How will the extension of FSM be managed practically in schools?

[Pandersmum]

i think that the new free school meal provision for children with parents on UC will be an absolute nightmare for schools to manage, further diverting limited school resources away from actually teaching all state school children.

Also how will they practically be able to manage different dietary ‘requirements/preferences’ of children with medical conditions which restricts the foods that they can eat / don’t like eating?

Also reading in the newspaper today there will be further restrictions as to what schools will be allowed to feed children. Does the waste food in schools ever get monitored?

….. whilst sounding initially good intentioned (hungry children are not optimum learners), I just think this will practically be an absolute nightmare for schools to actually manage on a day to day basis.

I’m not a teacher and I don’t have any school age children but if I just think this is yet another potential unworkable challenge our state schools are being given.

I don’t know why it should be such a nightmare? In my borough there were so many children on FSM that they made it free for the whole of primary school long before it was adopted by government. It’s a diverse community too so the schools don’t serve pork at all and always have a vegetarian option which seems to cover most of the bases.

All of reception/Yr 1/Yr 2 get free school meals already anyway. I'm sure it isn't going to cause the level of pandemonium you seem to think!

Scottish schools have free school meals for all in primary 1-3, I think, could be more. It's not a problem. I'm not sure why you think it will be. My grandsons have a varied menu and eat most things.

Many schools there will be no change from currently as a lot of kids will already be on fsm, some schools barely affected as very low numbers of families on UC. I do think it would have been easier just to make it universal for all kids and would stop some of the bitterness from parents who earn just above the thresholds to qualify for anything. I'm hoping it might created some extra employment and help create workable employment for some parents who may currently find it hard to work around school hours.

It’s been working in all infant years for years already.

Our school has a booking system three weeks in advance you select the meals you want, they cook them. Only waste would be children off sick or deciding they don’t like the food.

Eh? Don't all reception to yr 2 get FSM anyway? In London all primary aged kids get them! Why is offering to more kids in yrs 3+ going to be problematic? It doesn’t come off the main school budget.

I think it’ll be an issue in secondary schools rather than primary. I think secondary schools only allow FSM kids to eat certain things so I guess they’ll have to get more of those and less of the stuff that costs.

All children in state schools in London get free school meals until Year 6.

Or is this yet another tedious benefit bashing thread?

Since when? I finished school in 2019 and had fsm the whole time, could have anything I wanted as long as it was less than about £2.50

I think it’s More they get a credit of £2 something and can only buy what they have money for. Though parents can still add extra money to their accounts as well.

Of course they don’t limit the FSM kids! They’re allowed more if they pay the extra.

Ah ok. My DC won’t qualify regardless because we don’t get UC but I’m sure they said the FSM kids have to have a certain meal deal which is basically a basic pasta/sandwich, bottle of water and cookie.

I work in a school that has a 75% eligibility for fsm. It wouldn't change much if it was the whole school

Schools are used to managing dietary needs. My daughter (now year 2) was diagnosed as coeliac a year ago, and after some initial delays due to a misunderstanding with the catering company, she has had a suitable school meal every day.

Guess that was the best value for the money they have though I’d imagine it would have to be a recommended rather than a forced thing.

My oldest has never had a hot dinner at school still got his original credit on there I loaded on back in year 7 says the food looks bad.

My daughter however she spends a fortune even on bloody cookies 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ also often buying for friends who don’t have as much in their accounts.

The 2 biggest problems will be
A) Getting parents to confess they are on UC - contrary to pupular belief people are not grasping. They have to be coaxed it's OK to claim.
B) The budget - as FSM meals are paid for via the school block. UFSM (universal free school meals for Reception, Y1 and Y2) are paid for via the UFSM grant based on the October census.
Recoding a child as FSM will be a 30 second job. It's all computerised and we're set up for vegan, veggie, hot, cold, halal and allergies.
It's part and parcel of school life.
You are looking for a problem that's not there apart from the funding.
If your child is entitled to UFSM and your school announces a special menu, tasting day etc in early October - book that meal. They can't encourage you just for the census but take up on that day will affect their funding. Book it even if you send them with sandwiches!

I work in a secondary school. What happens is the basic "main meal" costs £2.80, so each FSM child gets a credit of £2.80 on their account each day. But they can spend that £2.80 on whatever they want to. They can top up and spend more money if they want too. And if they don't spend all of the £2.80 in one day, it doesn't roll over to the next day.

In some cases they will have to have set deals, because it's the only thing in the price bracket. My son had fsm at 6th form and could have a very specific meal deal or pay extra. He has dietary requirements and this meant he went without food if he didn't have extra money from me. They were supposed to provide an alternative, but they didn't.

They will manage it exactly as they manage it now.
I really don't follow your logic, dietary requirements are not the preserve of the well-off, school kitchens are well-used to catering for every requirement you can think of and making sure the right child gets the right meal, even the 4 yr olds who aren't quite sure what their requirements are.

And the budget is ring-fenced for the purpose.

We already have FSM for every primary school aged child in Wales, the issues you rise have not been problems at my DDs school. I like knowing my DD has a healthy hot meal every day and I don’t have to bother with making packed lunches.

In London all primary school children already get free school meals. Main issue is that the portion sizes ( and possibly the quality) has reduced because they can’t use the paid for to subsidise the ( not sufficient) FSM funding and that when it was first bought in DD’s school had to get more ovens ( and more staff etc).
They’ve always managed to cater for allergies and other dietary requirements well, but did clamp down on people claiming allergies for stuff they just didn’t like a few years ago as 80% of students were claiming some kinds of dietary requirement.

We already have universal free school in for children in P1 - P5 (equivalent of R - y4 I think) in Scotland and free school meals for children who’s parents receive benefits or are on low incomes has been a thing for at least the last 30 years.
It doesn’t make any actual practical changes to how they feed the children, just where the funds for the food are coming from.

Thank you for this post. I will be entitled to claim FSM from September but I am in two minds about whether or not to do it. I am worried about being judged/the stigma. Particularly as ds1 will be starting a new school.

DFE have said the additional free meals will be covered by separate grant funding next year (although no actual details on how/when yet), then presumably it'll be rolled into GAG from Sept 27