My mother was a dining supervisor, and likes to recall playing with the children, teaching them to skip and ensuring they had fun. I remember my own lunchtimes as fun, too: filled with games of bulldog and my pathetic attempts at gymnastics.

How much do children enjoy lunchtimes now? Some still manage it. But, for many, breaktimes are not much fun at all. Let’s have a look at what we can do to change that.

1. Relationships

If you have dining supervisors who are specific to your lunchtimes, then there is only a small window of time in which they are able to develop a relationship, not only with one child but with your whole school. Use opportunities to facilitate these relationships. Invite your dining supervisors in for open afternoons, school plays, coffee mornings, assemblies…whenever you can, really.

2. Differentiation

Imagine you were a child and you walked out on a Monday to play football, you walked out on a Tuesday to play football and you walked out on a Wednesday to (guess what?) play football. Bored yet? Children need different activities during their lunchtimes. Teach them playground games.

3. Support

Some children can’t cope with an hour of unstructured time. Reduce this for them. Try bringing them in 15 minutes early to play a game of Guess Who? or make something creative, then settle them ready for when the others come in.

Tracey Lawrence is assistant headteacher and specialist leader of education in social, emotional and mental health at Danemill Primary School in Leicester

Want to ask a question? Send your queries to Tracey @behaviourteach and join her for a weekly Twitter chat on Mondays during term time from 8-8.30pm by following the #behaviourchat hashtag