School lunches

sweaty_betty

My first step would be to contact the school to see if there is a rotating menu and then talk to her about what she liked/didn't after school.

Don't forget that from September all reception/year 1/year 2 pupils will be entitled to free school dinners :money:

suejb2

My D.D has school dinners in the winter and packed lunches the other time.At school they require two week notice to change from either if it's the same at your school why not let your daughter try for two weeks then change if not keen.Are you aware that reception year 1 and possibly year 2 come September will get free school dinners.


Beat me to it with the free dinners.On the same wave lenght

flea72

We get an email that gives the following week menu. Overall the food is all freshly made onsite, however we do have an issue with portion size as its the same whether you are 5 or 11 and portions seem to be on the small size.

Our school invite parents in once a term to have lunch with their kids. For fathers day last year the meal (for adult men) was half a jacket potato and a slice of cheese quiche (about 1" wide) with a spoonful of baked beans. The kids meal was smaller! And they charged 50p extra for the adult meals

I used to work on the assumption if my kids had a cooked lunch, they would only need a small, cold tea. But they come in from school starving, so sttill need another full meal

gingin_2

We are not very fortunate here in that our school meals are of a very poor quality. It's prepared off premises and shipped in, to me it's a waste of money as I can prepare her a far more nutritious meal in a lunch box to her liking, myself - the things you are preparing sound delicious and I know our school would provide nothing of that quality.

My daughter has just about always had a packed lunch. She takes a flask of hot soup in every day so in winter she gets the "hot" element.

There have been times where I have let her have hot lunches ( we can choose on a day by day basis here) but she's given up altogether now.

My daughter also found that the wait to actually queue up and get the meal was eating into her free time as well.

My son is at a senior school and they have delicious food that I give him money for every day (It's more, £3 per day) so I guess it just varies from place to place but when they are younger I personally prefer them to eat what I give them.

marisco_2

ilikewatch wrote: »

I wasn't so impressed by children as old as 6-7 who are unable to use cutlery and were just shovelling mash, peas and gravy in with their hands

It is shocking how much of a decline there is in children's overall manners. The amount who reach 11 and appear to have no understanding of how to correctly hold cutlery, are unable to cut up their food, cant eat with their mouths closed or apply basic table manners is appalling.

Few seem to have mastered the art of using the common courtesies of 'please', 'thank you', or 'excuse me' either. Then there are those who have no concept of using eye contact. Many children don't realise the importance of looking at someone when speaking to them.

It all boils down to lazy parenting, and just sets the children up to really struggle when they are in situations that demand these life skills. It makes me laugh that because my own children who are 8 and 11 can do all of the above, some people view me as being a snob. Go figure!

cat4772

thank you everyone for your replies. I've been in touch with the school and found out that
* menus are on a 3 week rolling cycle per term and include meat, fish and vegetarian options, with vegetables and desert (which appears to be choice of pudding & custard or fresh fruit salad and yoghurt).
*parents sign up to school meals for the full half-term for either school meals or packed lunch
* I need to let school know in writing on / before 14th February
*I can pay by paypoint or cheque

I'd texted a few of the mums at the school to ask and their kids report that they like the school meals BUT have once or twice come home and not had much to eat because they did not like the options.

I strongly suspect that a lot of her friends have school meals and she would like to join them, rather than not liking a packed lunch (most days she will come home with an empty lunch box)

And yes, in years 1 and 2 she will be eligible for free school meals anyway so I'll not need to consider the issue of school meals until September 2016 and by then I'll have one in year 1 and one in year 3:eek:

fivetide

cat4772 wrote: »

I strongly suspect that a lot of her friends have school meals and she would like to join them, rather than not liking a packed lunch (most days she will come home with an empty lunch box)

I did hope that might be the case.

Sounds like the school are switched on and being with her friends will help her socially and make being their more fun too.

Plus, it is very MSE saving the cost of the lunches! :money:

Janepig

That's a bit harsh, having to get you to sign up for the whole half term for one thing or the other! DD/DS's school allow you to change from day to day if you want, and that's in a school with over 450 kids so it can't be that difficult logistically. The meals are on a three week cycle but are roughly the same each day of the week, ie, Sunday dinner is on Wednesday, chips on Monday, Pasta on another day etc....

My two have packed lunch though, tbh I can't be paying £80 a month for food that DS will probably turn his nose up at more often than not. I didn't realise that the free school meals for infants was going ahead in England, I thought it was just at the idea stage. Lord knows where the government are going to find the money for that, but there you go.

Jx

maman

Janepig wrote: »

That's a bit harsh, having to get you to sign up for the whole half term for one thing or the other!

Totally agree, I think the school is being unreasonable. Most schools allow a bit of mix and match or at least a taster before signing up.


Fortunately for you it's only 3 half terms before the problem goes away whatever you decide.


At my school we let children 'picnic' outside with their packed lunches when the weather was good in the summer term. That was very popular.Perhaps you could sign up for half a term and think again for the summer.

meritaten

marisco wrote: »

It is shocking how much of a decline there is in children's overall manners. The amount who reach 11 and appear to have no understanding of how to correctly hold cutlery, are unable to cut up their food, cant eat with their mouths closed or apply basic table manners is appalling.

Few seem to have mastered the art of using the common courtesies of 'please', 'thank you', or 'excuse me' either. Then there are those who have no concept of using eye contact. Many children don't realise the importance of looking at someone when speaking to them.

It all boils down to lazy parenting, and just sets the children up to really struggle when they are in situations that demand these life skills. It makes me laugh that because my own children who are 8 and 11 can do all of the above, some people view me as being a snob. Go figure!

This shocked me when I was a mature student at a local college! on my lunch hour our group couldn't help noticing a young woman who never used cutlery. but stuck to a diet of baked beans and chips - eaten with her fingers which she wiped off on her clothes. her friends at least used forks! none of them had the slightest knowledge of 'table manners'. it was like feeding time in the zoo!

My grandgirls 9 and 6, have been complimented by canteen staff (in two different primary schools) for their excellent table manners - we call them 'Princess Manners'. I have taught them table manners since they were old enough to hold the cutlery. I just found it sad that staff were so unused to this they felt the need to compliment their mum.