What's happened to Free School Meals provision?

[Carpathian2]

I've just had this from my child's school

@UndertheCedartree I agree. Also, having to queue at the school to be given a parcel is Dickensian.

I'm not sure I understand the problem.

That is easily enough for 5 days lunches for 1 child. Which is what I thought it was supposed to be?

It's not like the school can have a roast/lasagne delivered to every child 5 days a week.

Our school have had to do the same, their food budget had already been given to them so the government refused to fund vouchers too.

We have the voucher system in place and indeed would prefer to useIt because the food boxes are a pain, we have to arrange collection or delivery, store them and sort them, it takes ages! But we have to abide by our local authority directive and at the moment we are not allowed to do so, we must continue to use our FSM provider.

I think that’s plenty for five lunches for one child.
If people are sharing it out between other family members, of course it’s not, but it is not intended to feed other family members.

If there is no food for the other household members then different help is available, Ie food banks. But free school meals is not free meals for the house.

[quote Carpathian2]@parkpoolplunge

I'm not struggling, but many people are. I find the whole premise extremely patronising. [/quote]
You find accepting free school meals patronising? After saying it’s what Marcus Rashford fought for? Honestly you need to have a word with yourself, plenty there to provide decent lunches to a child for a week - it sounds like you were hoping for something different/better, rather than needing it.

Well its better than the food parcels DS2s school sent home when he was at home due to his bubble bursting.

The trouble with the vouchers is they weren't always usable. DS1s school sent us Asda vouchers. My nearest asda is 2 bus rides away and would cost half the value of the voucher to get there. Not a lot of use to me !

Vouchers could be used to buy food to be shared amongst the family too, so no different to this.

I agree it’s not ideal, but we’re not exactly living in ideal times at the moment.

I don’t really understand your argument op. It is a little confused.

You have applied for fsm so I assume that’s because you need them and not becayse you can. However you then say you don’t need them. So do not take the parcel then and come off fsm.

As for is that enough to give a child a lunch dor five days, yes it is. More than enough. However if families are struggling and can’t feed the rest of the household then there are other ways to obtain food. Free school meals for one child is not intended for anything more than the lunch for the child.

@Carpathian2

It's a problem because these meals are not hot and are likely to be shared amongst other members of the family. At school you get a meal just for you, outside school many children have to take their chances.

What are the other family members eating then when the kid is in school? Whether the lunch is provided to be eaten at home or at school for the child it’s still one child’s lunch intended to be eaten by the child.

Other house hold members would need to be fed if the kid was in school as they wouldn’t be able to eat the child’s lunch then.

Our school is only doing food parcels not vouchers

It is no wonder you didn't enable the YABU -v- YANBU vote.

You can easily make five lunches for one child with all of that.

Probably going to get flamed here, I think actual food parcels are better than vouchers because at least the school knows the child is being provided with food. Surely vouchers could be sold or spent on other items?

What your school has said almost word for word from the DFE. They want schools to do food parcels, at least in the short-term. It’s likely they’ll get the Edenred vouchers up and running but given that schools were still “open” on Monday they obviously haven’t got it sorted yet.

YABVU.

@parkpoolplunge

No, I don't find FSM patronising! What I find patronising is people telling me I should be great ful for this. I don't need to have a word with myself either as it's the obvious to me that not many people will take this up, if only so they won't be seen to be that desperate because they have pride.
As I said, I won't be taking any parcels. At least with the vouchers they could be redeemed discretely

[quote Carpathian2]@parkpoolplunge

I'm not struggling, but many people are. I find the whole premise extremely patronising. [/quote]
Then why are you claiming FSM?

People are struggling financially and they receive FSM, it's not patronising and the contents of that parcel are enough to provide a lunch so it's a case of job done.

I don't yet know what provision is being made in my city but if we receive a parcel like that then I will be able to provide a lunch for my child.

Their normal packed lunch (which I have been sending them with when they haven't been able to have a school lunch during covid times) is a cheese sandwich, a piece of fruit and a vegan fruit bar so the parcel you have decided is not satisfactory is absolutely fine.

A PP mentioned a choice, the choice comes with breakfast and the evening meal which the family provide. If a child won't eat what is in the food parcel then a parent can make use of it and provide the child with an alternative. A free food parcel cannot, for obvious reasons, be selected from a menu of choices.

We’ve handed out parcels to 60+ parents the last couple of days. They are made up by our canteen caterers according to govt. guidelines for 5 easy to cook, nutritionally balanced hot lunches, along with recipe pages for each day. Added fruits, juice, raisins etc.

We had two lots of parents complaining not enough, no choice , don’t like eggs etc. Not sure what school are supposed to do really? We are doing what the govt has directed.

@Brieminewine

You can easily make five lunches for one child with all of that.

Probably going to get flamed here, I think actual food parcels are better than vouchers because at least the school knows the child is being provided with food. Surely vouchers could be sold or spent on other items?

I completely agree.

Goodness I hope our school don’t do this we need a voucher as none of those foods would really be suitable for my child at primary (coeliac and egg and dairy allergic) we used out other vouchers to buy food she can actually eat !

I claim FSM so that the school can get the pupil premium. My son doesn't eat the food.

I'm not quite sure why you're complaining as you've said you're refusing it anyway!
I'll receive something very similar for my 15 year old daughter and it'll be perfectly adequate for a lunch each day. It is solely for one child and that amount would be doubled if there is more than one child.
Don't be so ungrateful

@Carpathian2

I claim FSM so that the school can get the pupil premium. My son doesn't eat the food.

That’s very generous of you.

It would be a terrible shame if people would rather go hungry than go and collect their package. It’s a benefit like any other. And the others collecting will be in the same boat.

I also think it’s a shame if the family uses the food to feed the household and others eat the child’s food, rather than ask for additional help to feed the rest of the household.

I think actual food parcels are better than vouchers because at least the school knows the child is being provided with food

Not if it’s a really bad situation and other people in the house eat the child’s food.

Op, you are very ungrateful.
Teach your dc some life skills and get them to make their own lunch with these ingredients.