Primary school meals

[Honeyandapple]

Should be hot dinners during the winter.

My DC(6) is in year1 at a school with a diverse intake and an above average % of children eligible for free school meals. Although in reception,y1&2 all the kids are offered free school meals anyway.

At the moment they are provided with a ham or cheese roll, biscuit and a slice of apple. Sometimes there are carrot sticks too. That seems fine for the summer, if a bit boring. But "in my day!" there was always a hot meal option. Especially important for the kids who may not get one at home.
Even with c19 many establishments and institutions are able to run a kitchen serving hot meals.

What's happening re:food at your DC's school at the moment?

This half term has been cold food but including eg cold pizza, not just sandwiches. After half term will be hot food. The school has above average FSM and I imagine they are mindful of that.

Still hot meals available at my dcs primary school, although she has packed lunch.

No hot meals at my ds secondary school though. They can buy sandwiches but he just takes in food from home.

Even when my dc have had cooked meals at school, I presume they're small portions and they have a big cooked meal once they get home...I consider that their main meal of the day.

DC1 is in Yr1. The school meal has been a packed lunch, 3 weeks ago a hot meal on Friday was introduced. The issue is around serving hot meals in the classroom as classes are eating in their classtimm, and not mixing the hall at lunchtime.

Packed lunches make this easier.

My sons school are doing week on and week off for hot meals. The other weeks they provide a packed lunch or you can send one in.

They do it week on/week off to stagger 3 years (bubbles) across each lunch and then swap the next week.

My childs school is only doing sandwich boxes like you described. He hates sandwiches and he doesnt get free school meals so no bother to me but it's only lunch not a kids full on evening dinner.

My dcs school are doing hot meals or grab bags. The meals are on a two week rotation and look crap tbh, the ten days are made up of tomato pasta twice, pizza twice, burgers, fish and chips twice, sausages, cheese lattice, Turkey roll. The grab bags are tuna, ham or cheese roll or wrap, a yogurt and something else- small piece of cake, muffin etc. I'm giving mine packed lunches.

We are serving hot meals in the school I work at but it is quite difficult to get it all done in time with the new restrictions. Depending on the set up in different schools I can see why some might opt for sandwiches.

Hot meals available as normal. Free for infants, FSM, and for usual price for other juniors. All pre-ordered by parents, as before.
Lunch times are now staggered, so only 2 year groups in hall at once. Opposite ends, seperate tables for each class.

Hot meals were reintroduced two weeks ago after just sandwiches before. I think it depends on if the school buys in meals or cooks themselves. Also on the way meal times are now staggered for COVID and if kids need to eat in classrooms. I've been in 5or 6 schools since September and almost all only just reintroduced hot food.

School I work in is doing packed lunches for the foreseeable. We all know it is not ideal but with 2 buildings, 2 floors, small playgrounds and lunch in classrooms there really isn't another option that fits Covid guidelines. Maybe ask the school to clarify but you just can't compare one school with another. Staffing and buildings make a huge difference.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves We are the same as you but, to be fair, we have a large kitchen that makes meals for another school in the area so we are well equipped.

DDs (primary) school has had hot and cold options since the start of term.
Things like pizza, lasagne, curry, fish and chips..
After half term they've got their winter menu with casserole, roast dinner, soups.. nice, hot filling stuff.

If her school were only offering what you've listed, I'd send her in with packed lunch instead. At least you can add something hot like pasta or soup then.

Isn't it to do with covid though and trying to get hot meals to different classrooms logistically
Tbf all kids who have a pack lunch will have cold food and then you can do a warm meal at home
Beans on toast etc cheap but hot
Most schools are doing the best they can
Ds secondary was only providing free school
Meals and was basic food but now all can buy and menu has increased bit i don't think breakfast menu is back and fsm used to get a £1 to spend at that as well ( which was enough for toast pr bacon roll )

Lots of children grow up not having a hot lunch - I am from NZ and most of us took packed lunches to school. The nutritional value of the food is more important than the temperature...

DS's secondary are actively encouraging students to bring in a packed lunch.

The meals offered are all cold - predominantly sandwiches, fruit and yoghurt plus a drink. All served in a paper bag.

Tbh I understand in the sense it's easier to "sanitise".

What they have said however as the weather gets colder is that they will supplement the "bag" with a cup of warm soup in a paper cup with lid.

I think that's a reasonable compromise.

I've been making cold pack ups for DS but as winter kicks in I'll dig out the Thermos I have (it's one with a wide opening and an integral spoon) and use it to send him in with something warm (soup, pasta etc) to eat.

Our school are cooking hot meals, but not very exciting ones, pizza, burgers, macaroni cheese, chicken " roast" and fish fingers or jacket potato with beans. There are no hot puddings. Ds is taking packed lunches ( much healthier than school dinner options ) in protest at the lack of hot puddings.

Our school has hot meals every day, but there's 2 menus that are alternated whereas there used to be 4.

My son's secondary school aren't doing any school lunches, it's packed lunches from home only.

Normal hot meals available.

The ordering system has changed and is a little less flexible, and the menu doesn't rotate as much as it did previously.

But there is a main and vegetarian option or jacket potato plus pudding for hot, plus baguettes.

Still a selection of hot meals and puddings at both of my sons' schools.

Soup and a sandwich only thing being offered at my sons school.

My school is currently only sandwiches with one warm option - Friday there is a fish finger wrap option.

We don't have a kitchen at our school, it's in the nearby (totally independent to us) junior school. So all meals are brought on trolleys from next door.

The added complication of Covid secure guidelines and rules means that the catering company haven't been able to provide hot meals as yet.

We are hoping that now we can use the hall for two year groups (one year group still in classrooms) they might be able to increase some hot options for some days.

It's not been our choice, it's just what the company is able to provide safely right now.

Our local council have decided to provide them despite the government decision:

sheffnews.com/news/free-school-meals-over-half-term/

Oops / wrong thread

We're very lucky - hot meals as normal - main/veggie/jacket potato option plus pudding. State primary in a tier one area.

I think it helps logistically that it's one form entry.

Those saying that they can just have their hot meal in the evenings. That's exactly the point.. some kids DON'T get a proper meal in the evenings.
There is quite a lot of poverty surrounding this school. Making it even more important that a warm meal should be given. IMO. It's some children's main chance to get something relatively filling.