3. Changes in provision with delegated budgets
described opening a separate sixth form cafeteria after a private contractor approached
the school with the offer to install the provision for free.
The two systems run because the sixth form were complaining that they couldn’t get into the
main eatery. They were going outside. The caterers are very good, they keep the sixth form area
clean and tidy, pick up the dirty coffee cups and we have lots of new furniture. The school was
approached by the caterer. They do baguettes and salads and fruit salads. It’s healthier
options than they get in the main cafeteria —chips and pizza. The contractor paid for the
kitchen to be revamped and for new furniture and redecoration — it was a very good deal.
3.17 One case study secondary school offered an example of a successful venture with an
outside caterer. In this school, the school had provided new kitchen equipment while
the caterer had upgraded the dining rooms to make them more attractive. The meal
service had expanded under the present contract to include a Sixth Form servery and a
breakfast bar, serving at breakfast, first break and main break, with an emphasis on
healthier eating. Initially, the caterer had retained all the profit. However, the service
proved so successful that profit sharing will be introduced from the new academic year,
with the school taking a third of the profits, the caterer a third, with the remaining third
going to meals staff, in recognition of their role.
Going it alone
3.18 The other option for schools dissatisfied with the existing meals service was to use the
delegated budget to set up school managed in-house catering. The head teacher and
governors of one middle school were dissatisfied with the cost and indifferent quality of
the hot meal provided by a private contractor through the central LEA contract.
Despite raising their problems with the LEA, there had been no improvements in
quality or portion size. After consulting with parents, the school had decided to use the
delegated funding to offer its own healthy option lunch menu. Fortunately the chair of
the governing body had a degree in food science and worked part-time as a home
economics teacher. She was able to use her expertise and give considerable time to
researching and coordinating the project. Using a grant from the diocese, the school
was able to re-equip the kitchen to its own design. A new chef and kitchen staff were
employed. The governors allocated a fixed sum from the school budget to back the
enterprise but the service was commercially self-funding from the start. The head
teacher acknowledged the help that a determined and knowledgeable governor had
given the project, but stressed the need for supportive parents too. At the same time,
he fully understood why others might choose a less demanding solution.
You need the commitment of the parents. You need the commitment of the governing body. A
lot of heads shudder at the thought of it and they are delighted that they have dropped the whole
thing and have packed lunches and don’t have to worry about it. They are under enough
pressure worrying about everything else.
An additional benefit to the school had been that the new kitchen occupied only a third
of the original kitchen, freeing space for a new drama suite.
3.19 In another area, a group of four small rural primary schools banded together to form a
consortium, with one school acting as a mother kitchen to serve the others, because,
to have stayed with the DSO — the cost would have been too expensive for all of us. We
looked atfirms that do a catering service and what they’d do for us, and realised that if we had
the right sort ofperson to manage the kitchen, it would be the better road to go down. So we
made a consortium.
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