7. The impact of delegation on meals
A commercial concern is going to provide in a school what they provide commercially out there,
what people eat. And whether you like it or not, that’s what people eat out there.
I believe in people having a choice, if they want to eat chips and beans etc, they can eat chips
and beans. If they want to have a healthy salad, they can have that as well. I believe in people
having responsibility for themselves, I don’t believe in the nanny state. As long as people have
the right information to make reasonable choices.
7.40 One contract manager foresaw future problems if healthy provision was given a higher
priority without some subsidy. School contracts would not be attractive to private
contractors if the specification for provision was too biased to healthy foods as they
would be less profitable and lack commercial viability.
Consulting with the customers
7.41 A number of case study schools reported having formalised systems for consultation
with pupils about meals such as the School Council or regular surveys. One school
provided a suggestions box, although the head teacher admitted that currently most
suggestions were requesting the reinstatement of crisps at mid-morning break after their
removal for the school to gain the Healthy Tuck Award.
7.42 One head teacher summed up the types of responses to surveys which were echoed at
other schools,
The School Council have some say in the meals but that is generally of the ‘What we like’ and
‘What we don’t like’ type of input. Recently they wanted lasagne put back on the menu and
we have spoken to the supplier and it’s back on now.
7.43 Where systems were in place for their views to be heard, pupils described the value of
these and how schools had responded to suggestions and requests.
A. We did fill in a questionnaire about what we could do to improve it and what menus were
our favourites.
B. They did change it.
A. Especially the puddings because we wanted more hot puddings and we were getting cold
puddings in pots.
C. I know something we introduced a little while ago. We didn’t used to have vinegar.
Now we can have ketchup with our first course and vinegar is left on the tables.
7.44 In one case study school, a sandwich option had been introduced at the suggestion of
the School Council. In another, Sixth Form students had used the meals service to
reflect wider concerns, requesting that the caterer use Fairtrade produce where possible,
a suggestion which had been taken up.
7.45 However pupils at one school felt that the caterers did not take account of what pupils
wanted to eat and the choices they wanted. None of the pupils interviewed knew if the
School Council had ever asked about school meals.
A. They should make more effort to find out what people want to eat and then cook more of
that, rather than small amounts of everything. They run out of things. People want, like tuna
sandwiches, and you have to buy cheese ones because they’re the only ones left over and the tuna
have run out. They don’t seem to understand that.
B. It should be for people to decide, we should be able to say we want pizza, chips, canned
drinks.
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