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Original poster

School dinners cost to rise..

68 replies

Orangesandlemons77 · 11/04/2022 19:15

Had this in the recent newsletter, prices to rise anyone else?

Considering sending sandwiches in on some days. We use Parentpay and feel like I'm already often topping it up with £50... two teens,

OP posts:
HappyMeal564 · 22/04/2022 19:22

Is there pressure on kids from friends to buy school lunches instead of taking a pack up? Mine is starting primary where its packed lunch only but the thoughts of school dinner costs is scaring me already reading this, thats so expensive 😳

SushiGo · 22/04/2022 19:24

My teen takes a packed lunch. It's just so much cheaper. Every so often i'll put £5 on to buy something if we're really busy.

But as parents we are taking packed lunches to work too, so I guess it seems normal.

Plantsandpuddlesuits · 22/04/2022 19:28

Ours (teens) get £15 a week. They normally take break snack from home and then for lunch get a hot meal from school, sometimes a meal deal for £2.40 I think of a light meal eg Panini or pasta pot, drink and a cookie. In winter they sometimes get a hot snack at break eg bacon butty or hot chocolate so we will put a bit more money on then

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DownNative · 22/04/2022 19:28

FelicityPike · 22/04/2022 13:36

Nope because they’re free in Scotland. Nursery- P5 (P6 & 7 after the summer holidays).

Secondary school lunches are NOT 'free' in Scotland, you know.....

WeAllHaveWings · 22/04/2022 19:33

Ours is £2.15 a day. ds usually gets a hot pannini with salad/coleslaw, curry and rice type things, a muffin or fruit and a drink.

They order food the night before or before 10am in the morning on a portal and there are rarely problems getting what they ordered.

Bootothegoose · 22/04/2022 19:41

between allergies and the drivel on offer both of mine take packed lunches.

DS would be free as he is in the infants but DD is in juniors costing £2.50 a day that is for a shrivelled jacket potato and a handful of cheese or a single slice of pizza and some kind of cake or an apple but even packed lunches are expensive.

In the past three months our food shopping has increased by at least £10-£20 a week - it is relentless.

workwoes123 · 22/04/2022 20:24

Why are schools selling snacks at all? Mine have breakfast before school, lunch at school, a snack when they get home at 4:30, then dinner in the evening. That’s it. No tuck shop, no cafe, no snacks for sale at school. I can’t understand why people in the U.K. wring their hands over the obesity epidemic yet normalise eating cakes / muffins / crisps / donuts between meals at school.

sorry for going ot.

ReadyToMoveIt · 22/04/2022 20:36

workwoes123 · 22/04/2022 20:24

Why are schools selling snacks at all? Mine have breakfast before school, lunch at school, a snack when they get home at 4:30, then dinner in the evening. That’s it. No tuck shop, no cafe, no snacks for sale at school. I can’t understand why people in the U.K. wring their hands over the obesity epidemic yet normalise eating cakes / muffins / crisps / donuts between meals at school.

sorry for going ot.

Is it the same people complaining about the obesity epidemic who are eating cakes and donuts between meals?

Shinyandnew1 · 22/04/2022 20:40

I have never given my children dinner money every day-I have three children and it would cost a fortune. Nothing wrong with taking rolls.

ivegotthisyeah · 22/04/2022 20:42

Hate school dinners tiny portions disgustingly named dishes and an absolute rip off!!! Mine take pack up every day far cheaper

WeAllHaveWings · 22/04/2022 20:44

Teen Ds has breakfast at 7:30am. School lunch isnt until 13:15 he wouldn't last that long without 1/2 a chicken breast and salad wrap a small snack!

NeverDropYourMooncup · 22/04/2022 20:52

It's not just increases in food costs, it's also the National Insurance increase and fuel costs for cooking/refrigeration that has contribute to this - and they didn't make much money for two years whilst often having to pay staff for longer due to staggered lunchbreaks. And there has been a significant reduction in uptake since lockdowns in some schools, as there can be a preference for sitting away from the crowd/going outside which is often not allowed for those with meals rather than sanfwiches.

I'm not saying they're entirely innocent because that's what happens when private companies are given access to school catering - they make profits - but it's not an increase that has been plucked out of the air; there have been a number of factors which combined, lead to this.

ReadyToMoveIt · 22/04/2022 20:54

NeverDropYourMooncup · 22/04/2022 20:52

It's not just increases in food costs, it's also the National Insurance increase and fuel costs for cooking/refrigeration that has contribute to this - and they didn't make much money for two years whilst often having to pay staff for longer due to staggered lunchbreaks. And there has been a significant reduction in uptake since lockdowns in some schools, as there can be a preference for sitting away from the crowd/going outside which is often not allowed for those with meals rather than sanfwiches.

I'm not saying they're entirely innocent because that's what happens when private companies are given access to school catering - they make profits - but it's not an increase that has been plucked out of the air; there have been a number of factors which combined, lead to this.

Honestly I’d be happy to pay it (and more) if my children were getting a decent meal, but the quality at our school is horrendous. A lot of the ‘meals’ I wouldn’t feed to my dog.

AtomicBlondeRose · 22/04/2022 20:57

I don’t mind paying for our primary school dinners - they’re made fresh on site and the kids like them a lot so that’s fine.

I also teach sixth form and it’s true that a lot of students fill up on utter shit. The number of them who come into first lesson with chocolate/cookies etc is just awful. I do call them out on it but I can’t police what they eat! However there’s still a significant amount who bring food from home and some are very vocal about the cafe being a waste of money and that they choose to bring food.

ahahblueeyes · 23/04/2022 01:11

3.20 In Scotland

Mumof3girlsandaboy · 23/04/2022 01:42

My son’s school dinner is £2.30 and he is a fussy eater so we check the menu every Sunday night and then he picks the days he wants to eat school dinner and then the rest packed lunch. My 2 daughter take snacks from home and only buys the meals from school

DressingGownofDoom · 23/04/2022 02:39

Food is more expensive now so this isn't really unexpected surely?

ReadyToMoveIt · 23/04/2022 09:22

DressingGownofDoom · 23/04/2022 02:39

Food is more expensive now so this isn't really unexpected surely?

Not unexpected at all. Just not willing to pay that amount for what is shit, poor quality, pre cooked and then reheated food (in the case of our school).
And also even if something is ‘expected’, it’s still unaffordable for many.

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