Thank you to those who recently returned the school dinner survey. We are trying very hard to make any improvements so if you missed completing the survey and would like to, please ask Mrs Smith in the office for another copy.
I am pleased to see that there are not many dislikes. I can answer those quite easily and hopefully put your mind at rest.
Some children complained about queuing. This is never an easy one to manage but at Myddle the children pre choose their meals which helps. As the numbers of children in school grow, there will inevitably be more children to serve. We do stagger the times they come in and I don’t think they do have to wait too long.
One comment was about the dirty floor and seats. I will ask the lunchtime supervisors to put this right as this is not acceptable.
Some commented about the size of the helpings. We do have to follow strict government guidance about portion control and the older children do get more. I realise that children come in different shapes and sizes though! Seconds are sometimes available. Portion size is a hard balancing act – we have to give them enough to get through the school afternoon but not so much that they fall asleep. If they are hungry when they get home, we have done our job properly!
The lunchtime supervisors do monitor how much your child has eaten. They are not allowed pudding until we are satisfied that they have eaten enough of their main course. It is actually harder to monitor packed lunches as children can hide food under wrappers etc before putting it in the bin.
Our whole menu meets strict nutritional guidelines and any pudding, apart from the odd treat, (and we all need one of those every now and again) is low in sugar and fat. There is always fruit salad, fruit and yogurt available too.
Every day there are at least 2 hot dishes, plus jacket, wraps, salad etc so there should be something for your child every day.
We are just about to introduce a new menu which Sara has been working on, please let us know what you think when we finally get back! The menu is always published on the website so you will know in advance what is on offer.
We will be re-introducing special menu days, plus parent/ carer/grandparent lunches so keep your eye out for the invitation.
Lastly I was asked to reduce the minimum amount payable on the gateway. The school pays a fixed charge for each transaction. By setting the minimum at this level, we have been able to avoid passing the charges onto you. I hope that makes sense. If you pay more than you need for the week, we carry forward the amount to the following week.
I hope I have answered all of your queries but please feel free to contact me via the school office or email address and I will be happy to discuss further.
Thank you very much for your continued support.
Lorraine Knight
Federation Business Manager