Parents accuse school of 'using' children as young as nine to plug gap in staffing levels by turning them into 'Mrs Mops' to clean up dining room

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 10:25 EDT, 15 September 2026 | Updated: 10:25 EDT, 15 September 2026 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.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.The school insists this is to instil ‘age-appropriate responsibility’ - but some mums and dads believe it is covering a shortfall in midday supervisors.They also questioned how hygienic the lunchtime scheme is, amid claims that children are not given gloves as they clear away mess, and criticised the loss of playtime that allows youngsters to recharge themselves mentally before afternoon classes.One said: ‘Our concerns are not about children taking responsibility for their own belongings or clearing their own plates.‘The issue is that the children are expected to handle other children's plates, cutlery and leftover food as part of the 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.’Another complained: ‘Making sure each child cleans up after himself or herself is exactly what the school should be doing. 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?’Yet another parent said: ‘We have repeatedly raised concerns about the amount of actual downtime the children are getting.‘We feel that this is an important part of the school day, particularly for children who need time to decompress, socialise and reset before returning to lessons - but the focus has been on how efficiently the system is working.’The school, whose mission statement is ‘Growing Learners for Life’, opened in 2018.It has around 370 pupils aged two to 11 and was rated ‘good’ following its last Ofsted inspection in 2023.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.Headteacher Charlotte Thompson and Reach2 Academy Trust have been contacted by a number of parents, who claim neither has responded to their 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 policyBoth appear to have the support of the wider public, however, with comments online backing the policy.They include ‘Well done school, brilliant idea. More schools should do this. Training for life’ and ‘Poor little dears, they might just grow up to become better citizens’.The trust didn’t respond to requests for a comment.But in a previous statement, a spokesman said: ‘It is absolutely not the case that pupils are being used to replace lunchtime staff or to fill a staffing 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.’The tasks had been risk assessed, the spokesman added, and adjustments were made for children with additional 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.’