A worried mum is calling for change after discovering what youngsters at her children’s primary school are being offered for lunch. Kay Webb took to social media where she showed “tiny” portions of food including pizza and jacket potato.
And she told how the same size meals were being offered to 10 and 11-year-olds at the County Durham school as those aged just four. Posting pictures of four meals she said: “This is a post relating to the food our children are being fed all parents of Shotton Primary School be advised that this is the meal size your children receive daily so when your children come home hungry this is why.”
The school has responded on social media saying children can fill up on vegetables, salad and bread. They added if children refuse these items, then they do not challenge it as it could cause “unnecessary upset” for the youngsters.
Speaking to the Mirror Kay explained how she discovered the size of the meals when she went into school to do one to one with her son William, seven, over lunchtime. She said: “I was sitting with him and saw the food and thought how bad is this?
“He was coming home hungry every night and has lost a massive amount of weight. I was being offered protein shakes for him and although we always have food at home I was wondering what I was doing wrong.
“I couldn’t see why he was losing weight as he eats plenty at home. When I saw the meals I realised straight away why he was hungry when he got in.”
The mother-of-four told how her other children had also been coming home hungry but she had no idea why. Calling for the meals to be increased in size she said: “For some children this might be their only meal – there might not be food at home. They are relying on this and it isn’t enough.”
Kay said she knows what it is like to be hungry after being neglected as a child and spending years in care. She said: “I was that child who was starved and had to try to find food elsewhere.
“I was in the care system from being eight and I will fight for the food to be enough for children. I am just trying to fight for the children.”
Kay said William was born four weeks prematurely and spent weeks in the Neonatal Unit at North Tees Hospital in Stockton. The now seven-year-old has sensory issues which means he doesn’t eat some foods including many vegetables.
She explained what William had for lunch during the week she spent in the school. It included:
- Chicken pie with a scoop of mashed potato plus a “flat” cake
- Small piece of pizza with two potato wedges and a yoghurt with a few grapes
- Jacket potato with tuna which William doesn’t like so he was given a scoop of cheese
- Two sausages with mashed potato and gravy with a cake
While Kay admits William doesn’t eat vegetables she says he’s definitely not alone with many other children refusing them. She said: “Even if they topped up their plates with an extra scoop of mash it would help a bit.”
She added: “I believe the standards are beyond shocking for the portion size. Children really need this food – it is their main meal. Every child should be entitled to a decent meal of hot food, especially during the winter.”
She said there was fruit and yoghurt along with some other foods when the children arrived at school. But she said even here fruits like grapes and blueberries were counted so a child got five berries or grapes.
Following the post she says she has now been told to take William home for lunch. She says the school has said it will provide a packed meal and he has to go home between 12.30 and 1.30pm.
Many people commenting on the post agreed about the portion sizes. One said: “Disgusting & how much are parents paying a week for that.” Another added: “Some of the children in the school.. this could be the only good meal they get… well you assume school dinners are a good meal. Certainly was many moons ago when I was at school.” Another said: “This explains why my daughter wasn’t eating anything everyday and had to put her back on packed lunch.”
One poster wrote: “Shocking. I used to love my school meals, and there was a lot more on our plates. It was 50 odd years ago but kids still need a decent meal and that isn’t one. £3 a day is a total rip off.” While another said: “Can that even be classed as food, that’s absolutely disgusting! They wanna hang their heads in shame serving that to kids.”
But another said: “I’ve just asked my son if his school meals are like this he said yes but there’s always beans or veg or salad to go on the side. Unpopular opinion but if you added those things I really don’t think this is too bad. My kids love their school dinners.”
A separate poster agreed saying: “They will get veg offered too. Not the schools fault if your kid won’t eat veg and they can’t give extra scoops of mash instead as there’ll be only enough for one each child.
“Schools are on tight budgets unfortunately. Not saying it’s right like. I’d personally put my kids on packed lunches. Works out cheaper and at least you know that they’ll like it.”
Someone who said they used to work with the company that provides the meals (at a different school) said she could confirm that “most primary schools in County Durham are the same”. She wrote: “As kitchen staff we are told by management the portion sizes to give the children and are inspected every so often to make sure we are doing it correctly and are pulled if not however I must admit the school I used to work in we’d give extra as we also thought the portion sizes are shocking, it definitely needs looking over in my opinion. On the other hand though I’ve also seen how much gets wasted even with these small portions.”
Shotton Primary School has been contacted for comment. However the headteacher, Mrs Shaw, posted a response on the school’s Facebook page thanking “the supportive school community” for letting them know.
It said: “We have been made aware that someone has posted photographs of school dinners on social media without permission. This approach is wrong and totally inappropriate on so many levels. The post itself is full of inaccuracies and gives a very false picture.
“All parents will be aware of our policy as to the use of mobile phones within school for safeguarding reasons, and I can assure you that this matter will be dealt with. It may well bring about further restrictions as to the use of mobile phones within school, and we will of course keep you informed as to any changes necessary.
“School lunches are provided by an outside company but are monitored by the Local Authority and of course the school. The photographs that many of you will have seen this evening are of school lunches chosen by a child, not meals that were given.
“Every day children are able to have bread, unlimited salad, coleslaw and 2 portions of vegetables if they wish, along with a choice from a selection of deserts. If children are refusing these additional items, this is not something that staff would challenge as it would cause unnecessary upset for children. Any surplus food is always offered to the children.
“There is so much that we do as a school to ensure that our children do not go hungry and have access to fresh fruit, vegetables and healthy snacks for breakfast and breaktime. Staff give up their own time on a weekly basis – prior to starting work and on weekends – to collect bread from Greggs and fruit and vegetables from Tesco. Without staff’s help and goodwill and financial support from Greggs and Tesco, none of this would be possible.
“In addition to this our children enjoy bacon, egg and sausage sandwiches on a class rota basis funded by Greggs. The total funding that we access as a school is in excess of £300 per week plus 40 loaves of bread that is spent and provided to ensure that we do whatever we can to provide additional food to our children so that they do not go hungry. If a child is coming home hungry it is because they chose not to access what is available for any child.
“None of this was mentioned in the post. Social media should not be used as a tool to vent, and mutual respect and trust has to be at the forefront of any relationship between school and home. Should any parent have any questions or comments to make please do so by contacting our school office. Once again thank you so much to all of those parents who appreciate what we do to look after our children.”