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?

[Aragog]

It says: *That's every child who is having a Christmas lunch not every child must have a Christmas lunch

FSM children will be given the Christmas meal for free. I would assume there is a veggie Christmas Lunch alternative for those who normally order that.

The other alternative will be packed lunch, bought from home.

To be fair, when I was at school there was only one choice - eat it was the only option. There was no veggie, Halal, jacket potato, sandwich, etc alternatives available on any day. There was also no option of packed lunch - you had to go home.

Next Wednesday is our Christmas Lunch day - its a roast dinner day anyway. There is normally a jacket potato and hot roast sandwich option that day, but there won't be next week. Its infants only so no issue with payment. Children, as always, can also opt to have packed lunch from home. Our PL children all eat together.

[TheRightHonerable]

@sweeneytoddsrazor

Usually I’d agree but ‘the quad’ in every school I’ve been to is outside/the central courtyard/meeting place. It’s now December so I highly doubt that’s where packed lunch kids eat their meals.

[Aragog]

In a few schools over recent times the old 'quad' have had roofs put on them so they can be used all year round more effectively.

We have a small quad or courtyard - its still open to the elements. Reception do use it daily as part of their independent choosing time but this time of year fewer children choose to go out there. We have looked at roofing it but dont have the funds to do so at the moment. It would make it more useable in lots of ways though, especially in a school which has limited room.

[JollyAndBright]

@TheRightHonerable

@sweeneytoddsrazor is correct, the quad is where students eat their packed lunches (all year round).

The quad is technically outdoors but is covered and is heated in winter by overhead heat lamps so is used buy students all year round.
I think of it more like a cross between a shopping centre food court and a covered picnic area in a posh park.

It’s had to explain but it’s basically like a giant permanent gazebo type structure in the centre of an internal outdoor area (school buildings on all four sides) two of the sides are enclosed with half a dozen of the ‘street food’ building (which are kind of like a cross between food trucks and the little huts you get in big parks that sell tea and coffee and ice creams.)
there are some picnic benches around the structure that are not covered but I think They are mainly for summer use and they don’t really get used much in winter.

It’s a lovely area and DS chooses to get his lunch there most days.

[CouldBeOuting]

who the heck chose that with the amount of Quorn on offer?

Our catering company were partly chosen because they don’t serve highly processed foods such as Quorn. I’m not vegetarian but I had the vegetarian option at Christmas lunch this year... it was delicious, puff pastry parcel packed with a variety of vegetables.

Lots of people react badly to Quorn, it makes me very unwell....

[NewName54321]

The school will need to order extra food to cater for the meal, so they need to know exact numbers (of pupils and staff) taking it in advance.

If it's in-house catering run by the school, they cannot risk having a late delivery and not having the food there in time to start preparing. If the dinners are provided by a catering service, then they will probably have 1000s of extra meals across all their schools to prepare.

What they are also saying is that there is no option to decide on the morning that you need your DC to have a hot dinner that day (so don't run out of bread or forget the packed lunch box that morning), and that you need to pay in advance, so they have the right numbers and to minimise numbers changing to packed lunch at the last minute.

DC on FSMs will still get their meal free, but it will be Christmas dinner or the vegetarian option. If your DC dislikes both options, send them with a packed lunch as there won't be whatever alternatives (like baked potatoes, cheese or salad) that are usually available.

[Elbeagle]

who the heck chose that with the amount of Quorn on offer?

The problem is you can’t ever please everyone. One of my DD’s doesn’t eat meat because she dislikes it, which means she also dislikes quorn. She would always choose the vegetable option.