problem with lunch register

[3duracellbunnies]

I have been charged for three meals that dd hasn't eaten, I've raised the issue, they have sent me a breakdown of her account and there are two weeks when I know for certain she didn't have lunch, and another I am fairly sure she wasn't, as her sister's account should be the same, but is different by 3 meals. I am planning to go in tomorrow. We also accidentally recieved the bill for the girl next to her in the register and she is in credit for the same amount as dd is owing -according to dd she always has school lunch, so I think they have mixed them up.

The trouble is that, according to dd, they order their lunch preference (or say packed lunch), at same time as say whether they are there or not, so for example they will say 'name x', and they will say, yes -main please. I am now concerned that they might have her attendance wrong too. Is it overreacting to ask for a print out of that too? I know they will give me one in july, but I have no hope of remembering then.

Definately raise it when you go in, and point out the mix up with the other girl. Keep records on your Callander at home so when you get the attendance record you will know if it's right or not

Worth checking. Doesn't necessarily follow they're linked though. In DC's school dinners are on a paper register then entered onto a spreadsheet by clerk while attendance is electronic in classroom. Mistakes happen very occasionally. DS ordered a dinner by mistake once (and then ate his sandwiches). Plus I know of an older child who got away with saying he was sandwiches then joined the dinner queue - did it for a while before he got caught! School meals systems are no way as accurate as attendance!

She hasn't ordered extra food, and we say in advance which days we want them to eat, although they choose what they want. It also seems too much of a coincidence that the child next to her in the register is overpaid by the same amount as we are owing. When I first saw the bill I though it was ours and we had overpaid. She isn't a great fan of school lunches anyway, and she would have to really gobble her food to eat packed lunch and school lunch in the 10 seconds they are given to eat in. I will ask tomorrow whether her other record could be wrong. Ironically the other child couldn't look more different.

Sorry, wasn't implying she'd had both sandwiches and dinners. Just pointing out how, ime, dinner register systems are not necessarily linked or anywhere as good as attendance ones (so although it's worth checking you'll probably find nothing wrong with the attendance). I agree that chances are they've messed up the dinner register.

Mistakes do happen - I have to calculate the numbers for dinner every day (from a paper register) and I always check the dinner register against the attendance register (also paper) before informing the kitchen. Sometimes I find children marked in for dinner who aren't even at school .

Your theory on the other child being next to her on the register is more than likely the explanation for this TBH. Usually I find the absentee is actually the child above or below.

Our school doesn't allow chopping and changing between packed lunch or school dinner. We ask for a full week's notice to change from one to the other - it's a small school and the cook tends to estimate her food order as close to the number anticipated as possible. If someone forgets their packed lunch she always manages to squeeze an extra dinner out though