To complain to the school?

[AccidentallyOnPurpose]

Two weeks ago DD came out of school asking me why I ordered her a jacket potato instead of roast dinner for Wednesday. I told her I didn't and she said she was given a jacket potato and when she said that's not right the dinner lady said " well, tell your mum to order you the right thing then". I can check on the app and showed her she was down for roast. The comment bothered me ,as I did make sure to order the right thing but just assumed some kind of mistake or miscommunication, shrugged my shoulders and let it go. DD won't eat the jacket potato,but one missed lunch won't kill her.

She came home today and the dinner lady attempted to swap her lunch for a jacket potato again . "DD you're fish , x you're jacket potato " but then she put the jacket potato in front of DD and gave the fish to x. DD pointed out that she should be fish fingers and the dinner lady said so too, so the dinner lady said x doesn't like the jacket potato so they're swapping meals.

DD is normally very quiet and polite but this time she stood up to herself and said she doesn't like jacket either and can she have her fish? In the end she did get the right meal, but it did bother me that she was just expected to swap or that she has to insist (which goes against her nature) to get the lunch I ordered and paid for.

Should I mention it to the teacher /send an email so they can figure out what is going on and make sure it doesn't happen again?

@cansu

This really is a non issue. Send a quick email saying your dd's meal order is being mixed up and could someone check that she gets what is ordered. There is really no need for such a saga.

OH thinks I'm being ridiculous and just a mistake and no big deal and to just drop it. I obviously don't. Thought I'd check with others, if that's ok with you.

Will email the teacher tonight.

Dinner ladies aren’t always “old bags”....that’s a bit harsh! The ones at my school are lovely (though not in at the moment).

I agree you should email the school and just say that your dd isn’t getting the food you have ordered for her.

@cansu

OP's DD doesn't eat jacket potato. She isn't going to starve but she shouldn't have to go hungry either.

The 2nd time, she was given the right meal but it was taken off her and given to another child who also doesn't like jacket potato. Why should OP's DD not have the meal that she wants to support another child? If this other child's parent ordered the wrong meal that is not the fault of the DD.

I wonder if this is what happened the first time, the dinner lady was just more subtle about it. If so, then trying to blame OP was disgusting.

@Ilovemyhairbeingstroked

Why are dinner ladies always such horrible old bags ! Let the school no for sure .

I’m a dinner lady and I’m not a horrible old bag.

Definitely send an email. The only time I will insist on a child having a jacket potato is if the child has allergies, and we are still waiting for their special diet menu to come through. Otherwise it’s their choice.

When I was in school, I used to think that the dinner ladies were old bags. Now I am a dinner lady and I don't think I am an old bag but I suppose you will have to ask the kids on that one.

It needs resolving however email the office or the head to resolve this. This is not the teacher's problem to solve.

@Maireas

What school canteen is providing hot meals at the moment?

Ours. Though the only choice is veg or not veg.

Plus, is she checking food allergies for each child before she swaps their meals?

@cansu

This really is a non issue. Send a quick email saying your dd's meal order is being mixed up and could someone check that she gets what is ordered. There is really no need for such a saga.

What saga?

@NaughtipussMaximus - it's good that so many are. I feel sorry for ours having a sandwich and a bottle of water in snowy weather!

Yeah, ours had sandwiches for the first couple of weeks. And now I think about it, I think they did fit the first half of autumn term until the sorted out social distancing. Not ideal!

Even now, it's only for FSM kids. The others bring packed. Sit in the classroom. Bit miserable.

My school is doing hot meals still! All kids and staff are getting them for free as they have a contract to get all the food in regardless. They are also making food to be delivered to some families that are struggling which staff are dropping off on their way home from work!

I would complain but not to her teacher because it’s not really her area. I would speak to the business manager about it because they normally are in charge of non teaching staff.

@Chanandlerbong01

My school is doing hot meals still! All kids and staff are getting them for free as they have a contract to get all the food in regardless. They are also making food to be delivered to some families that are struggling which staff are dropping off on their way home from work!

I would complain but not to her teacher because it’s not really her area. I would speak to the business manager about it because they normally are in charge of non teaching staff.

I think the lady is school staff as she also supervises them at playtime. My school is the same, the only people employed by the caterer are the ones cooking the food. So I just assumed it comes under the purview of the school. Maybe an email to the office instead would be better suited.

I would say email
The office to clarify how this can happen, and ask that could they please ensure DD gets the correct lunch.

Can you imagine if your ordered a burger at McDonalds and got chicken nuggets. Would you just not say anything?

There are occasionally mix ups that can't be resolved because it's too late, but in that case it should be explained to the child, they should be apologised too, and offered the alternative lunch. That's what would happen where work. Most often kids have already forgotten what they ordered and wonder what the adults are on about, but some children are very sure for that they ordered fish and a rent chuffed about being given a jacket potato.

Why are dinner ladies always such horrible old bags ! Let the school no for sure

They are not and that's a horrible judgemental thing to say!

There are 42 messages worrying about this. Many people talking about the school needing to know about this rogue dinner lady and how unacceptable it is that this child got the wrong meal twice. I would call all this angst a saga. It is very simple. Quick email to school office.
Dear school office
There has been a mix up with dd's meal twice this week. Please can someone make sure she has the meal I have ordered as she missed out on her roast dinner this week?
Thank you dd's mum

Job done, end of saga.

By the way OP, it really isn't the teacher to sort this. School dinners will be dealt with by the school office.

I can see why it bothers you. Sounds like the dinner lady deliberately swapped your dd meal thinking she wouldn't make a fuss. I wonder if the other child is a relation.

Why do I have an image of the lunch lady wearing a hairnet and having a fag hanging out of her mouth and snapping at your DD with a thick, gravely voice?

@Hankunamatata

I can see why it bothers you. Sounds like the dinner lady deliberately swapped your dd meal thinking she wouldn't make a fuss. I wonder if the other child is a relation.

I was wondering that too. Is there a price difference between jacket potatoes and the other hot meals?

@Maireas

What school canteen is providing hot meals at the moment?

Quite a few. Why are you doubting the OP?

Most of the schools I know are providing hot meals.

It forms part of the LA RA and an expectation catering runs the same as any other part of the school day unless you have all your catering staff off at short notice.

Yes definitely!

It doesn’t have to be a complaint as such just make them aware that it has happened a couple of times now and DD has gone without lunch because of it. Exactly what you’ve said here.

I’m amazed that the dinner lady can swap meals about so easily. Our school dinner ordering system is a nightmare. The parents book it in advance and then the teacher asks again at morning registration and logs it on a system that then invoices parents. The school cook gets his knickers in a right twist if a meal is wrong because it messes up the invoices.