A meal break can look simple on a schedule. The difficulty comes when a call moves, a costume change takes longer than planned or the child has already been at the venue for several hours. New chaperones need to know which figures are legal minimums, and where professional judgement still matters.
This guide covers performance and rehearsal days in England. It does not apply the same break table to paid sport or paid modelling. The child’s licence, local authority conditions and production procedures may add requirements for the particular job.
Start with time at the place, not time on stage
Regulation 23 of the Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014 uses the time a child is present at the place of performance or rehearsal. This is different from counting only the minutes spent performing.
For practical planning, begin with the child’s actual arrival time. Look at how long they will remain at the place, including waiting, costume, make-up and other parts of the production day. A meal eaten in the holding area still happens while the child is at the place, so the arrival and departure times remain central to the calculation.
The legal minimums at a glance
The table below sets out the minimum breaks in regulation 23. These are legal minimums for the situations shown, not a target schedule.
| Child’s age and time present | Minimum breaks in regulation 23 |
|---|---|
| Under five, present for less than four consecutive hours | Any break that is given must last at least 15 minutes. |
| Under five, present for four or more consecutive hours | The breaks must include at least one meal break of 45 minutes. Any other break must last at least 15 minutes. |
| Aged five or over, present for more than four but less than eight consecutive hours | One meal break of at least 45 minutes, plus one other break of at least 15 minutes. |
| Aged five or over, present for eight or more consecutive hours | One meal break of at least 45 minutes, plus two other breaks of at least 15 minutes each. |
For a child under five, regulation 23 also says breaks are used for meals, rest, education and recreation. That does not mean every break must do all four jobs. It tells productions what break time is for.
There is a small but important wording point for children aged five or over. The first threshold is more than four consecutive hours. A plan lasting exactly four hours does not meet that test in regulation 23(2). That does not mean a four-hour plan should contain no break. The child’s needs, the work, the licence and any local conditions still matter.
Minimum does not mean ideal
The Department for Education’s published advice for England says the breaks in the regulations are minimums. It adds that children may need more or longer breaks because of the activity, the individual child and the circumstances.
This is departmental advice, not statutory guidance. The distinction matters, but the practical point is sound: reaching the minimum figure does not prove that the day is working well for the child.
A younger child, a demanding dance call, a hot costume or a tiring journey may change what is reasonable. So can illness, distress or an additional need. The approved chaperone’s legal role includes care and control of the child and safeguarding, supporting and promoting their wellbeing. The chaperone should notice how the child is coping and raise a concern through the agreed production route.
Work from the live day
Suppose a ten-year-old arrives at 9am and is due to leave at 4.30pm. That is seven hours and 30 minutes at the place, so the regulation 23(2) minimum applies: one 45-minute meal break and one other break of at least 15 minutes.
If a delay moves departure to 5.15pm, the child will be present for eight hours and 15 minutes. The plan has crossed the next threshold. The day now needs the breaks required by regulation 23(2), plus at least one further 15-minute break.
A call sheet can help with the first plan, but it cannot be the final answer once timings change. Keep an eye on actual arrival, the breaks already taken and the likely departure time. A delayed call should not quietly use up the period that was meant to be a proper meal or rest break.
Make a break usable
A break needs enough practical space around it to work. If the child spends most of a 45-minute meal break queuing for food, travelling across a large site or waiting for permission to remove part of a costume, raise the problem. Do not wait until the next call is due.
Before the day starts, check:
- where the child will eat and rest;
- how food will be available at the planned time;
- whether costume, make-up or travel within the venue affects the plan;
- who updates the schedule when calls move;
- how actual breaks are recorded in the production’s approved system; and
- who the chaperone should contact if the legal minimum or the child’s welfare is at risk.
This is a practical planning list, not wording prescribed by regulation 23. The licensing authority must impose any licence conditions it considers necessary to protect the child’s fitness, health, kind treatment and education. Read the child’s licence rather than assuming the general table is the whole arrangement.
Know when to check
Regulation 23 also contains a separate rule about the interval between certain consecutive performances. This article does not set out that test because it depends on the type and duration of the performances, whether they are at the same place and whether travel is needed. Check regulation 23(4) and (5), the licence and the relevant local authority if the child is doing more than one performance in a day.
If the schedule no longer works, keep the child supervised and speak to the licence holder or named production lead. Ask the relevant local authority when the licence or local procedure needs clarification. Chaperone Collective provides practical guidance and signposting, not legal advice. You can find more beginner-friendly material in the Chaperone Collective Resources hub.