No food left for older children at school

[Kacee29]

I’ll probably get told I’m moaning about nothing here but here goes.

I have a Dd in infants and a dc in year 5. Dd gets free lunches as they all do. We pay for DS’s lunches as over the years he’s really enjoyed having school dinners. He’s willing to try a lot more food there (he has asd and issues with food). Plus he doesn’t really like packed lunch foods. So yeah he’s always had the cooked lunches.

Now he’s in year 5 he’s the second to last in to get have lunch and on a few occasions he’s not had much for lunch as there’s nothing left - he’s ended up with something he doesn’t like or something like a sandwich which I could make for himself anyway (nor do any of the other children as it’s the last things left 😫) I know I’m sounding precious but he will simply not eat anything that’s given to him.

Aibu to think they should make enough so the children in the older years can eat once they get there? We pay for his lunches but some children get their lunches free if on a low income etc. It’s even worse for those children receiving free lunches as it might be the only substantial meal they get in the day. I know that DS can come home and eat, others might not.

But then I think we pay nearly £45 a month for him to eat. So it’s not really good enough not having enough food?!

They know how many children in the juniors are going to be having cooked food in the morning.

So yeah aibu to be annoyed. Thinking of sending him packed lunch but he generally loves the cooked lunches. This has been an ongoing problem since September. I think the issue lies with that before covid not all infants would take up the free lunches - some took packed lunches. Now the school won’t allow those who get free lunches to take a pack lunch because of covid plus he’s one of the last in!

It makes me so sad when he comes home and says he hasn’t really eaten much so packed lunch it is! 😭

We live in difficult times but the school needs to provide enough food for everyone. If it cannot would your dc take some pasta and sauce in a little flask instead of sandwiches? Or a small portion of whatever you've had for dinner in a flask? Or chunky soup?

@Longtalljosie

So we let our kids go without lunch now, rather than question a school? Ridiculous! OP - YANB remotely U

to be fair, I am in favour of schools only offering HEALTHY meals and no choice about them.

It works in other countries. No one has ever died because they had to eat vegetables at lunch.

I'm a school cook but for a primary, when they get the numbers in the morning they should cook for the appropriate number of children there should always be enough dinner for everyone who's orderd it so eg 10 vegetarians and 50 mains orderd in the morning I would cook for those numbers with one or two spare if its common for a child to forget their packed lunch

Its completely unacceptable for them to run out of main if the children have orderd it

There's no point complaining to the school they won't be able to do much as the catering will most likley be another company, find out who and contact their local office

Your not unreasonable. That is totally unfair. Speak to the school about it and galvanise others to do the same. Any work subsidised canteen brings out new food on the menu at different times, so should a school.

There should definitely be enough for a decent selection for all children.

I work in a large secondary school and there are children with additional needs who have pre orders set aside for them, or go in first to make sure they get something they want. Our lunchtime staff are brilliant about it.

There's no point complaining to the school they won't be able to do much as the catering will most likley be another company, find out who and contact their local office

Surely the school should be the ones to complain to the catering company, not OP?

This was happening to my DD 15 years ago. I would have hoped it would have changed by now.

Lunches are paid for online. Food isn’t requested in advance. Children are asked if they are packed lunch or school dinners in the morning but never been asked what they want in advance. It really is first come, first serve. Most days he gets something he likes, but some days he doesn’t so it’s not every day.

Packed lunch is an option but he doesn’t like sandwiches, wraps, pasta, sausage rolls or anything snacky like this. He doesn’t like ‘cold’ food. He barely eats anything cold (warm toast for breakfast, cooked lunches at home during weekends and holidays) so as I say packed lunch not ideal.

As far as I know its not a catering company. Obviously food is ordered in and delivered from company (I’m sure they said they try and use local sources) but I think the vast majority is cooked from scratch - the food is fab quality just not enough sometimes.

@WillSantaBeComingToTown

Catering in covid times is a nightmare for school- both in terms of food prep and socially distanced serving and eating. They can't have all the children eating at the same time as before. Many are still not offering any hot meals

Don't be that parent.

No! We are not blaming COVID for this

OP Be THAT parent and complain. Write to the governors if the school don't acknowledge. It's disgraceful x

If they can cook nearly enough they can cook enough. Their system isn’t working. My DCs opt in the morning for what they will have and then everyone gets what they ordered.

Once (in several years of DC at the school) the head emailed all parents at 2pmish apologising profusely because some children hadn’t got their first choice. This really surprised me as I assumed (like some here!) that that was a fact of life at school. I was wrong it really doesn’t have to be!

Our primary school also allows students to choose from 3 meals. It's worth sending the feedback. It's not OK to let students go hungry or have no choice in what they eat.

Yes I would definitely raise it op. The school need to find a better system to make sure all of the children have a hot meal.
This information could be taken from the children at registration in the morning, therefore giving the kitchen staff time to make sure there are enough hot meals to go around.
Totally not acceptable.

No, go direct to the catering company

Schools have enough to deal with right now without having to pass messages.

If they regularly run out either the cook or school should have done something by now and I would be worried that either the school or cook were doing something they shouldnt with figures.
Maybe claiming for more than they need or taking stock home.

At my sons school they choose their meal when they’re taking the morning register and each child is given a colour coded sticker before lunch so the cook/dinner lady/whoever knows what to serve them and they know exactly how many students want each meal and cane make enough of everything. Whatever system your school has going on clearly isn’t working, I’d complain and suggest a similar system of pre-ordering meals.

This used to happen in our primary school so after parents came together to all complain they changed the system. They now send out a tick menu each term and we choose their meals on a two week rolling rota. Means we can also choose which, if any days to do packed lunch.
Then in school each child in the queue is given a coloured token to hand to the server depending on their lunch choice.
Catering know exactly how much of each option to cook and children can’t moan.
Do be THAT parent but try to get other parents together so your complaint carries more weight.

Its a school not a restaurant, I dont get the idea that children should have a large election meals to choose from (what a waste of food). It sounds like in this case the child is a picky eater, rather than there being no food for him to eat.

When I was at school there was one meal available. Allergies aside children were taught to eat & enjoy what was on their plate.

a bit late to the party, but when I was at school they put the next week's menu up and you had to select the option you wanted. Would your school consider this, at least they would see which option is going to be the most popular, no waste but more admin.

You preorder at our school so there is always enough.

Not sure you want to hear this, but it's worse at secondary - those first to lunch get the wraps and whatever else is popular at the time, and those at the end of the queue or who get there later are left with the less popular options that they either eat or go hungry or just have packed lunch. School will say they can't make enough wraps (or whatever food is in high demand) for everyone so tough.

@newstart1337

Its a school not a restaurant, I dont get the idea that children should have a large election meals to choose from (what a waste of food). It sounds like in this case the child is a picky eater, rather than there being no food for him to eat.

When I was at school there was one meal available. Allergies aside children were taught to eat & enjoy what was on their plate.

I agree with you, well there shouldn't be a choice but then the food should be healthy

but as there is a choice, kids should be able to get what they wanted.

If only the meals that had been ordered were delivered, there wouldn't be any waste.

Its a school not a restaurant,
The meals are paid for, and they offer a selection. Consequently they need to either

• only offer one meal so everyone gets access
• be honest and reimburse parents if the choice they paid for isn’t available

@Kacee29 I'd definitely mention it to the school. If that doesn't help, could you put a hot pasta meal in a thermos for him?

Our school has an even better system since half term. They have a three-weekly rotation of the meals, and the parents fill in a form three weeks in advance stating what their child wants. This gives the catering staff time to order the correct amount of food. The catering staff then confirm the meals with the parent the week before, when the parent pays for the food.

It's working so far...

But kids have differing dietary requirements. Some have food allergies, some are veggie, some have religious restrictions, some eat a big dinner at night so want something lighter like a jacket potato.

Our school has a main meal, veggie and jacket option. They choose between the 3 in the morning. Takes 5 minutes and cuts waste.