To think that free breakfast at school is a bad idea due to the quality?

[Mushypeass]

Firstly, I fully agree with the principle of free breakfast for all pupils. My reservation comes from the quality of food that is often served up in UK school canteens. Obviously a poor quality breakfast is better than no breakfast at all but AIBU that it could encourage children to eat even more UPFs? For example, children who have may had a relatively healthy breakfast at home may now opt eat UPFs at school with their pals instead.

Seocondly, why is the food so poor in so many schools? How can other countries manage to provide their youth with nutritious and healthy meals but we can’t?

No I haven’t ever gone hungry. But I still don’t understand why they can’t have whole meal with marmite/cheese rather than white with jam. Or weetamix/shredded wheat rather than Rice Krispies or cocoa pops?

you’re missing the point.. it’s not about getting them fed it’s childcare.

Budgeting tends to be a bit tricky when you’ve got no money to budget with.

No one is saying you can’t, in the scheme schools are given a budget and encouraged to make healthy choices - I don’t know why they wouldn’t? That’s down to the school and I don’t get why they would choose shit to feed the kids.

But my point is I’d rather kids have anything in their bellies that have it denied to them because someone thinks it isn’t healthy enough. The OP seemed to suggest that it’s better not to have the scheme, not to feed hungry kids, in case it isn’t healthy. And I thoroughly disagree with that. Better to have something ‘unhealthy’ and be fed than nothing at all, every time. But of course schools should be choosing healthy items to offer.

and if kids can't eat it due to dietary needs as well.

The things that some people are keen on banning for breakfast clubs such as white bread and rice krispies are some of the only things my child can safely eat for breakfast. He can't eat brown bread or porridge, he'd end up in hospital.

I think maybe you need to check your privilege a tad. I also don’t think some UPF’s in a day is the end of the world if balanced out with some fruit and veg. Not all policies benefit all people but this one will definitely help those in areas of deprivation and give options to those who often don’t even get the option of breakfast.
Also, there’s ways around this, if you are genuinely concerned get involved with your PTA, suggest approaching local grocers and supermarkets for fruits donations etc. these are the times we are living in, we all need to pitch in a bit really.

This is my situation, it’s sad and I worry about the long term effects of such bad eating habits but it’s a hell of a lot better than the effects of not eating at all.

Because that is what happens with breakfast clubs - people use them as and when. So some days will be more than others. Some parents will use it daily and some will be few and far between. My friend's school has 3 kids using their club some days but then others days they get up to 50. That is all. If they cater for the 3 then 50 turn up they have no food for 50. They can buy fresh for the 200 in the school but it gets thrown out as it isn't often they get 200 in. If they get 200 in then the staff have to go shopping in their own time to get food if they have't catered for them. What do you do at that point?

You cannot work out what the average is when all are invited to come daily and it is just if they want to come or not. How about the government do not introduce stupid initiatives that waste food until they figure out how it is implemented.

How would you logistically manage 3 some days and 50 other days (but unknown) but it could be 200 some days again unknown? Do you think 1 box of weetabix will cover 200 kids for 5 days if they show up and no milk? Really? You talk of using logical thinking skills and think 1 box of weetabix will go to 1000 servings.

A box of weetabix in case of spares! ha ha! What 190 spare kids chowing down on a 12 pack of dry weetabix?! Give over!

What's the difference between porridge stuck to a bowl like concrete and a plate with a few crumbs on? Shows you don't wash up often.

But really cornflakes are 80p who hasn't got the money for breakfast? I was jobless and young (look up how much less benefits under 25s get compared to 25+) and my kids still went to school having had breakfast.
Who is broker than a jobless under 25?

The neglectful types who don't feed their kids breakfast aren't leaving the house early to take them to breakfast club either.

Here’s some explanation for the school meal system.
I work in an academy as an assistant catering manager. We are an in-house catering team, which means we set the menus, order the food and set the prices.
The free school meal allowance isn’t just the cost of the food. It is to cover wages, electric, gas, pension contributions, national insurance contributions, holiday pay, sick pay, etc etc so for example, a child may receive £2.50 free school allowance a day, but factor in everything else and we probably have to make a meal for £1. That meal will include a snack item at break, a main meal which because we set the menu is a protein, a carb and a veg plus a pudding which must contain fruit. A typical roast dinner will be, the meat, such as a joint of beef, a Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, 2 different vegetables, gravy and dessert which is normally a fruit crumble and custard. The snack option is offered at break time (secondary school) and that is normally a blueberry muffin, a big wedge of watermelon, yoghurt, fruit salad, homemade wholemeal pizza.
We use all locally sourced ingredients where we can with local butchers and fish mongers as suppliers.
We are lucky, we are in house and our pupils are lucky.
The problems stem from the government insisting on academies, that are now run as businesses and not schools, CEOs on more money annually that the prime minister. These then opt to use big companies such as Hutchinson’s Catering, chartwells etc etc. These companies buy big and buy cheap. Everything is done on the cheap to keep costs down, this then makes them a profit, but are able to go to academies and say “hey look we can charge you such and such and do everything and you don’t have to worry about a thing” the schools say yes please, once they have their foot in the door on a 10 year contract they can serve absolute tripe to kids.
Dont blame the dinner ladies, they can only work with that they are given and the same will happen with the breakfast. Blame the government and academies

Soooo not every parent can afford a 70p supermkt brand of cornflakes???,dont believe it, its the parents that dnt give a damn and spend their benefits on their own thrills

Our Breakfast Club is for 40 mins for £1.50 a child. We serve toast ( with flora spread, because of people who are dairy free )and cereals and fruit juice or water. There is no time for anything else! And the toast is toasted by TAs not the kitchen. They’re too busy sorting healthy meals for later. Yes that sometimes involves pizza made in the school kitchens, and gluten free buns, low sugar biscuits plus there is ALWAYS fruit available. Some children will only eat fruit, some won’t touch it with a barge pole. There is a lot of fussiness and a goodly amount of waste, to be honest.
The kitchens dare not serve up unhealthy food!!!

Some schools have halls which are classrooms. The hall often cannot hold all the school as usually lunch servings are staggered. Kitchens do not exist in some nor do dishwashers! ha! What a luxury. Hands are for washing dishes in most schools. Also some have kitchens or serveries in the classrooms.

Also you cannot have kids with 1 member of staff in the hall and one washing up. Who supports the kids when they are finished? What do they do? How are they supervised?

People do not understand how each school is different and in some there isn't a usual hall, classroom, kitchen set up in all schools. In others there are multiple halls which would require staffing but you can't hire staff if you don't know how many kids need supervising. It is a logistical nightmare.

To be honest, the children who have parents who can’t even be arsed to buy them a cheap box of cereal and give them breakfast in the morning are fucked anyway, no matter what the school does. It’s pretty rare to be able to turn your life around from such a shit start. So eating UPF is the least of their concerns.

Any decent parent gives them breakfast at home and makes them a healthy packed lunch as school food is shite - and I’ve worked in hundreds of schools.

Our private school charges £400 a term for lunches so about £8 a day. They have local fresh salad and veg, bagette and omelette bar and food cooked on the premises by a qualified chef. That’s the sort of level the government needs to fund lunches at if they want anything decent.

I’m in the North and work in the primary school kitchen and we have a salad bar with 5 different types of salad then two types of veg on the hot counter then a selection of fresh fruits to choose from for desert or a homemade biscuit.

It must be school and area dependent I would imagine and alot of schools have private catering now and the cook can only work with the budget they are given.

I agree. It's very obvious that some pp's are more used to how private schools work!

My child's school has one hall for assembly, PE and lunch. Lunch times are staggered because the hall is tiny and it is a squeeze as it is with assemblies. It would be impossible and dangerous with children carrying food trays, drinks etc around, just not enough room.

Here in wales my primary school has a free breakfast club, starts at 8:05am - but there is no food it’s just an early drop off (which is a godsend in terms of the commute to the office in time for work). Food (any) would be a lovely extra. They are not even allowed an apple to take in there, it’s strictly no food.

Yeah exactly I don't get how anyone believes it. Did you know over 25s get way more benefits than under 25s regardless of circumstances? Like damn if I managed to feed my kids breakfast while jobless from 16-22 you want me to believe these older parents can't afford it? 🤔 Even the unemployed ones have way more money than I had theyre just too busy buying drinks and vapes. Who actually believes this shit that anyone can't afford 70p cornflakes

Often even if ssd get involved - unless child is removed into care where they will be properly fed-the school will end up taking up slack...

Unacceptable but at least the child is fed!

Also as others have said... Also cleaning uniforms where no one ensures child has a washed uniform.

It's horrific and lacking any dignity... If they wait for ssd to do anything positive in the meantime the child will have been tolerating no food and smelling clothes.

I've worked in social services in several different regions... Often very good people but massively under resourced.

My feeling is that whilst the parents SHOULD be doing it for whatever reason they aren’t and to ignore the situation doesn’t harm the parents, it’s the kids who go hungry. I’m happy to pay for optional breakfast club if kids get to eat. Of course their parents should, of course if they don’t there should be a punishment but that isn’t happening, so at least this way the children aren’t hungry.

It just shows how many do not understand things in schools. Just like the government. My primary school I went to as a child has the hall on another site! So imagine that? Kids just walk over that dual carriageway after dropping your bowl in the sink!

The type who aren't feeding their kids breakfast when cornflakes cost 70p aren't getting up early to take them to breakfast club.

People keep saying this and yet breakfasts clubs aren’t new, they have been around for a while in schools in high poverty areas and are used. All this is doing is rolling them out to every school.

And yes, I imagine some of them are used for free childcare so parents can get to work. But if the option is there and even a few more kids get fed I’m fine with it.

Many do. And there isn't a 'type'. Kids not being fed isn't often down to poverty. It is shite parenting in many households.

your son is in the minority, clearly they can and should cater fir him and obviously they wouldn’t and shouldn’t give him something that would hospitalise him. I dint really understand your point.

do you think they should serve white bread/ krispies to everyone as one person has an intolerance?

whst point are you making?