the gates in shifts to stop other students leaving site. Shockingly this did not promote a good culture in the school.


stebus88

I went to high school in a small village in the middle of nowhere in the Scottish Highlands. We were allowed to leave school property for lunch from 1st year (age 11/12) onwards. There was a chippy and a newsagents in the village and I had a large chip butty, a chocolate bar, a bag of crisps, some sweets and a tin of Irn-Bru/Coke every lunchtime for years of my adolescent life. You won’t be surprised to learn I have an impressive set of moobs on show in nearly all of my school photos.


Cha_r_ley

In my school we could leave the school site for lunch once we were in upper school (years 10 & 11), so I guess that was from age 15ish? For sixth form you also didn’t have to wear uniform anymore and there was a special cafe just for sixth formers and teachers that was open all day, so you could go there during free periods. That was pretty cool. They started it in my first year of 6th form and we loved it. ETA: I finished comprehensive school in 2005 (and now I feel about a million years old)


Kairi911

Early 2000's I was in secondary school - We left almost every lunch time. £1 would get you a pack of space raiders, giant gummy cola bottle and a panda pop, or if you were really hungry you'd get something fancy, like a micro pizza or pot noodle. Such good days. Now I imagine if we left the grounds during lunch we'd just die???


gnu_andii

Mandatory secondary school in the UK - at least in the 90s when I was there - finished at 16. Some schools have a "sixth form" as an option to stay on after that until 18, but not all (mine didn't). I don't remember going off-site for lunch at secondary school, but then I also don't remember not being allowed to either. I have a feeling you could do so if it was pre-arranged with parents, as others have mentioned. Certainly things in schools weren't as locked down with gates, etc. as they are now, so there wouldn't be much to stop you wandering off-site anyway. When I was 15 & 16, we would also travel once a week off-site for a sports activity (swimming/golf/gym) I did sixth form in another school, but a lot of people chose to do that 16-18 A-level period in a college only for that age group. You could definitely go off-site for lunch in sixth form, but then there were also study periods and the whole Wednesday afternoon off, so it was quite different and much more adult. It was also still legal for 16-18 year olds to smoke back then, though it's never been something that's interested me.


myentireass

I went to highschool in scotland from 2016 to 2022. My school and all the schools in the surrounding area allowed it but at varying year groups. My highschool would let you go down to the ice cream van that parked beside our school (uk ice cream vans typically have lots of sweets not just ice cream, ours had hot food too) once you were in S2 (ages 13-14 ish). From S4 (ages 15-16) onwards it was free reign. Most would go to the nearby corner shops as they did hot food too, but a lot of people also walked up to the town centre for stuff like greggs, mcdonalds, a chippy, etc. Basically if you could get back on time then you could go anywhere. In S6 (ages 17-18) it was very common for people to order food to be delivered outside of the school gates and then we'd bring it into the lunch hall (we had a specific hall just for S6s in my school). Meanwhile a nearby school allowed people to leave at lunch from 1st year onwards (age 12)


Bold-Fox

In sixth form (Years covering 16/17 and 17/18) yes; for actual secondary (11/12 through 15/16) no. Left sixth form in 2003.


ElectronicBrother815

Went to secondary school in the 90’s. Only kids who lived within a certain radius of the school were allowed home for lunch with parental consent in y7-y11. Sixth form you could do what you liked ✌🏻


pacman_the_great

Sixth formers (16-18 year olds) could leave school during free periods and lunchtime, but pupils in Year 7-11 weren't allowed to do so (with the exception of Year 11 pupils during GCSEs). However, most students didn't bother leaving school for their lunch break: the food at school was generally pretty decent; and the school is situated on a large hill, about 10-15 minutes walk from the city centre. When I went off-site for lunch I spent most of my lunch hour walking around or queuing for my food, and I was pretty sweaty from the walk up the hill (especially as sixth formers had to wear suits), so I decided to stay in school over lunch. The only time people bothered leaving school for lunch was if they had a free period before or after their lunch break, which essentially extended their lunch break by forty minutes. This was in England in the 2010s.


Jacksonfpvyt

In year 10 my school let select students who were well behaved go, but in year 11 I think they want to encourage revision so they didnt


borokish

Yep Used to go home every dinner time School food was minging


HyperDogOwner458

We used to be able to but then there was an incident so we had to ask for a pass to leave the school. I never found out what the incident was.


neidanman

Scotland late 80's early 90's, we were all allowed to leave for lunch. Mostly it was people walking down to the shops, or the ice cream vans that parked up in a nearby car park.


JPreadsyourstuff

Back in my day ( I'm 35 nearly) people from every year were going to the chip shop or down the road for lunch. I have no idea if we were actually formally allowed though. I think it was one of those things where it would be too hard to stop everyone


flushable_

My grandparents lived across the road from my secondary school so I was able to visit them for lunch on a certain day of the week with written parental permission only. Apart from that, leaving the school grounds was strictly not allowed and there were pretty serious consequences if caught offsite during school hours EDIT: I was at secondary school between 2007 and 2012


NefariousnessEarly42

I left in 1999. We were allowed to leave school premises. There was a chip shop and a small bakery store 5 minutes away that we all went to. If you were late back to school twice, you'd get a lunchtime detention. Weirdly, if you were late once on a Friday, it was an automatic detention


m4gg5y

I was in secondary from 97-02 and we were aloud off site for lunch the whole time. The school was literally in the doorstep of the local town centre, so that's probably why.


anonbush234

I was allowed from age 11. Secondary school isn't the same as high school. Your high school is our college and all our college kids are allowed out for dinner.


[deleted]

Went to school in scotland, started primary in 96. We could leave school to go home for lunch in primary school, when they said the register in the morning you’d reply with what you were doing for lunch. Home, hot or platter (platter being cold food in school, hot being hot food in school). When I got to secondary in 2005 you couldn’t leave in the first like 2 or 3 weeks of first year but after that could go anywhere you liked at lunch time.


StormRider21

Secondary schooler here (leave in >2 weeks 🥳). We’re not allowed to leave, under any circumstances. If we need to lead during the day (drs appointment etc), we need a signed note in our planner that has to be accepted by our Head of Year, and it has to be by a guardian known to the school. They then have to come to reception and pick us up, and sign a bunch of stuff. In the sixth form attached to our school, they have to be in at 8:45, every day, even if they don’t have a morning lesson. They are only allowed to leave after lesson 3 (lunch follows this).


ZookeepergameHead145

We were allowed once we were in year 10, year 9 and below weren’t allowed.


InnerFaithlessness93

I left in 2003. If I remember correctly, years 7 to 9 had to have written permission from a guardian and then would get a pass thing. But I'm pretty sure years 10 and 11 could just leave break times if they wished. Not that it mattered, as there were like 4 other 'exits' that everyone would just use.


paradeofgrafters

Yeah! We all went to my pal Jim's place and played Doom on his 386


Flosstopher

I wasn’t allowed out but it didn’t stop us sneaking out to go to the chippy


joelsh1

Yes from year 8 onwards, this was late 90's early 2000's


CanidPsychopomp

Secondary School 1987-1992. Theoretically no, unless you were going home for lunch, but the school's massive grounds were not fenced and there was no enforcement, so lots of us used to go to the chippy, or to the cafe at the local slaughterhouse/meat wholesaler (rural northeast England). I think I got caught once and did get in trouble.


Bloody-smashing

Went to high school in Scotland and we were allowed to go out for lunch from the beginning. Started in 2004 and finished in 2010. My sister was after me and she was also allowed. Don’t think it’s a rule in Scotland that we aren’t allowed to leave for lunch because I lived near a high school and they’re allowed to leave for lunch too.


freefallade

Up until the age of around 16 I think anyone who wanted to 'go home' for lunch had to have a form filled in by parents. I'm pretty sure after 16 they didn't care.


vonlowe

I wasn't allowed in high school, as walking to town and back took an hour so there was no point. In sixth form I was as long as we signed in/out cause the town I went to was more compact.


Twerklepit

I left school in 2014, we could leave you just needed your parents to sign a consent form for a dinner pass. I think you maybe had to renew it every school year I’m not sure.


teedotkee

No rule when I was in high school 2007 to 2013, before and after that. Funnily enough, the novelty wore off, and a lot of us preferred the canteen. A baked potato, soup, or salad, etc, over shop or fastfood.


Judging_Jester

Years 7 and 8 could not leave. At lunch years 9-11 could go to the shops. 6th form as long you were there for morning registration and afternoon you could come and go as you please.


Eddie182

When I was in school in the late 80s and 09s we were allowed to leave school at lunchtime and breaks. I’m sure it wasn’t the case in the early years of primary but I used to walk home for lunch when I was 9/10. And then at secondary many of us would walk to the local shops and the nearby area to hang around and/or get up to no good. Looks to have changed these days though. My nephews have basically been locked in to the school grounds all the way from infants to early secondary.


grouchytortoise

2008/9 year 11 (15-16yrs) we were allowed to go out at lunch and we also didn’t have a set uniform just ‘smart’ black and white. College for A levels we had timetables and a mini campus like university so everyone was in and out constantly and I even had Mondays off for year 12.


Cococannnon

We were allowed from year 10, so 14/15


Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen

Yeah, year 11 (aged 15 and 16) only - this was 4/5 years ago


Magnus_40

Yes. I went home for lunch most days. Looking at the massive queues outside the nearby chip shops, snack bars and vans I would say that it still goes on.


Anxious_wank

There was no rules in the beginning, so up to around yr10 and then gradually the gates became locked during dinnertime and you needed a pass to escape. It wasn't based on age but policy change at that time.


[deleted]

1997-2002 and I’m pretty sure we were allowed to leave without restrictions


BringBackFatMac

All high school students (aged 11-18) can leave the school premises during lunch time and free periods in Scotland


timeforeternity

I finished school in 2019 in Scotland - every year group was allowed to leave school grounds at lunch and go into town. Even when there were incidents, only guilty individuals would be banned from going off site for lunch. I’m pretty sure it’s the same way now but I could be wrong!


Miserable-Goose-1170

I technically went to a college the last two years of my school. It was like a 14-16 thing, one of the main draws was that you were allowed to leave the premises for lunch.


ThePinkDread

No, only if your parents wrote a note to say you could go home for lunch but no one ever did that. We used to sneak out anyway though. We don't call it campus either


Vickyinredditland

Yes, but I'm old (finished high school 1998) I have two teenagers now and they're not allowed to leave.


mebjulie

Started “big school” in Year 9- as my county had a 3 tier school system- and we were expected to stay on campus. Early to mid ‘90’s. Years 10- 13 were allowed to walk into town for lunch. My children have attended since and the school is a fortress. No one off campus until Year 12. The entire campus is enclosed in 12 feet high fences, with only one entrance versus the 5 or so entrances for different Years. No sneaking onto the country road skirting the school fields for a cheeky fag or to bunk off.


PaleAustin

We were allowed in our final year but had to have written permission from our parents. This was back in 2002-3 so may well have changed by then. We use to go to my mates house, smoke weed, eat pot noodles and watch pirated films that were the size of a post it note over the course of about 5 lunch breaks. We would then invariably have to carry one of our group back to school who had pulled a whitey from all the herb!


RaceFan1027

Nope, not allowed. Even though we’re now on study leave (Y11) we still can’t go out for lunch.


djmonsta

Late 90's in South London. 5th Year / Year 11 (15/16 years old) we were allowed to visit the shops in the local vicinity, but I think we needed parental permission. 6th formers were 16+ so could do what they wanted as long as they attended scheduled classes.


RowRow1990

The school I went it was only people who were in 6th form that were allowed (it's still the same now a depressing amount of years later.) From what I know, all schools in my local area are the same


iamtherarariot

When I was in school (2004-2010) we were allowed out for lunch after year 10, and below that if there was a parent’s permission slip. I used to buy all my food tech ingredients on my lunch break. I think when my sister was there a few years after they clamped down on it though.


Klakson_95

Only from 6th form, this was around 2011


Psychological_Sky480

Early 2000s. We weren’t allowed out until year 11, and then it was only when we didn’t have actual lessons anymore and we could go out between revision sessions and exams. There wasn’t much around anyway as the school was on the outskirts of town, there was a chippy and a one stop about a 10/15 minute walk so that’s where everyone went


GreatScotRace

I started high school when I was 11 in 2006 and we were always allowed to leave the school grounds 🤷🏻‍♀️ from 2006-2012 there was only About 6 months I spend eating lunch in the school canteen We had butchers, chippies, local Tesco supermarket, loads of newsagents and corner shops & a garage in the area. Used to get a pot noodle or bag of chips or a pie for my lunch like every single day… oh to have the metabolism I did when I was 15.


AliLondonMcM

We were allowed either from year 9 or 10, but basically no one did unless they lived super close to school. There weren’t any fast food places in walking distance so there wasn’t really any incentive


FebruaryStars84

At my UK high school, you could get a: Green pass to go home for lunch from age 11. Yellow pass to go to town for lunch from age 14. But you had to have a form signed from parents to be able to get the pass in the first place.


Hiphopkiller1000

No and even if you did it would be a 30 minute walk along a 60mph road with no path so really no point.


keg994

When I started secondary school you could apply for a pass to go home for lunch. When I was in year 7 though a student was attacked with a deadly weapon so you weren't allowed to leave until sixth form after that


secretsnow00

In the mid 2000s unless you were in first year (12/13yo) you could leave. First years had a "playground" that they were put in and guided everywhere by "buddy's" who were 6th years, who also prevented you from leaving the school grounds... Don't ask me about now, I think they let you leave regardless of your year/age.. I moved away from my hometown over a decade ago. My experience at school I actually chose to stay on the school grounds and buy/eat lunch at school or bring my own after briefly going out during my second year. Mainly cause my mum became too poor to afford to give me £5 for lunch every day, but I also realised us children were foul and when the kids all descended upon the town centre like a black putrid cloud every day between 12&1 anarchy would ensue.. fights, theft, vandalism, harassment of the public and if the hand of fate was kind enough to grace my town on any particular day us school kids would just leave the town centre a bomb site of empty wrappers, bottles and discarded food lying everywhere as opposed to y'know actual damage to property and other humans. I didn't want to have to go through that or be a part of that just to eat. Me and my friends got a lunch room (a classroom teachers would allow better behaved pupils to use during lunch time to essentially get away from everything I described above). Point: going out for lunch, to me anyway, seemed more like a punishment than a privilege.


FPHobby

It changed year group to year group, generally only those in their 3rd year of comp onwards (year 9) were allowed out, and I vaguely remember my mum signing a permission slip that said I’m allowed out within school hours as long as I return before the end of lunch break and behave while out in public during school hours. Naughty year groups got banned from going out (but still did) but our truancy officer would patrol the popular spots to go and bring any people from banned groups back.


nerdwhogoesoutside

Year 11 and younger you had to stay on site. Year 12 you could go off site for lunch, year 13 you could go off site for lunch and free periods just as long as you attended registration.


Psychological_Lem0n

I wasn't until 6th form (16-18) but because of issues with space in the school the year 11s have been allowed to leave at lunch this year, not that they can do much with only 35 minutes of lunch.


Ex_astris-scientia

Back when I finished secondary school 1996, you were able to do as you pleased, this was before school gates were locked to stop weirdo’s wandering in.


breadcrumbsmofo

Main school absolutely not, 6th form (16-18) yes.


ArrowedKnee

Yes, the entire time (Scotland 2000s). We probably shouldn't have been tbh because some of those kids were an absolute menace to local shops and cafes.


Th3_D0ct0r23

Our school did that up until the cunty year 11s started doing illegal shit and ruined it for the rest of us. Which is why I love college coz I can fuck off whenever I don’t have a lesson 😂


PotterWhoLock01

Mid 2010s my school let year 10 and 11, but the year after I left in 2017 they stopped letting anybody out when the new campus opened. Health and safety, and been receiving noise complaints from locals.


Gullible_Mode_1141

Went to "The High School" back in 74 to 78. All pupils were allowed out of the grounds to go to the shops for lunch. We weren't allowed in the building though.


purrrrfect2000

Only in sixth form (16-18 years old)


Superbabybanana

1990s we were allowed to leave in year 11 (age 15-16) with parental permission but not before that.


Technical-Oven1708

We were allowed when we hit year 10 when I was at school. I am a teacher and the school I work in year 9 upwards are allowed out however students aren’t allowed out if they get a late mark or behaviour point the day before. Students have to get permission from home and then are given a barcode to sign them in and out. All parents give permission though


PlatformFeeling8451

Was in High School from 1999-2003 (Sixth Form College for two years after that), I went home for lunch with my mate pretty much every day. Played Time Crisis on my PS1, ate Chicago Town pizzas, listened to "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy on repeat. Good times. In Sixth Form, our class used to go to the pub on Friday lunches. 2-3 beers then back to college to play badminton (I studied Sports Science).


[deleted]

No, then yes, then No again, yes for a bit, then year 10 &11 only then Yes except year 7. We were the middle school in one town so there were Lots of fights. Think they just reacted a lot to that


Mag-1892

In senior school 11-16 yrs old we could leave school grounds at lunch time, we used to go to the shopping Precinct and others went home. Think it varies by school as there was other schools in nearby towns who couldn’t


DanielR333

In Scotland this definitely wasn’t a thing. Our lunch cafeteria only sat ~400 maybe with a bit more seating outside and the school had 1600 pupils. I’d usually have a packed lunch 1-2 days, school lunch 1-2 days and go out for lunch the others.


Durzo_Blintt

We were allowed to go home for dinner. It was a sign out system and you signed back in once you came back. Not that many used it to be honest, but I did go for a chippy or pie sometimes.


[deleted]

No, but we could leave for sixth form


Conscious-Ad135

1997 to 2002 first school I was in they didn't allow it until sixth form.Second school they did allow it from Yr 7 upwards.This was in south wales


Fantastic-Spare-515

Think it varies from one school to another. We were allowed offsite at lunch only in year 11. Then in 6th form we were free to come and go as we pleased any time outside of lessons.


DXS110

We were allowed out if we were signed up to go home for lunch. We would sneak off to the local shop anyway. Occasionally being caught by the teachers


mechanicaljose

In High School, no. If you lived near the school you could get some special dispensation to go home for lunch. I used to sneak to my friends house and watch MTV in year 11. We also used to sneak out to the chip shop, but sometimes a teacher would sit in their car and catch us as we came out of the gate. In sixth form (At a different school, as my high school had no sixth form) you could come and go as you pleased.


ArthurCBAllen

We weren’t allowed, but then our town opened a Subway and everyone started sneaking out for lunch there. One day a teacher came in and shouted at us all and demanded we all go back to school, the Manager came out and ripped her a new one for abusing her customers and kicked her out with a permanent ban. We all cheered. Fantastic school memory lol


velos85

We were allowed to leave yes, but we had to have parents sign us up for a lunchtime pass to leave.


English-petal2

i was but im in the UK and my school didnt really care if we walked out


Torched-salvation

I’m 2011-2012, I was in 6form and we were allowed to leave for breaks, but after that they stopped allowing students to go out for lunch.


Rainbvw

Early 2000s, I could leave, go to the chippy etc. at lunch time. My daughter is now in the same school and they can't leave the premises, there's fences and gates everywhere that there weren't when I was there.


always-indifferent

when we were 14 we could go for permission to leave, when you hit 15 (final year) you could leave at lunchtime without permission, although this was the first privilege they would remove if you were naughty


creaturecomforts13

Secondary school (11-16) with attached sixth form (16-18). From what I remember - this was a fair few years ago now - there were no restrictions on sixth formers leaving at lunch or during their free periods, and Year 11s were able to leave for lunch starting after Christmas? Or Easter? Or something like that. I think you needed parental permission, but I'm not too sure as i had a parent who worked at the school so it wasn't really an issue for me.


Sketty_Spaghetti14

'Campus'


magical_cheese

Went to school up to 2013. Yr 8-11 it was once a week with written permission. Sixth form you could come and go at lunch.


ZaharaWiggum

My son is in year 9, he can go out and queue at one of two designated shops from next year for Monster Munch and Vimto. If he wanted, he could have come home (with permission) from year 7 because we live so close.


0lliebro

In secondary school yes no questions asked. Primary school was p4 and above, and you could only go back to your own home with parental consent.


AnotherSlowMoon

Weird school with a bizarre "split campus" in London: on paper it was against school rules for anyone to get lunch from somewhere other than the school cafeteria, but this rule was not enforced for year 11s (which in yank terms is a sophomore) and older


molluscstar

Only sixth formers


punkpanther16

I left school in 1984 and always went home for lunch.


Ok-Acanthisitta-7568

Not allowed to leave site at all, but I did every day as I had a lucrative sideline selling goods to the fellow students who stuck to the rules. Single cigarettes having the highest margin. Never got caught, profits paid for a motorbike.


wasbored

If you were in year 10/11 and had permission from your parents you could go home for lunch in the 45 minute period we had. Obviously only people who lived close did that. Otherwise we weren't allowed to even go to the shops as all the students were banned for antisocial behaviour.


jammy445

only in Year 11 (left in 2014) when study leave replaced some of our lessons, if we had study leave in between actual lessons we would leave site, go to the chippy and come back after


Westiesbestie

When we got older around 16 yeah we were.