Can school force my child to stay in during lunchtime

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Hi 2cats1kid - do the school demand that you pay for lunches on site? I would be furious as it is far cheaper to prepare a healthy packed lunch than pay for what i most likely would not agree with going onto my childs plate.

Can you not say he has a special diet? I think the banning of packed lunch is ridiculous. Can you not say that you are monitoring what he eats as if given the choice he may chose burgers and chips. Our 'fancy complex' was made up of three different restaurant style options. 1 being different burgers and chips/wedges set out like a macdonalds, 2 being a selection of pizza slices dished out like pizza hut, and 3 being sandwiches and fruit (no salad or anything else healthy). And i bet you can guess where all the kids chose given the choice....Exactly! This new system seemed flawed.

More importantly prices were too high, most of us jumped the gates and bought chicken and chips for a £1 which was cheaper than buying in school. Naughty but we were being :money: if you like

BeenieCat

thorsoak wrote: »

you were notified of this change and the time to have queried this would have been when you were notified of this new rule. By not having done so, it is taken that you have accepted it -

It's only Monday! OP said they sent the letter home the last Friday they were at school so today would have been the first day back.

Zoetoes

I can see both sides.

The school are responsible for the children during the school day so keeping them on site is for their own safety. However, as someone else has said, at 16 you are able to have kids of your own!

Obviously schools can't allow everything that a kid has a letter off their parent for but surely common sense should be applied? The lad is going round the corner to his Gran's for a decent meal with the permission of his mother.

As for banning packed lunches, that is just blatantly trying to make on their school meals. They can argue not letting kids off premises for good reason but not allowing packed lunches?? They can't possibly back this up. If they have this rule then the LEA should be awarding free school meals to every pupil. To expect a parent to pay for school meals on top of bus fares, especially in these times, is disgraceful.

As for mentioning the holidays in term time, I also have taken my kids out of school for holidays, for a lot of families it's the difference between having a holiday and not. Obviously common sense would tell you if you're kids aren't doing so well then you skip the holiday.

Also, the OP gave her son a note explaining the situation, and OP probably assumed this would suffice, her being his parent and giving permission. His mum had told him to go to his Grans, his Gran was waiting for him, of course the lad is going to try and have his say, doesn't mean he did it in an aggressive manner.

OP I can understand where you are coming from but I think rather than push the leaving school premises issue, I would concentrate more on the packed lunch issue.

I also thought it was up to the parent if kids went home for dinner, I know they do in my son's junior school, maybe it's up to the individual school. Or maybe the issue is because he's not being picked up?

miamoo

My kids aren't allowed out of school at lunch time, no schools around here allow it all primary or secondary.

Pepzofio

I found this which is quite interesting - it seems like packed lunch policies are now being encouraged, but only after proper consultation with pupils, parents and staff!

http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/content.asp?ContentId=568

minxtress

thorsoak wrote: »

If you look at this link here :- http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1007/1007640_mum_fights_lunch_ban.html

It would appear that it is not lawful for the school to insist upon every pupil purchasing a school meal.

The school has made the rules about no pupils going off premises during lunchtime, you were notified of this change and the time to have queried this would have been when you were notified of this new rule. By not having done so, it is taken that you have accepted it - and in my opinion, to "give your son permission" to go off premises is just not acceptable behaviour - and if you, as the parent encourages the breaking of this rule, the school could quite justifiably, ask you to remove your children from the school.

Giving out a letter when children break up from school for a week and implementing the changes the day they go back gives me no chance to query the changes until today, which I did and no doubt will have to join the que of parents wishing to see the headmistress.

Zoetoes

I can tell you now if either of my kids school banned packed lunch I would be straight to the Chair of Governors!

I coudn't afford 2 lots of school dinner money on top of the eldest's bus fare, on occasions I will give the eldest some money to get something to eat in school but he still takes a drink etc from home as it's just too expensive in school.

thorsoak

I'm sorry - when I read "This has worked well until this year they have a new headmistress who has said all children must pay for food in the school canteen and stay in school all lunchtime." I understood that parents had been notified at the beginning of the year. My mistake.

Zoetoes

God I can't half talk can't I? :eek:

Wicked_witch

Have to agree with the majority here (not something that happens every day!). I think it is acceptable for the school to make pupils stay on the premises, but totally wrong and probably against council/LEA rules to force them to buy food onsite. The income cutoff point for free school meals is very low and there must be a very large number of parents who struggle to provide money for school meals. Even if it proves not to be illegal, it is completely immoral.