Another school thread - compulsory paid for school dinners

[PumpkinBones]

DS's school sent a letter home recently asking what people thought of them providing a cold meal as a school dinner, as well as a hot. Seemed like a reasonable question, and lots of people said they were in favour of it.

It transpires that what we were being asked was whether we would be happy for the school to provide ALL lunches, and the cold option would replace a packed lunch from home. They want to do this because they say there are issues with the hygiene and content of the packed lunches they see children bringing in.

In order to sort out the confusion, they have sent home a voting form. If the majority vote for it, they will make it compulsory to have a hot or cold school dinner - at £10 and £7.50 per week respectively - and you will not be allowed to bring a packed lunch. It is a primary school, so children are there until 11 - meaning some parents who have 3 children at the school will be paying £90 per month.

One mum of 3 in particular went to the Deputy Head and was told if it got voted in her only option would be to come and take her children out at lunchtime, give them their lunch, and bring them back again.

I am unhappy about this for many reasons - the cost (I will have 2 children there soon) the lack of choice in actual food given, the fact that DS doesn't want it - he is a good eater and will try most things, but he like most people has preferences! and the fact that it is going to be made complusory - plus the tone of the letter itself, which basically implied parents were incapable of feeding their children (which some might be - but I don't think this is the way to deal with it!) But is it a reasonable thing for the school to suggest? And I know I am probably BU for getting annoyed when it hasn't happened - but the thought of the additional cost is stressing me out.

The schools argument also is that you would spend £7.50 on lunchbox items anyway which is difficult to argue, as by itself it doesn't seem like much necessarily - but it doesn't take into account the economy of scale, especially for more than 1 child, and the fact that others in the house benefit from the food I buy (eg we all eat the punnet of grapes)

Just a wild guess but this wouldn't happen to be a school in Southampton begining with F would it. If so I also have a child there and talking to other parents there is an awful lot of ill-feeling towards the proposal.

I did a bit of digging around the internet and found this from the DofEd. website

43. The LA or governing body must provide facilities for pupils not taking school meals to eat meals that they bring to school. The LA can decide what facilities are appropriate. However, it is considered that facilities would include accommodation, furniture and supervision so pupils can eat food they have brought from home in a civilised way and in suitable conditions. The school cannot charge pupils for using these facilities.

44. The governing body must allow the LA to use the facilities at a school to enable it to provide school meals according to its policy.

I think the term "governing body" apllies to an Academy, however I'm having real difficulties trying to ascertain what the lines of accountability for an Acadmy School are.

There is also the issue of children with SN , allergies or other dietrary requirements , I did raise this question ,as well as the point that I would simply not be able to afford this) and was met with a well you know how you need to vote then by the Deputy Hedmistress. My son is autistic and has sensory issues and simply would not cope with a cheese sandwich (the only thing he could eat (we're veggie) unless he could seperate it out and I would love to know what is healthy or balanced (their main arguement as well as the hygeine issue) about a processed white bread cheese sandwich 5 days a week.

There is also the point that if they were to impliment this , then they'd also be in breach of the Disability Discrimination Act

Oh dear, apologies for crimes against the English language , I meant hygiene and Headmistress.

I don't think the cost is exorbitant....

But only a parent can cater for a child's individual likes/dislikes...and then there's the subject of allergies.

So many children cannot tolerate certain foods these days.
What is the school going to do about that?
Are they also going to cater for special religious diets?

Seems that they really haven't thought this through properly.

Well at ds's school it transpires that 67% of parents voted against the idea but apparently "it was a worthwhile deomocratic exercise" (Hmm would that be the sound of a screeching u-turn) but they're going to provide cold meals from September for "those who have expressed a preference". There was no mention of not being able to bring packed -lunches so I'm assuming the status -quo will remain (for the mean-time at least puts cynical hat on).

My school charge £1.95 for a hot or cold (bagette) meal. The portions are rediculously tiny. One of the days they are offered sausages, potatoes and veg. Infants (up to age 7) get 1 sausage - 1 bloody sausage! Juniors get 2 sausages - so a 10 year old will get 2 sausages. My 6 year old eats 3 at home, and my 8 year old will eat at least 4, although I don't cook them regularly.

As my children are really good eaters, I have worked out I can give my children more in their pack lunches for about £1. tops a day. This is a piece of fruit, a homemade muffin, ham or egg sandwich, a few pieces of cheddar cheese cut up into squares. I give my 8 year old 3 slices of bread.

However, a friend of mine has a daughter who barely eats anything. She gives her daughter 3 crackers with a laughing cow triangle spread over them and a satsuma. That is all her daugher will eat.

I would not want to pay for pack lunches because I can provide more for less. My friend wouldn't want to pay for lunches because her daughter wouldn't eat them.

I would kick up an almighty fuss and utterly refuse to pay, just continue to send in pack lunches.

The school lunch police drive me nuts. I wouldn't mind if what they provided was genuinely better but it isn't.

I once got into an arguement with DS's school in reception year as I put a small milky way in his lunch box (not a regular item but it was left over from a party bag so I popped it in as a treat). The dinner staff confiscated it and sent a note home saying chocolate bars were not allowed.

As I pointed out when I went in to complain, the children on school lunches that day were having sponge, custard and CHOCOLATE DROPS for pudding!

But those are rules apparantly Hypocritical much!!!!