To think Argyll and Bute Council are a gang of morons

[DreamingofSummer]

www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/15/girl-photos-school-meals-blog

So incompetent your couldn't make it up

One of the things about the Council's actions that has gone uncommented on, is that a person with no responsibility for educational outcomes imposed a policy change on the school that impacted an educational project by one of its pupils. I think it illustrates what a hard job head teachers have and how false the idea is that they have full authority over the learning environment they have so much responsibility for.

Just had a look at Martha's amazing blog. Was struck by the contrast between school meals from abroad and our homegrown ones! Also, the fact that most of the foreign meals were served on plates and not those awful segmented dishes.

OK, so the council look like the blundering idiots they are.

But, a very nice young girl raises £45,000 for charity, writes an eloquent and complimentary blog with international and educational values, throws the spotlight on the procedures around her school lunches, improves her literacy, and inspires others to launch their own blogs.
I can't see anything negative about this story at all. Well done Martha, keep up the good work.

Good point, Prospects.

I like nannynicks idea of a co-ordinated project for all schools.

If I knew exactly what was on offer, and it was properly monitored, I would rethink my recent decision to put DS1 (in Reception) back on packed lunches completely. A mix would have suited us better. Neither he or I were clear what he was getting, and he was notably hungrier after school when he'd had a school lunch! You also have to order an entire week in advance which is pants.

We live in a very affluent area (although we are not) and in a way was expecting more.

As a newbie school parent this year, and after initial attempts to get the TA to support him a bit more in the lunch queue, I didn't really want my introduction to the school to be a PITA over protective complaining parent

Thing with schools in Scotland is that they're controlled by the council still. This means all headteachers are in the pay of the council and the Parent Council have little say in what happens.

I think they should be governed the same as English schools.

Germolene, we found after dyspraxic DS2 had been in school a year he was practically not eating on days when there was 'big food' as he just couldn't cut it up, and nobody was helping him, so he was only eating properly on days when there was 'little food' that he could manage alone.

BoffinMum

That's quite an eye opener. Assuming from your post this was either an isolated or key issue that formed part of your DS diagnosis? My DS does seem to be developing more slowly in terms of manual dexterity and fine motor skills, in comparison to his vocabulary and cognition skills. It hasn't occured to me before now to even consider how this type of issue might be picked up as an indicator of something more serious. I just seem to hold onto the belief that the day will come soon when it all comes together (ie they all develop different skills, in their own way, in their own time).

I hope your DS is geting the support he needs now. Please tell me he didn't already have the diagnosis and the school did nothing to help - that would be truly worrying!

Well, there we go. Another good reason for parents to be better involved with and informed about what our children are eating, and how they manage their food. Particularly the young ones it seems.

He was diagnosed at 2, had a statement by the time he started school, and the school did nothing to help. Suffice it to say that we pulled him out of this school and sent him to an altogether better one. He has quite bad dyspraxia (bottom 5% of the population for some skills, for example) but after a lot of NHS OT and physio, hiking and swimming holidays, as well as remedial bike riding lessons, you wouldn't really be able to tell now. The secret is to push them to do all the things other kids do, and more, and not to take no for an answer.