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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that you just can’t leave kids without a meal?

162 replies

FrizzyMcFrizzface · 20/10/2017 13:34

We have just been informed that the school dinner provider will no longer provide a lunch (primary school) if the account is not in credit. The school will contact the parents to bring in a pack lunch if that is the case.

I understand the provider is fed up of being in debt but surely you can’t leave a child without dinner for the day? If the parents can’t be contacted for whatever reason or are too far away at work/no relatives nearby etc.

There are always those days for all of us where with the best will in the world you forget or there is some sort of emergency/crisis. AIBU to think this is wrong and in those emergency/rare situations a meal should be provided?

OP posts:
CountDuckulaTheSqueaky · 20/10/2017 14:11

Shoes at our primary you put the cash in an envelope in a posting box every Monday.

Sirzy · 20/10/2017 14:13

For primary, don't you just pay at the beginning of each term?

We can pay termly but not everyone can afford such a lump sum at once! I pay weekly - take it in on Friday ready for the week ahead so if I forget on the Friday I have the Monday to pay anyway.

Like most things in schools budgets are so tight they can’t really afford to be covering non payer especially not long term/repeat offenders.

brasty · 20/10/2017 14:21

And it will be the school covering this, not the private company.

ArbitraryName · 20/10/2017 14:24

I write a cheque for dinner money each term. It’s never cashed by the council less than 6 weeks after I write it.

hesterton · 20/10/2017 14:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HubrisComicGhoul · 20/10/2017 14:30

Not sure what I think about the policy to be honest, but at primary school at least, aren't the school in "loco parentis"? So it would be both the school and the parents failing to feed the child?

Mummyoflittledragon · 20/10/2017 14:31

Not every child in ks1 has dinners. My dd wouldn’t eat the dinners so she took packed lunches. I imagine there can be some creative accounting if the school wanted.

Dds School sent out similar letters a couple of years ago. It was targeted at the piss takers. The school as far as I’m aware won’t actually let a child go without lunch. However, they are putting pressure on the parents to pay up or pick up their child at lunchtime.

HolyShet · 20/10/2017 14:32

I think parents should get a couple of days grace tbh.

Works well at DS secondary. We fill up a payment account, but there is a £5 "overdraft"/buffer zone so no-one should go hungry.

At primary level leaving a child hungry (and humiliated) seems unkind and unnecessary.

Gileswithachainsaw · 20/10/2017 14:34

Hardly.

The school presumably found said supplier, sent out menus, letters/emails explaining the process and reminders of payment deadlines.

All parents has to do was credit the account.

We aren't talking about a mix up where school forgot about a child or failed to include them when confirming with suppliers.

We are talking about parents not doing their part.

You couldn't just walk into Tesco and take lunch and pay later when you remember

Butterymuffin · 20/10/2017 14:38

Should have a three strikes and out policy. So after the third occasion that payment isn't made (or the third day running) no more lunches.

brasty · 20/10/2017 14:41

ButteryMuffin I suppose it depends how many parents are doing this. The school will have to pay for those 3 lunches for each child.

CountDuckulaTheSqueaky · 20/10/2017 14:41

All the children in my DC's school have dinners Mummy, they have a no packed lunches policy.

Butterymuffin · 20/10/2017 14:43

brasty True. I think it's reasonable to have some kind of buffer zone, though, yet still be able to go after repeat offenders.

Glumglowworm · 20/10/2017 14:44

Responsibility for ensuring the child is fed rests with the parents/guardians of that child

Yes there should be a back up in case of a one off emergency. But presumably too many parents took the piss and now that's been withdrawn. It's more expensive and time consuming for the company to chase debt than to just refuse to supply something they've not been paid for.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 20/10/2017 14:46

With the best will in the world you forget. Well, if you forget your child's lunch you are depriving them of it, not the school.
Why would you expect the school to feed your child for free because you can't remember that they need to be fed? Ffs!

brasty · 20/10/2017 14:47

In Loco Parentis does not mean that a school is responsible for making good every shortcoming of their parents. If kids turn up all the time very poorly dressed, it does not mean the school has to clothe them, although they should speak to the parent and/or report.

ElizabethShaw · 20/10/2017 14:48

If the school is contacting the parents then surely it is the parents decision whether to feed their child or not?

I imagine if the parents decide not to feed their child then the kitchen will rustle up a piece of bread and butter.

BlueSapp · 20/10/2017 14:53

We get a weeks grace, I can only pay the weeks worth on a Tuesday (payday). it would be so hard to be paying a week in advance which.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 20/10/2017 14:54

If the only lunch option was sandwiches, would parents still "forget" to send their child in with them? I mean if the school did not offer hot dinners at all.

At DS2's secondary school they are allowed to go £2.50 overdrawn. Any more than that & they have to wait until their account is back in credit before they can eat. I think this is a pretty fair system TBH.

At DD's primary school lunches must be paid for via ParentPay on each Monday for the week. So if you want three hot lunches that week, you pay £7.50 on Monday. If you don't then no hot dinner will be ordered and you will need to provide sandwiches. I've no idea what happens if a child turns up with no payment having been made and no packed lunch. I'd assume the school would call the parents and ask them to either pay there and then or bring lunch in.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 20/10/2017 14:55

Is not against safe guarding and welfare not leave a child without a meal.
How are the supposed to concentrate on their afternoon lessons if they're hungry.
Also as pp said what about if their lunch is ruined by bullies.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 20/10/2017 14:57

I also didn't think they were allowed to penalise a child for their parents mistake

BlueSapp · 20/10/2017 14:57

£7.50 We have to pay £15 a week plus £10 a month for snacks

KityGlitr · 20/10/2017 14:58

You're right babyspider it's nothing to do with safeguarding. A child missing one meal when it's down to the parents failing to provide isn't a safeguarding issue. If a child was missing several meals it would become a safeguarding issue, but in terms of the parents failing to provide. Not the school.

Originalfoogirl · 20/10/2017 14:59

I've forgotten a packed lunch before. I was really glad the school sorted her with a lunch, but I wouldn't have blamed them if they didn't. Why should they?

Making sure lunch money is done, or packed lunch is made, is my daughter's own responsibility. It is up to her to make sure she fills in the slip, and asks for the cash. Or lets me know when PL days are and makes as much of it as she can. I do keep an eye on it, to make sure it is done, but she knows it is down to her.

Make your own children responsible. Take your own responsibility for making sure it's done, don't blame the school if you mess up. You wouldn't go to Greggs at lunchtime and expect a meal if you forget your cash, why expect the school to do the same?

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 20/10/2017 14:59

Leaving a child without a meal I meant.

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