Durham: School dinners are so bad that parents leave food at the gate
3 min read
Parents claim that they have to skip meals to prevent their children from going hungry because the food in their school is so bad.
Concerns have been raised over the quality of school dinners at Wyvern Academy in Darlington, where parents claim the offering is so bad that their children are not eating.
Many parents have expressed concern over the current status of school meals and demanded an immediate change in the menu.
Some say they depend on free school meals because of their low income, but have to provide their children with packed lunches to ensure they eat during the school day.
Others have said that they regularly leave food at the school gate as the meal runs out before all school students can feed.
Photos of meals served at the school show small portions of potatoes, pasta and undercooked food.
Many parents who have expressed concern wish to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.
‘By the time my daughter’s turn comes, they’re regularly out of food
Dining hall,’ said one.
‘She often messages and asks me to leave the food. If she doesn’t get food in school, she now takes packed lunches as a norm, so she doesn’t go hungry for the whole day.’
Another said that he had started sending his child to school with packed lunches due to the short food supply.
He added that the situation was ‘ongoing for a while’.
‘My child, along with others, is eligible for a free school meal’ [but] Now I have to give him a packed lunch.
Several parents claim that they tried to express concern about the situation with the school, but did not receive a response.
One parent, who approached the school one day after their daughter did not get food, claimed that she was told that ‘there is always food left’.
She said the explanation given by the school was that ‘she probably didn’t want what she wanted there because it was a healthy menu.’
‘My son comes home and regularly calls when there is no food or water left’
He comes,’ he said.
When looking at a parent’s salary it tells you what they have and most
The days when they have a red cross or just water.
‘My kids have free school meals and I am in great need of free school meals.
‘I often find that I have to leave food for them if they don’t think they can cope until home time.’
Many parents said the lack of food at lunchtime was becoming harmful
Effects on their child’s energy level and ability to concentrate during lessons.
One parent said, “The pictures I’ve seen of dinner are disgusting and a kid doesn’t mind.”
Wyvern Academy was rated ‘Needs Improvement’ by OFSTED at its last
Inspection in 2019
The school said it recently introduced a menu of food improvements
Hall to make your school meals more balanced and reduce your dependence on sugars
Carbohydrates – in line with the healthy school agenda.
In a statement, it said: ‘Wyvern Academy introduces changes to ensure students’
The pre-school breakfast club offered a diverse choice of quality food
Made on-site, all fresh, for mid-morning snacks and healthy lunches
the product.’
The school’s headmaster, Owen Inglis, said the changes were presented in line with research that found a direct link between nutrition and brain function.
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