Milk & fruit in schools

Spendless

jockettuk wrote:

Your child should get it free up till there 5th birthday then pay for it after that normally abt 20p a week.

Our LEA admits all children to nursery the September after their 3rd birthday and milk is free there.

All children are admitted to reception year the September following their 4th birthday (regardless of where their birthday falls)

Son with a March birthday has been in full-time school since September 04. I have been paying for milk for him since he started in reception when he was 4 and a half.

Shouldn't I have been? Should i have received it free till he was 5? Or does it depend on the LEA? or does it mean you pay once they are in reception?

Some children in sons class have end of July or August birthdays.
They won't become 5 in reception year as their birthday will fall in the summer holidays.
Should these children not be paying for their milk until they are in Year 1?

kazd

We pay for the milk at our school and this is subsidised by the Milk Authority so it works out at about £11 per term. The rule is no sweets whatsoever apart from giving out at the end of the day on a birthday. Only allowed fruit or vegetable at morning break (although winders are allowed) but they are allowed choc bisc at lunch time.

My youngest is in reception and we have to pay 50p a week for him, he has to take it in various denominations in a purse and then he pays 10p per day for his snack. (idea is to teach him about money)

margaretclare

Hi all you young mums

As a grandmother whose children and grandchildren, step-grandchildren even aged 10 and 11!! are long past this stage, I would applaud any measures to get kids to eat and drink more healthily. I have been shocked and horrified by the Jamie Oliver revelations, and all credit to him for what he has brought to our notice and that of politicians. We have been led by the nose by advertisers and by peer pressure for far too long.

I was involved in the (unsuccessful) campaign to stop school milk being withdrawn back in 1971. I always thought it was a bad move. Now, things have got worse. Allowing commercial enterprises into schools to sell fizzy drinks and sweet snacks etc may have brought in much-needed funds, but I am always suspicious of any such moves.

Good luck to all you young mums!

Aunty Margaret

bylromarha

Spendless wrote:

Shouldn't I have been? Should i have received it free till he was 5? Or does it depend on the LEA? or does it mean you pay once they are in reception?

In Warwickshire LEA children get milk free until they are 5 years old. As a teacher, I used to have to pass letters out from the school office saying "Now that your child is 5, you need to pay for the milk..." The office would calculate how much was left for the rest of the school year after the childs fifth birthday. SO children whose birthdays are in August would not have to pay for any of their milk in reception. It only works out about £15 per year, so well worth it if you like warm milk in a Beano carton!

As for the fruit, it is a good idea if the kids have a "give it a try" attitude. In september on average 25 out of 30 apples were in the bin at the end of fruit time. In July, about 18 out of 30. Bananas were a big hit, though pears remained at 25 out of 30 all year! the scheme stops at the end of year 2 as the idea is that children will love fruit, so they'll bring it in from home...hmmmmm, like that works!

Spendless

Had a quick look on the net, keeps mentioning milk should be free until a child is 5.

Had a look at my councils education website, no mention of age at all with regards to free school milk. Only mentions milk being free if entitled to free school dinners.

Have sent an e-mail questioning about charging for milk for 4 year olds if they are in reception year.

Will let you know if and when i get a response.

Thanks

Jay-Jay_4

I thought that they had stopped school milk My daughter has never had it, though they introduced the free fruit halfway through her first year at school (last year).


I would FAR rather pay towards milk and fruit than the £1.50 per day for school dinners which we all know leave a lot to be desired.

jellyhead

spud doesn't drink milk but would happily drink water instead, i'd prefer milk to be available in school for those who drink it though, much better than whatever carton they bring into school. we have water fountains so theoretically kids don't need to bring a drink but most bring in sugary stuff for playtime. we don't have milk.

spendless i remember with the fruit thing it said until the child was 7 but what happened was everyone got it until they finished year 2 regardless of whether they were 6 or 7, it didn't matter about actual age, what they meant was that the child gets fruit until the end of the academic year in which they are 7. could it be the same with the milk? that the year they're in nursery is the academic year in which they reach the age of 4 so milk is provided free during the nursery year rather than until the 5th birthday? let us know what you find out anyway, but if kids can get milk free until their 5th birthday i know some kids in our reception year who are still 4 but milk's not available in our school, their parents might like to know if they're entitled to it :-)

edit - i realise what i've written above is really daft, of course they reach their 5th birthday during reception, please ignore me, lol!!

ashmit

I work in the office that coordinates the school fruit and veg scheme in the north east (though not on the actual scheme, I'm in health regeneration). go here for more information on it. it's for all children aged 4-6, although schools don't actually have to take part. Although it's free and apparently very successful, so what school wouldn't is beyone me really. they are really trying to extend it to older children too, but it's a question of funding - if the funding ain't there, it can't be done.

the north east has the highest uptake currently, 99% of schools are signed up. north west is second iirc. we're hoping to get to 100% - we can use being so close as leverage for those schools that aren't involved

as i say, i don't actually work on it myself, but ask if you have any questions as i can ask the people who do

Spendless

jellyhead wrote:

spendless i remember with the fruit thing it said until the child was 7 but what happened was everyone got it until they finished year 2 regardless of whether they were 6 or 7, it didn't matter about actual age, what they meant was that the child gets fruit until the end of the academic year in which they are 7. could it be the same with the milk? that the year they're in nursery is the academic year in which they reach the age of 4 so milk is provided free during the nursery year rather than until the 5th birthday? let us know what you find out anyway, but if kids can get milk free until their 5th birthday i know some kids in our reception year who are still 4 but milk's not available in our school, their parents might like to know if they're entitled to it :-)

edit - i realise what i've written above is really daft, of course they reach their 5th birthday during reception, please ignore me, lol!!

Yes the fruit in our school (IIRC) is until end of Year 2, regardless of whether your 6 or 7.

I thought same as you with regards to milk but have sent e-mail anyway to see if i get a response.

I was telling hubby that if they have been incorrectly charging and change it i've potentially saved parents upto £15.
Husband said what i'll have actually done is put everyones council tax up a bit more!!!

jockettuk

Spendless wrote:

Our LEA admits all children to nursery the September after their 3rd birthday and milk is free there.

All children are admitted to reception year the September following their 4th birthday (regardless of where their birthday falls)

Son with a March birthday has been in full-time school since September 04. I have been paying for milk for him since he started in reception when he was 4 and a half.

Shouldn't I have been? Should i have received it free till he was 5? Or does it depend on the LEA? or does it mean you pay once they are in reception?

Some children in sons class have end of July or August birthdays.
They won't become 5 in reception year as their birthday will fall in the summer holidays.
Should these children not be paying for their milk until they are in Year 1?

iwas told it was a government thing that all children should get free milk untill there 5th birthday.. sounds like your school doesnt know this.. All schools nursery schools playgroups etc get government funding or similar to give all children free milk untill they are five