Swindon News
Hot meals off the menu at school
10:00pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012
A MUM has criticised a newly-opened school for failing to serve hot meals – and giving her daughter an out-of-date yoghurt.
Sharon Cassie claims her daughter Francesca is being given unappetising fare, including the ASDA own-brand dessert. She is even considering pulling the five-year-old out of East Wichel Community Primary School and Nursery unless the menu improves.
“The children need a hot meal, especially with the snow and ice, but there hasn’t been a cook since the school opened in September,” said the 42-year-old.
“Every time I ask my daughter what she had for lunch she says ham and cucumber sandwiches, they don’t seem to get much else.
“My daughter is entitled to free school meals, which I think are meant to cost around £6, but what she’s been getting can’t be anywhere near that.
“I complained before Christmas at a parents’ evening and said they should bring in food from other sources, but I was told it was too expensive.
“I also mentioned it again a couple of weeks ago but nothing happened. I feel like I'm being fobbed off.”
Mrs Cassie, of Old Town, claimed the school should have prioritised hot meals from the start.
The full-time mum said: “One of the only changes was on Monday when my daughter had jam sandwiches, and everything seems to be ASDA and Sainsbury’s own-brand stuff.
“I have been giving her food as well, otherwise she would be absolutely starving.
“On Tuesday she came home with an ASDA Smart Price yoghurt in her lunchbox which was three days out of date. It was dated the 18th. I’m really not happy about it and I have been thinking about taking her out of the school altogether.
“They are supposed to get a cooked meal and a pudding and a drink. I appreciate it is a new school but setting up hot meals should have been a priority.”
The school, on the Old Town-Wroughton border, has 420 places which it expects to be filled over the next few years.
Headteacher Caroline Henham said: “We have a complaints procedure and this is not something which has been taken up by this parent.”
The school has surveyed parents to find out what they expect from school meals, and expects to roll out hot food before the end of March.
Mrs Henham said: “There is quite a lot of expenditure and staffing implications and we worked closely with the governing body to collate all of the parents’ responses and present that information to the governors, who then gave authorisation for me to recruit a catering manager, who started on Monday.
“She has been working flat out and I take my hat off to her enthusiasm in getting the kitchen established as quickly as she can.
“She will be doing some simple tasters for the children and has been pro-actively talking to them about their favourite meals. We will also be providing tasters for parents, governors and staff and will be taking onboard their feedback as well. In three or four weeks we will be generating hot meals for all the children.
“We are putting all the things in place according to plan and the school governing body is fully supportive.”
Mrs Henham added that the yoghurts had been frozen and removed while still being suitable to eat.