Boarding school - is it normal?

No not normal, food may be basic but it's plentiful.

My dd also has access to a small kitchen with kettle, toaster and microwave and they are provided with bread, spread, cheese and milk daily. They have access to fresh fruit throughout the day but only three meals 7 days a week - most skip Sunday breakfast and turn up at 12.30 on the dot for lunch or they go offsite to Nando's being older. Some of the boys do finish off the girls meals I hear, but dd says it's too much food for her.

I’d send double lots of pyjamas so he can layer them up and bed socks as well.

IME private schools are strapped for cash. They might look the business but they cut costs wherever they can. My relative works at one and they cheapened the catering, they have textbooks that are filthy and falling apart and the exercise books and other stationery got cheapened as well.

So I would say it’s normal and I would pack as much food as you can.

theredjellybean
Yes lots of food available. May not be haute cuisine but I don't think anyone goes hungry!

I'm all for getting to the bottom of things before going into school with all guns blazing. However, you shouldn't be afraid of discussing your child's worries with them. He is after all boarding, not just there for lunchtime- so this needs addressing immediately.

They should be happy to help with any concerns that you may have.

Being warm at night and adequately fed are basic requirements. Even if 100 posters replied to the title of this thread to say it was 'normal' for boarding children to be hungry and cold that wouldn't make it ok. This wouldn't happen though, because it's not normal and it's not ok.

Happylilac.. You sound very sensible about all this and ignore people saying you must pull him out etc.
Over the years I found that it was worth doing a bit of digging into what the kids said before I went in all guns blazing.
It sounds like there is enough food it maybe for various reasons your ds is just not eating enough of it or doesn't like it much.
Nowadays most schools I know are very watchful of who is eating or not and very quick to take action if someone is not eating well.
Maybe the moans about food are just teen grumbles.. My dd2 is currently furiously whatsapping me about the fact there is "literally no WiFi at school, it's rubbish"... I know it is fine albeit a bit slow... Suck it up dd2!

@dumbledora
That is both my own and my dds experience of various boarding schools.
I asked my brother yesterday and two of my cousins.. We all boarded, asked dd2 who is in last Yr and full boarding.. And none of us can ever remember there not being enough food.
Far from it...

This is dreadful! As PP have said, it is not all right for your DC to be consistently hungry and cold at boarding school. It’s also not all right for a response to hunger to be more bread/biscuits/sweets.

Have you provided a locked tuck box? Pretty essential for boarders not just to keep non perishable food but anything else you want to keep private.

If your child is hungry and cold that sounds as if they are neglecting their duty?

OP why are you even asking if this is normal? Your son is telling you he is consistently both hungry and cold.

You need to take this up with the school.

It may be that your son is being fussy, or that his version of events is not accurate. You need to work this out, and make sure the school is addressing his needs.

It is not acceptable for a child at boarding school, (or at home), to be consistently hungry or cold. Children should feel comfortable to bring this up themselves with the school and the school should be falling over themselves to rectify the situation.

I'm not suggesting the school provides extra pizza or new central heating. I'm suggesting they find healthy solutions to address lack of food, and practical ways to keep him warm at night. The weather is pretty mild atm, it's only going to get worse.

Step up OP and parent your son rather than asking if 'this is normal' .

Graze boxes sent through the post were very popular when my DS was at boarding school if nuts are forbidden (by the way no boarding school I've ever worked in has ever banned nuts even with children with severe nut allergies living in boarding houses) you can ask to have them not included. Not huge portions but something to nibble on.

My DD is a day girl at a boarding school and often stays for tea because she likes the food so much. Lunch is amazing and plentiful with options like soup and salad bar in addition to main meals.
The mini malt loaf bars as someone suggests are great, we also have lots of healthy snacks at home including fruit bars, flavoured rice cakes, DD likes the little packets of pasta you make in a mug with hot water, dried coconut. Hope you get the extra bedding agreed to, it’s miserable being cold at night

”There’s a fridge in the house but there is no privacy and children constantly complain that someone took their food/drink.”
The housemaster should be addressing this one of the lessons children need to understand and learn when living communally like this is that you don’t steal other children’s belongings.

I don’t understand why you can’t provide extra bedding due to “safety reasons” how can a thinker duvet be unsafe, loads of children at boarding school bring in extra blankets duvets and God knows what else I’ve never heard of that just send a warmer duvet and extra blankets end of story.

DD currently a full boarder.
She has lots of choice at breakfast-full cooked breakfast, cereals, fruit, pastries etc.
Mid morning-fruit and left over pastries from bfast.
Lunch and dinner-about 3 choices, heavy on protein and carbs. Fruit /traditional hot pudding eg cake and custard, rice pud etc.

DD has said there is plenty of food but it gets very samey after a while.
In her house there is always bread, butter, and jam for supper.
The girls normally order pizza in as a treat on Sunday nights.
As for the bedding, she is allowed her own (the more childish the better-Disney princess is a fave.)

There is a tuck shop for extras.

I would be discussing this with the school tbh.

Malt loaf like the individual Soreen bars
Individual tubs of rice pudding, custard, fruit in jelly
Dried apricots and dates

Food is one area that can be a cost saving - they're saving here clearly!
I didn't board but s friend did and he said they thankfully had access to toast and marmite and essentially lived off it as food was rubbish and not enough of it.
I'd be raking my child out if they refused more food and another blanket - very basics, if they can't look after a child with food and comfort they're failing abysmally

Hmm. My son never complains about lack of food at school. He calls it 'fuel'. As for being cold at night, i thought schools had to maintain a certain temperature. No complaints here either

@KarlDilkington we always pass all inspections with flying colours, so I’m very surprised to hear that Home duvets can be a problem.

Also...they always say that the food is different/a lot better when parents are invited to the hall for dinner or lunch as part of another activity!

Also, cafe