Christmas School meal

[Mcdreary]

My children's school are doing a last day Xmas lunch and everyone has to pay for it. "No alternatives will be offered". Aibu to think that this is not acceptable, what about the kids who are receiving free school meals due to poverty or benefits? Isn't it the schools responsibility to feed these children?

Honestly, I think the wording is absolutely clear. Every child who is having Christmas dinner has to have it booked by that date. There won't be other options for school dinners that day. And it will need to be paid for (which I suppose is the only unclear bit - paid for includes 'by parents' and 'by free school meal system'). It definitely does not imply that children can't take packed lunches in.

It's only badly worded if parents who don't normally pay get exactly the same email.

There are lots of 'add-ons' during a child's school life. Budgets are usually low and barely cover essentials, never mind treats. Surely it's not that much of a big deal to pay a little extra if you already pay for school meals, as isn't the bigger picture more important? A fun Christmas dinner with their friends? Those on FSM will of course still be funded.

If I'd known 18 years ago what I know now, I'd have set up a School Extras savings account as soon as I'd discovered I was pregnant. Christmas meals are only the tip of the iceberg...

Mine were entitled to FSM for a while and always got the Christmas dinner as part of that.

If your children are entitled to FSM and you’re worried they won’t get their dinner on that day unless you pay for it, ask at the school and they can tell you. If they’re not then it’s not your problem anyway.

FSM kids get one automatically at ours - everyone else has the option to pay for one. I like that they do this.

The vegetarian option is cheese & onion quiche though? who the heck chose that with the amount of Quorn on offer?!! My 7yo is not impressed.

It stresses the word because many parents pay on a day by day or week by week basis. The school need to numbers and order the food in advance. Therefore they need to know every child that will be having the Xmas dinner. FSM will still be free and you can still take packed lunch if you wish.

At DS’s (12) school the Christmas lunch is three courses, with two meat options, a vegetarian and a vegan option and three desert options, the canteen is decorated, they have Christmas crackers and entertainment on the canteen.

The meal is twice the cost of a normal lunch and there are no alternatives that day
(They usually have four options, sandwiches, baked potatoes and wraps in the main canteen and take away pizza, pasta, sandwiches, toasties and various street food options at kiosks in the quad.)

FSM parents are sent a separate letter to other parents and are asked to pay the addition cost (so just over half the price)
Or they have the option to bring a packed lunch.

A friend of mine receives FSMs and was really unimpressed when she received the letter last year, but when she realised how much goes into the lunch she was ok with the extras cost.

I think for one meal a year it’s worth it.

I admit i havent read the full thread. However, my son is in primary 1 and had his Christmas meal yesterday.

I had to go into the system to pre-order it as I do with his meals every day. The system is set up to automatically know the children that do not have to pay.

I read it as if there will be no other menu options that day, just the Christmas lunch

@JollyAndBright

I appreciate a lot more may be spent on/go into Christmas dinner. However that makes no difference to a family who can’t afford to pay full or even half the amount for it so a free option must always be provided for children on FSM’s!

If I’d received that letter I would also think it meant every child had to pay- why else put ‘every’ in bold italics 🤔
We are not reliant on FSM’s but I would immediately be wondering about those who were as I grew up in a house where this type of thing would have caused real strain!

I would take it to mean if you book the Christmas lunch there's no alternative.

Surely a hot meal will still be provided for the kids who don't want a Christmas lunch?

No, it will just be the christmas meal on offer. There are no other food alternatives that day. My ds used to take a packed lunch

Surely a hot meal will still be provided for the kids who don't want a Christmas lunch?

No, that's why it says there will be no alternatives.

FSM children won’t have to pay

@TheRightHonerable

I have spoken to DS and he said his friend who gets FSM was told for any FSM student who chooses not to pay for the Christmas meal and doesn’t bring a packed lunch they will get a sandwich in the quad.

So it sounds like they are making provisions for anyone who doesn’t want to pay the extra.

Sometimes the most badly worded messages and lack of empathy come from those involved in education. "Strange" ?
You do realise it's not teachers who organise school meals and send out the letters don't you?

*That's every child who is having a Christmas lunch

not

every child must have a Christmas lunch*

This. And children who normally have packed lunch but would like to join in the Christmas Lunch must be booked and paid up by the deadline.

At our school the Xmas lunch is £3.70. Free school meals are usually £2.10 and parents are asked to pay the difference. I don't know what happens if they don't pay the difference. I hope the school would have some flexibility to let them have it anyway if they haven't brought a packed lunch.

@Straycatstrut The vegetarian option is cheese & onion quiche though? who the heck chose that with the amount of Quorn on offer?!! My 7yo is not impressed.

totally agree. my ds as I mentioned upthread has a very limited list if things he will consent to eat (ASD) but actually quorn roast is one of them. the normal school meal rotation includes quorn roast every 3rd Wednesday and he eats that on those days. but for the special Christmas meal the vegetarian option is Roasted Vegetable Tart - which he definitely would never touch. I don't understand why they wouldn't choose a veggie option that is closest to the traditional Christmas meal - not that DS minds having his familiar packed lunch as usual.

Our school kitchen used to do cheese and potato pie as an option at Christmas Dinner and a lot of the teachers chose it. In fact, I think it was requested.

@JollyAndBright

I’m glad they make some provision but don’t you think a ‘sandwich in the quad’ sounds humiliating? Gathering the dirt poor children for sandwiches whilst everyone else enjoys a Christmas dinner’ maybe it’s not like that- but it sounds like that! Especially if the other kids know that’s what’s happening.

This is the kind of thing my parents couldn’t afford but would have done for us to avoid feeling singled out.

I understand life’s not fair and I’m not suggesting the gov should pay the extra but surely a less extravagant Christmas dinner could be produced to fit a normal daily budget so everyone can join in.

I'm sure it will mean everyone who usually pays for their lunch, and anyone who normally has a packed lunch but wants to have the meal instead.
The bit about alternatives will just mean there won't be a choice, other than vegetarian to replace turkey.

Local schools here put table clothes on and the children get Christmas crackers. They are seated and served by teachers or the older children. They make it quite special.

There are still packed lunches people.

You are making this more complicated than it should be.

@TheRightHonerable I would hazard a guess that The Quad is where packed lunches are eaten so it won't just be the poor children but all children who choose for whatever reason to have packed lunch instead of School dinner

What everyone else said. That if you want your child to have Christmas lunch you need to order and pay through parent pay. Children who get free meals will still get theirs as they will be factored into numbers already. It also doesn’t say it’s compulsory to have it.