Secondary school lunches

[Imustbemad00]

Does anybody else’s child go to a secondary school that does not allow packed lunches? I have no idea of this is normal or not, I’m leaning towards not. Even with a doctors letter ours would not and I know that is definitely not right.

Anybody?

I have 3 children and I don't know anyone who took a packed lunch to Secondary.

Is it your child that wants a packed lunch?

Just looked at the school website, they do allow packed lunches, i've just never seen anybody with them!

It's certainly not usual, except in private schools.

So why are primary schools all about packed lunches (or so it seems from reading MN) when secondary schools favour school meals?

Secondary schools have a pre paid credit card type thing so they can buy lunch from it. Probably not cool to take in your own sandwich.

Both mine take their own lunch in. They say the queues are too long for school meals

I've never seen a school which doesn't allow packed lunches (but have heard about them on MN). The obvious flaws in this plan are kids with ASD sensory issues and parents who don't qualify for FSM but don't want to pay the high price the school charges. Also the time it takes to queue for school lunches.

Well this was an eye opener! My DC are in primary so no clue but when I was at school almost everyone took packed lunches!

I'd be concerned that kids would buy chips, fizzy pop etc. every day, unless school lunches have drastically changed since my day! I know they now have to have healthy options available, but most teenagers would go for chips every time!

Only chips one day this week at our school. My kids still take a packed lunch

According to mine, most kids in their secondary school bring in a packed lunch. Far less have dinners. We use ParentPay for their payments and I've put about £20 on for the whole of this school year (they finish this Friday). She mainly uses it for cookies and the odd quick snack at break time.

I work in a Secondary School. I would say it's an even 50/50 split between kids taking packed lunches and kids buying food on their pre-paid cards in the canteen. Never heard of a Secondary School "not allowing" packed lunches, seems odd.

My son goes to secondary and its ' not cool' to take a lunch.. Gets picked on. I spoke to another family member who also attends and they said the same. I don't like topping up his acct too much as the school only offer.

Hot dogs
Burgers
Chicke4n burgers
Baguette with 3 different fillers.
Pasta pots

Sausage roll
Cakes

Mine have packed and school lunches. There is a previous post about this and I think it is wrong to insist on school lunches. Ours cost £2.75 a day, I can pack a healthier and more filling lunch box for less than half of that price.

*I have 3 children and I don't know anyone who took a packed lunch to Secondary.

Is it your child that wants a packed lunch?*

The school dinners are apparently disgusting and badly cooked. For example, pasta that’s not cooked properly. There’s no options. There’s one meal for the whole school (and a vegetarian version), no option for say, a sandwich or jacket potato if you don’t like the meal.

My child became unwell from not eating for over 10 hours, lost a lot of weight and having pains and dizzy spells etc. A&e doctor wrote a letter requesting packed lunches, school days no.

This is a Michaela-type 'family lunch' I guess?
The idea being that they eat together and learn to make conversation / discuss topical issues?
Learning to eat what you don't like is also to some extent a social skill.

I think it is all part of the ethos that you buy into when you choose (or are allocated) that type of school.