Free school meals from Sept 2014

stardoman

Billie-S wrote: »

Hey that's odd. Both schools my daughters went to (primary and secondary,) did this too; they wouldn't let the kids eating school dinners, sit with the people who had packed lunches. I was never sure why.

They take it a step further at our primary school. Even if their friend is on packed lunch as well, they are not allowed to sit together. I think this is to create pressure on the parents to switch their children to school meals. Which won't work for my youngest as their is no way I'll put him back on school dinners.

jellyhead

Billie-S wrote: »

Hey that's odd. Both schools my daughters went to (primary and secondary,) did this too; they wouldn't let the kids eating school dinners, sit with the people who had packed lunches. I was never sure why.

In our school they are in the same hall, but at different ends of the hall and they can't sit together.

There are separate staff for putting out the tables and chairs for the children who have packed lunches. Perhaps school provide for the packed lunches children, and the catering company provide for the children who pay for school meals?

jellyhead

stardoman wrote: »

They take it a step further at our primary school. Even if their friend is on packed lunch as well, they are not allowed to sit together. I think this is to create pressure on the parents to switch their children to school meals. Which won't work for my youngest as their is no way I'll put him back on school dinners.

Eh? What is their reasoning for this? Do they allocate seats to them or something? I think that my son just lines up, and sits with his friends.

It's not guaranteed though, because so many children have to use the hall and the year groups are staggered, so it's possible that sometimes a child will finish their lunch and whoever is next in line will be told to take the empty seat regardless of whether they have any friends on that table. The staggering takes turns so that it's not always the same year group going in last, and the reception children are always first so they don't have to sit with big kids, etc.

My nephew used to moan that the salad cart doesn't get refilled, so when it was his class being last to come in for dinners there wouldn't be any celery left.

daisiegg

stardoman wrote: »

They take it a step further at our primary school. Even if their friend is on packed lunch as well, they are not allowed to sit together. I think this is to create pressure on the parents to switch their children to school meals. Which won't work for my youngest as their is no way I'll put him back on school dinners.

Why would they care whether children have school dinners or packed lunches?! I don't think the school makes money on the lunches or anything do they?

jellyhead

daisiegg wrote: »

Why would they care whether children have school dinners or packed lunches?! I don't think the school makes money on the lunches or anything do they?

I don't think so. The county council is partners with the catering firm in our county, but the school hall is so busy and it takes longer for a school dinners child to go through the tray line and eat their dinner with cutlery, etc. than it does for a child with a packed lunch. An upturn in kids having school dinners would make life harder for the dinner ladies who would have to hurry people along and shoe them out faster.

Maybe there's a problem with behaviour in the packed lunch area, and this particular school are cracking down on it? It seems harsh though, if they are deliberately splitting up all friendship groups rather than just the children who get into trouble.

GobbledyGook

daisiegg wrote: »

Of course teachers take registers in lessons. That is not what I am talking about. It is not too difficult to understand! Say lunchtime is 1pm to 2pm. An emergency happens at 1.30pm that requires evacuation of the school. If no one signs out at lunchtime, how does anyone know whether Jack Smith in second form has gone to town for lunch or whether he is still trapped in the burning building? Or it is the first lesson after lunch and Jack is missing. If he didn't sign out or in at lunchtime how do they know where he is...did he go out for lunch? If so, did he come back? Or did he stay on the school site and is now skiving smoking behind the bike sheds? I just can't really understand how it can work not knowing where students are at all times during the school day while they are the school's responsibility. I am also surprised that in these health and safety crazed times they don't get them to sign in and out, that's all.

How it's always worked in my experience in primary school is that at 1pm the children staying in school are sent to the dinner hall/packed lunch space and the pupils going how are shown out much the same as home time. Children have then not to return to the playground until 1.55pm so at 1.30pm the child would be in the care of their parent. (A couple of primary schools show children out the front door to go home for lunch rather than the playground gate - that's because in Scotland post Dunblane school gates are locked.)

For the high school the pupils leave site after the bell and return whenever. However on their return they are the same as the children who've stayed on site and only have access to common room, dining hall, toilets and lunch club area.

Basically if the child goes home for lunch they are entirely the responsibility of their parent until they are registered in the afternoon.



Also re the allocated seating for packed lunches - sometimes that's not for mean reasons. Often children spend so long chatting they either don't eat all their lunch or run out of time. This is a big problem when kids need the food to cope with the afternoon and it's a big problem in schools where there are more than one sitting due to the number of pupils. Sitting in an allocated seat not surrounded by their friends means they concentrate on lunch and then they are out to play, with their friends, sooner.

In one school I worked in each child had an allocated seat in the dining hall. They sat there no matter if they were school dinners or packed lunch. It took the deputy head hours and hours to work out because they have 3 sittings. However they've found it great, not only do the children eat quicker (and I don't mean rushed either - which some of the last ones in used to be), but they've made friends with children from other year groups, the bigger ones on the table help the younger ones (something lots of them are very proud of) and the children eat more of their lunch.

The only downside has been the creation of the word 'tablies' - which is what the older children call the little ones 'my wee tablies'. :rotfl:

[Deleted User]

In September I will have a year 3 and a year 2 child, so only one benefitting.

The implications to me are money saving on one hand but detrimental to the family evening meal.

If my DD has fsm every day, she loves them, I wouldn't want her having another hot meal in the evening, yet I'll have to cook for myself and DS. To be eating differently like that seems unfair amongst siblings. I wouldn't want DD to gave 2 hot dinners a day and we always encouraged as parents to be mindful of childhood obesity.

It's a shame they can't implement a system for complete families to benefit. I.e if you receive tax credits you get fsm, or other qualifying family issues like single parents, so all the children from the same family are treated the same.

Last year for about 6 months my children qualified for fsm, they loved them, they were healthy and nutrious, except they always choose the pudding over fruit or yog. The menus vary over 4 weeks and look delicious on the leaflets. However now we don't qualify anymore I can't afford £2 x2 a day as I can feed us all for that with overs, so now school dinners are a treat or on a occasional day when after school is manic.

onlyroz

Regarding going home for lunch, this didn't happen when I was at primary school. However, at secondary school you had to get written permission from parents to leave the site at lunch time, and you also had to do it every day or not at all. This was so that the school always knew who should be in and who should be out at lunch time. In the sixth form you could leave whenever you wanted but had to sign yourself in or out.

ViolaLass

Deleted_User wrote: »

In September I will have a year 3 and a year 2 child, so only one benefitting.

The implications to me are money saving on one hand but detrimental to the family evening meal.

If my DD has fsm every day, she loves them, I wouldn't want her having another hot meal in the evening, yet I'll have to cook for myself and DS. To be eating differently like that seems unfair amongst siblings. I wouldn't want DD to gave 2 hot dinners a day and we always encouraged as parents to be mindful of childhood obesity.

I don't understand why having two hot meals a day would cause your child to be overweight. Surely portion size is the issue, not whether the food was cooked or not? I had hot meals at school and usually pasta or similar at home (still do now) and I have never been overweight.

meritaten

I don't see a problem with two hot meals a day. its how I was brought up. it depends on how HEALTHY they are. most schools publish their menus on the school website and parents can access that, they can then meal plan accordingly.