[Cherie]

Schools are run as a business now, there is very little waste, when I worked in a school the portions were carefully controlled, this was a for two reasons ensuring that the company supplying the dinners made a profit and also that the kids weren't overeating, the school cannot continue to give food to parents who don't pay, they went over their 10.00 rule and nothing was still forthcoming, its not down to the staff, its all ruled by the business manager now. They gave what leeway they could

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Schools are run as a business now, there is very little waste, when I worked in a school the portions were carefully controlled, this was a for two reasons ensuring that the company supplying the dinners made a profit and also that the kids weren't overeating, the school cannot continue to give food to parents who don't pay, they went over their 10.00 rule and nothing was still forthcoming, its not down to the staff, its all ruled by the business manager now. They gave what leeway they could

Yup this excuse is used at ours too. So the meals are balanced with exactly the right amount of nutrients and such too (though quite what fulfils all protein and such requirements when the choice is jacket potato with cheese and sugary crap, or turkey dinosaurs and chipd and beans with sugary crap..I don't know ). And if my kids have something they don't like one day (they have to pick the options 3 weeks in advance) they might possibly get another choice if someone goes off sick or something, but only IF there is a meal going spare. Otherwise they are given a piece of fruit or something.

Mind something that annoys me massively is they used to proper police lunchboxes when they were on packed lunch, not letting them eat biscuits, crisps (besides baked ones..) or anything. Sending it back with the kids as 'unhealthy'. However, every day, there is the likes of cake and custard with the school meals. And they keep sending them out with ****ing bags of haribos for 'treats' too!

[Ammi]

...oh seriously....this had nothing to do with not having enough cheese or enough anything...the school were upholding their £10 rule which as stated in the rule will ‘deny’ a child...since when was denial an adequate and a balanced meal...it just isn’t because it wasn’t meant to be, the school had decided that their punishment would be wit( the child and not with the parent ...for something the parent did..or didn’t do in this case...a very admirable rule to put in place which really showed those children....pfffft....

[Ammi]

...the meals are not so carefully controlled that a couple more could not have been accommodated so those two children felt they were being treated the same as every other child....

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Alf

Chucking food away? We used to have a thing called seconds, where you could get second helpings until it:s all gone. Do they not do seconds anymore?

No, seconds are a thing of the past, they are trying to control the kids weight now not add to it

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Alf

Chucking food away? We used to have a thing called seconds, where you could get second helpings until it:s all gone. Do they not do seconds anymore?

...no they don’t I’m afraid, Alf...seconds aren’t allowed...(...I don’t think there would be time for them tbh in most schools but they’re not allowed either..)...not for a long time now actually...

[Crimson Dynamo]

oh and i bet when she bought the unhealthy pointless meal deal she paid for that there and then

she didnt think she coud get it for free and then wait for Tesco to contact her on her terms and when she looks at her phone and get her to pay

[Crimson Dynamo]

how is eating bread and butter and an apple punishment. Its a little less than they may have got but they are not going to starve


Its a rule that EVERY parent subscribes to when they send their kids to school, no different from any other.

YOu can bet this silly women is happy to impose rules of her elderly residents at her care home. I would wager she would not give a flying f if a old women had bread and butter and an apple for lunch.

[Crimson Dynamo]

and one imagines this isnt the first time this has heppened with this lady and after a long while they decided with heavy heart that they had to do something...


imo

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

and one imagines this isnt the first time this has heppened with this lady and after a long while they decided with heavy heart that they had to do something...


imo

Well. We don't know that but honestly, its likely. Tends to be the same ones who take the piss and have been the reason for stuff like that being rules in the first place. if people did not take advantage, then the school wouldn't need to have blanket rules in the first place. Kind of like how our school did used to take kids who hadn't paid on trips if there were only a couple of them, but obviously this led to those same few parents just never paying because they knew they could get away with it, and so, a rule came in where if the money was not there, no go, no excuses, even if it was a first time, and the parent had contacted saying they would pay when picking the kid up or something just they had forgot. (this was at my school, like 20 years back now! Not even sure they are allowed to charge for trips anymore as we only ever tend to get 'suggested donation' letters?)

'Ms Dakin said she did not realise she owed the money because her sons had ordered dinners as well as taking a packed lunch before the Easter holidays.'

I actually do not understand that excuse? How could the kids have ordered dinners and took a packed lunch without her knowing? And for it to be over a tenner, this must have happened twice too?

As Ammi suggested earlier, I wouldn't be opposed to all schoolkids getting free meals tbh, would certainly save a lot of hassle. No idea where the funding would come from though.

[Josy]

I feel sorry for the kids they shouldn't have suffered due to the mother or the school IMO

What happened to the lovely jolly dinner ladies from years ago though?

The Dinner ladies at our primary would never have allowed a kid to go hungry, regardless of what the school said.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Josy

I feel sorry for the kids they shouldn't have suffered due to the mother or the school IMO

What happened to the lovely jolly dinner ladies from years ago though?

The Dinner ladies at our primary would never have allowed a kid to go hungry, regardless of what the school said.

they got a meal deal out of it so they probbly could not give a flying hoot

[Josy]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

they got a meal deal out of it so they probbly could not give a flying hoot

Bread and butter though? That's stingy as hell

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Josy

Bread and butter though? That's stingy as hell

could have been Tiger bread

and they also got a Pink Lady


probably their first fruit of 2019

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Josy

Bread and butter though? That's stingy as hell

And an apple. and drink

Not that much difference, but makes it slightly different/better

[Denver]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

And an apple. and drink

Not that much difference, but makes it slightly different/better

I'd have been happy with a banana sandwich tbh

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Josy

I feel sorry for the kids they shouldn't have suffered due to the mother or the school IMO

What happened to the lovely jolly dinner ladies from years ago though?

The Dinner ladies at our primary would never have allowed a kid to go hungry, regardless of what the school said.

That all went out the window when schools became acadamies

[Josy]

Originally Posted by Cherie

That all went out the window when schools became acadamies

I'm blaming Jamie Oliver tbh

[Redway]

Wouldn't have killed anyone add a slice of ham on the bread like.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Josy

I feel sorry for the kids they shouldn't have suffered due to the mother or the school IMO

What happened to the lovely jolly dinner ladies from years ago though?

The Dinner ladies at our primary would never have allowed a kid to go hungry, regardless of what the school said.

.....

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Honestly the idea that it's acceptable for a school of all places to single out, shame and punish CHILDREN for the mistakes of their parent is so totally alien to me that I don't even know where to start. And the "I'm sure they'll survive" quips are shortsighted, too. Kids are cruel and have long memories and these kids could easily be laughed at literally for the rest of their time in school for being "the bread and butter kids". It's nothing even close to being acceptable.

..that’s so, so true...the type of thing that schools aim to prevent with children, of a child or family being singled out...?...the rule is awful and only aims to harm a child...

[user104658]

Honestly the idea that it's acceptable for a school of all places to single out, shame and punish CHILDREN for the mistakes of their parent is so totally alien to me that I don't even know where to start. And the "I'm sure they'll survive" quips are shortsighted, too. Kids are cruel and have long memories and these kids could easily be laughed at literally for the rest of their time in school for being "the bread and butter kids". It's nothing even close to being acceptable.

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Honestly the idea that it's acceptable for a school of all places to single out, shame and punish CHILDREN for the mistakes of their parent is so totally alien to me that I don't even know where to start. And the "I'm sure they'll survive" quips are shortsighted, too. Kids are cruel and have long memories and these kids could easily be laughed at literally for the rest of their time in school for being "the bread and butter kids". It's nothing even close to being acceptable.

But again, surely you agree there must be a cutoff point somewhere? Or parents who don't want to send in packed lunches, but also don't want to pay for dinners..can just continually send the kids in with nothing and know the school will pick up the bill else the school is nasty and whatnot? And yes, some parents really are that awful unfortunately :S

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

But again, surely you agree there must be a cutoff point somewhere? Or parents who don't want to send in packed lunches, but also don't want to pay for dinners..can just continually send the kids in with nothing and know the school will pick up the bill else the school is nasty and whatnot? And yes, some parents really are that awful unfortunately :S

...the cut off point if there has to be one for something that is a real issue and persistent etc...?...should still never include any denial of something to a child that all other children are receiving...

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...the cut off point if there has to be one for something that is a real issue and persistent etc...?...should still never include any denial of something to a child that all other children are receiving...

So there should not be a cutoff point then Its fine if you think that, I just don't see how schools could really afford to do this longterm, especially the larger ones who will have a fair few parents who see the chance to save cash and take the pee.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

So there should not be a cutoff point then Its fine if you think that, I just don't see how schools could really afford to do this longterm, especially the larger ones who will have a fair few parents who see the chance to save cash and take the pee.

...it’s not that there shouldn’t be one, I think I said that..if something has become an issue in terms of payment then I would expect a school to take action...against the parents though, not against the children...it is not the children who bare any responsibility for payment...