Free school dinners

[loopinlouie]

Son came out of school yesterday and told me he did not have a dinner and I asked why and was told they had finished and a new form needed filling in. Thank god my daughter was off or she would have gone without too.

 

Filled in the form and handed it into the school as son was told to do and received a phone call from school telling me it would not be sorted for 6 weeks and that I had to send it into the council.

 

I asked them why the form not given out with at least 6 weeks notice and told they had posted one to me originally and it was not their fault I hadnt received it. Now I said to them surely it would have been better to give it to my children to pass to me and it wouldnt have gone missing. For some reason they post everything, newsletters, copies of homework for daughter:? and it takes ages to arrive, so I suspect its posted in lump not daily maybe.

 

Any how I told them, to be fair the woman was pleasant and not the dinner dept at school, surely there is a method to give my kids their dinner as usual and balance it out on processing of form. Now I know they can do this as when youngest daughter started there I had to fill form in and that day she got her dinner, the same as my son.

 

I was told they would pay for the kids today and then called me back to say they could only afford one child as it was comming from her personally. I thanked her but said whilst appreciate not your fault and you shouldnt be paying anyhow, that if they could not confirm it was sorted, I would pull my kids out of school for six week.

 

5 x 2pound odd it is x 2kids x 6weeks is over 120.00 and I said surely they could do something for the lack of notice from them on my part, told it was my fault and even if hadnt received letter, should have remembered a form was about due and that I should have asked for one. Told them I was offended at that as have known memory problems due to illness and that could be seen as insulting.

 

I said surely this has not just happened to my kids and she slipped in well no:evil::evil::evil:MAD

 

So obviuosly the school has made a mistake and I dont think it to much to ask them to not expect people on benefits who this is supposed to help to possibly find an extra 60.00 whilst were all struggling with the heating at the moment and therefore sort it out.

 

Told they would ring me back and its gone kiddies dinner time and I dont know if they got fed, I presume they did:rolleyes:

 

They have a computer system and the school credits the kiddies card with so much a week the same as if paying for it and all the school needs to do is credit it knowing they will get it balanced out when form processed. She told me that, so why the hastle:evil:

 

Ive had a difficult day and this was then followed by threatening letter of the week arriving from the posty, so someone has it in for me.

Edited January 14, 2010 by loopinlouie
for instead of #in from me#ha ha made me laugh and bad maths

[loopinlouie]

ps. Surely the dinners not used by the fact the schools were closed could have temporarily been credited to son, to make sure he was not just told go hungry yesterday:mad:

[ForestChav]

How old are the kids? Can't you just give them a couple of sandwiches to take or something?

 

(Though I totally agree - they should have sorted this so that no kids were left without lunch when expecting it, and should take much less time to sort it out!)

[loopinlouie]

I would give sarnies, but with the weather being so cold and the fact it appears I am not the only parent messed about, I think that they should pay it out and claim it back from petty cash as they are entitled to their dinner.

 

I think the threat of removing them unless the head would like to make the sarnies might work, I am in a bad mood, but still polite, just peed off today.

 

Everything seems nowadays to have so much beaurocracy that any errors made and joe bloggs has to chase them up, fed up of it, you'll be glad to know, rant over:D

[loopinlouie]

I think its the fact they blamed me for not knowing a letter should be expected:confused: I am scatty enough and not Yuri gellars wife as far as I know

 

Lied rant over:D

[ForestChav]

It isn't that I don't agree with you, but for any age - especially younger kids - it isn't especially healthy for a kid to have to go through a school day without anything to eat. It's all very well having principles and saying that they should give it you and they should rebate you if they don't and stuff like that, and yes, it is a total shambles from what you say, but if they really are taking that long to do it it still doesn't hide the fact that kids are unexpectedly being made to go through a school day with nothing to eat.

 

You have to imagine some of the meals are wasted with the kids who can't get in because of the weather, though... but that would be the case anyway if any of them were off ill as well (and you'd obviously get occasions at this time of year with various cold/flu/stomach things going round where this is the case). Maybe they check which kids have registered and only cater for them - there might not be any spares to give out. Or they might cater for the numbers who have paid and not bother checking if the kids are actually in school... Depends how they run it.

[loopinlouie]

I agree, I was gobsmacked that they let him go hungry yesterday. Why not ring me yesterday I would have sent some money in a taxi. Just that he was told by meals dept, hand in form today to them and it would be sorted. Then not hand to them but council and nowt for six weeks.

 

I know what will happen, another school messed up a few years ago and I had to ring the council who sorted it that day. So if need to will ring tommorow, but shouldnt be the one to do chasing, too stressed at moment.

 

But of course I will ring them;) Just hope school pulled finger out today.

 

ps. We were told by school yesterday to hand in form to them and dinners would restart, then they changed it, I didnt know my kids wouldnt get their dinner.

Edited January 14, 2010 by loopinlouie

[loopinlouie]

The school catering changed hands recently and used to give very good meals as in dinner pud and drink enough for adult. This term the 2 pound odd they get allocated now only buys a small meal drink or pud and the kiddies are not happy. My son often due to que just has peice of pizza and that takes his money, not healthy, but at least hot.

[buzby]

Our local school USED to provide communications on school matter via the kids, but had to stop due to the hit and miss nature of relying on the kids to actually pass on the message, or leave it in their bag until it decomposes. They then switched to posting all relevnt communications directly, so if the letter didb/t reach you - surely it is RM's fault?

 

It seems no matter what method they use, someone will complaint that it is inappropriate or inneffective.

[loopinlouie]

I agree to a certain extent buzby, be we are one of the families always sending forms in the following day, who now dont. I have just been told we are not the only family in this situation and that they have contacted the council meals dept who said, they have not received proof of benefits from me.

 

Considering we only had the form yesterday and it couldnt have got processed to proof of benefit stage, I think an error has occurred.

 

The anger at the school escalated when my daughter who has been off school for nearly a week due to bad stomach and dioreah has just told me she told reception today the cafe told her there was no dinner for her. Did they sort it, ring me or get her any food.

 

NO she went hungry.

 

Apparantly a form was filled in in september for my kids, I have heared nothing, they have been happily going to school and getting fed and I suspect the proof of income relates to september. Of which we again heared nothing.

 

As we are just one family with the problem, I think they should move their fingers and get them fed. I am taking my kids out of school till they can be guaranteed a hot meal. I have also made official complaint to council of them not telling me my children were going hungry.

[loopinlouie]

ps. Been getting my debt collectors letters fine,

 

One sent by moorcroft yesterday arrived today from stockport dated 13th that was sent second class:rolleyes:

[reorete]

well i think its disgusting and they should have given your kids a dinner... its ok saying give them a few sarnies but the weathers cold and i would prefer my kids to have a hot dinner which i suppose you want too... they are entitled to it so complain to the town hall

[loopinlouie]

I am also upset yesterday we were not told the kids would have no dinner at all today, they just said hand the form into the school and it would be sorted, no mention of six weeks untill today.

 

I am a stressy person who deals with it very well untill things like this, I am not rude or the type to talk over people, but cant get over how these people can deal with families in such a way and blame us. I am fully understanding the post may have lost it, but how many forms were in that bag, why didnt they know there was a group of missing replies till now. At the local junior school when I did forget to do one years ago, they rang me and asked me to come in. It was sorted the same day liasing with the school meals at the council.

 

I dont give two hoots what happened, just think it doesnt hurt a school to give them the dinner in the meantime, unless they have many many in this position today:rolleyes: In which case they are concerned about the cost.

[loopinlouie]

Only change I can see between how they dealt with my error a while ago and this occassion which is no ones fault, is that this school has changed to an academy. I am wondering wether the council dont liase with them the way they do with a normal school.

 

What is there fault is how they dealt with this.

[loopinlouie]

Of course they could offer to refund me the cost if I could raise this money for six weeks, but no they wont and the kids dont like sarnies.

[loopinlouie]

After being off sick, my daughter just told me she went to see the school nurse for being dizzy. They asked her had she had anything to eat to which she replied no and told them, she was asked had she been to reception and she said yes they said no dinner.

 

How would you feel if they didnt ring you at that point considering her first day back was today.

Edited January 14, 2010 by loopinlouie

[loopinlouie]

Apparantly her friends saw her upset and saying she was dizy and the nurse gave her money but when she got to cafe it was so late that she got a drink and gave the money back.

 

What exactly do they think of me, they probably think I regulary send me kids with no money for dinner.

[loopinlouie]

I was recently talking on the forum about a girl who has a problem mum, the girl is regulary seen eating out of the bins and finishing left over food. Maybe next time I should think that maybe her school meals are buggered up as well and perhaps her mum doesnt know.

[Mydogsawestie]

My 2 have free sch dinners & have done since Sept, I assumed until the new council tax year begins it lasts until then at least? So there is a chance I may need to re-apply earlier & this could happen to my two

[loopinlouie]

Its confusing, because my two had the form filled in in september, there are two stories with one saying their was no proof of income, but my daughter today was given another of the forms when told no dinner. The clearly are two pages, one asking kids names and addresses and the second asking me to give ni number and permission for them to contact income support to varify I am on benefits. So I cant see even with the supposed new form within 3 months of filling the other,then why it was needed. I always thought they ran september to september.

 

I cant see why the school then say I obviously didnt send proof of income when the form is the method of confirming eligibility.

 

New school status, new staff and not all understanding what is happening I think.

 

As it is more simply I dont have four pounds to give to my kids tommorow, plenty of food I can heat up for meals, but nothing for packed lunches.

 

They might have a go at me for unathorised absences but what can I do say I will send them without lunch, you are not going to provide.

[ForestChav]

After being off sick, my daughter just told me she went to see the school nurse for being dizzy. They asked her had she had anything to eat to which she replied no and told them, she was asked had she been to reception and she said yes they said no dinner.

 

How would you feel if they didnt ring you at that point considering her first day back was today.

I'd be quite annoyed. If she's had a bad stomach for a week she probably hasn't eaten much anyway, so either she's not quite ready to go back (and should probably go home sick, though I often went in ill so I can't really complain) or she just hasn't eaten enough because it isn't healthy to go through the day without food! Either way, not communicating is a bad idea (unless she asked them not to - you haven't said how old the kids are).

 

In any case, they should probably have sent her home, if she hadn't eaten and needed food, if they gave her something to eat it might have made the situation worse if she was still unwell. Sounds to me like they fail at communication - can you really trust them to educate your children as well? I'd think about looking for a new school. It shouldn't take them this long to sort out kids' lunches - like you said, they can charge it back anyway - especially when it's extremely bad for them not to have lunch!

 

And if a kid feels sufficiently sick to go to the nurse - even if they haven't been off sick for a week already - then if they really are ill and not shamming it, they should pretty much always be sent home.

 

In the interim, maybe you should discard your principles and encourage your kids to take something to school, in case they can't get anything there, because they'll only feel ill if they go all day without eating (especially if one has been too ill to eat for a while and is still recovering - she needs food!) and their wellbeing is more important than red tape / principles. And get on the phone to the school/council/whatever and tell them that your kids are at school with no food and explain why and say that your daughter was feeling dizzy yesterday because she didn't have anything... it shouldn't take six weeks to sort out (and push for some form of rebate for the days they haven't had it). It isn't your fault, you've returned the stuff as quickly as you can, and you're not the only people affected. If you're entitled to free school meals for the kids, you should get them - and IMO, if you don't, you should be entitled to have some sort of equivalent allowance in lieu.

 

Though if they are effectively using some sort of chargecard i don't see how they can't just give the kids food anyway, and charge for it in retrospect - they shouldn't be left out.

[ForestChav]

 

As it is more simply I dont have four pounds to give to my kids tommorow, plenty of food I can heat up for meals, but nothing for packed lunches.

 

They might have a go at me for unathorised absences but what can I do say I will send them without lunch, you are not going to provide.

bread and cheese?

 

Don't keep them off. They have to learn, whatever age they are.

[loopinlouie]

Kept them off today and phoned education welfare on the dot of 9. Was told the school had not contacted them till thursday about the problem with the dinners and rather than tell me if I could get to the offices and show proof of income to speed the whole process up, they chose to tell me to hand it in and wait six weeks.

 

I asked Educational welfare if we could call by in person and give them my most recent benefit notification and they said yes. Within the hour we were there and another minute later, she had called the school and it was all sorted.

 

I cant leave the house on my own so the fact my kids were off gave me the confidence to get in taxi and head there.

 

Dont get me wrong my daughter was considered fine to return to school, she was just feeling dizzy and upset after told no lunch, they then apparantly once dizzy is mentioned refer all kids in that state to the nurse. so rather than use common sence and sort a sarnie as kiddy said she was hungry, they make her wait till the end of lunch for the nurse to realise food was an issue.

 

I have told the school whilst I understand things go missing in the post if my kids ever are in a situation depriving them of food they are to ring me as I would have been given the oppertunity to ask a friend to go there and either give money or sarnie.

 

They admitted they should have rung me and told me daughter was upset that no dinner was available, especially as they were aware my son had nearly gone without the day before.

 

I told them I feel their communication between themselves regarding what someone on reception advises a child and the liasing with parents is concerning me in that they might not always be acting in the best interest of the child. I have insisted they note on my kids records any problems that would cause concern on the kiddies arriving home, should involve them calling me during school.

 

They have admitted they failed to follow procedure and were concerned to also find out that my daughter was late for lunch as had been punished for not taking her pe kit. Prior to the lesson my daughter handed them a note from me asking them to excuse her on the basis she was just recovering pain in tummy, I just thought she could take it a little easy on the first day back incase she was not as strong as she insisted to me that morning.

 

The teacher said although she had a valid note, she still would be detained for not having her pe kit.

 

If they would have respected the letter as confirmed they should have she would maybe have got some lunch after the help from the nurse:rolleyes:

 

The school are upset that the teacher did this to her and are investigating. So you see some good will come out of this, my kids are on lunch as normal from monday, I got out of the house for the longest time in months and a pe teacher who needs to respect a pekit is not needed when child not doing lesson, learns common sence.

 

The school have apologised and I was polite all the time, so panic over, maybe them and me have learnt something.

 

ps. Education welfare said they will make sure it doesnt happen again also by giving me more info about the free meals as the school were insisting it was on a term basis and I insisted it was longer and I was right. The school had been snotty telling us we had to do this every term and said well at least the letter should get to you most of the time:mad: The school will be giving them to my son, not posting them:grin:

Edited January 15, 2010 by loopinlouie

[loopinlouie]

Forest chav, agree about bread and cheese, but we had nowt in. Have a problem that what is to last a week, gets gobbled up by son in a few days it seems and due to time of the week, just nothing suitable. Were a soup family, love hot soups for lunch during weekends etc, dont think school would have liked tin of heinz sent in.

[ForestChav]

That sounds like lads - my brother's like that sometimes, if it's in the kitchen, it's his :S Funny until you were reliant on somehting being there.

 

As for her not having PE kit when you have given her a note to hand in saying that she isn't doing it and getting punished - IMO that's daft. She has no kit because she won't be taking part in the lesson because you have not given consent for it (and yes, she should be taking it easy for a while) so how would her having it or not make any difference? Seems some PE teachers are just on power trips and since they're going to punish her for it the same day there isn't anything you can do about it.

 

At least it's sorted, though they have a day's work to catch up on now - way more of an issue if they're secondary age!