No more free school meals for youngest pupils.

I'm not interested in your twisted opinions Anya.

Here's some evidence:

www.ifs.org.uk/publications/9202

www.ifs.org.uk/publications/8714

I find evidence more compelling that your rather limited outlook.

PS. When teachers talk about "language*s*" they mean foreign languages. I thought you were an expert!

I'm not interested in what your son chose to eat for lunch at secondary school DD

I'm thinking that your role as supply teacher is interesting however!

Or French?

PS. My son left school last year and he never had a hot meal in school. When I asked him what he'd eaten, he would always reply that he'd eaten a sandwich.

My information is not so out-of-date as you think Anya.

Most still eat pasta and a muffin?????

Really? Unbelievable ?

And what do you mean by ' GCSE languages' ? Do you mean GCSE English Language?

Both the Tory and Labour manifestos are dishonest.

Why is it so important that the meal is hot? A cold meal is equally nutritious.

Anya I worked on and off as a supply teacher in dozens of schools until about four years ago, so I had the opportunity to sample various offerings. The standard of lunches varied considerably, but it still depended on pupil choice.

I still work with pupils on a daily basis. One of the topics in the GCSE languages specification is "Healthy eating", so I regularly ask pupils what they eat for lunch at school. Most still report they eat pasta and a muffin (or something similar).

That French chef was on radio this morning saying why he thought the meals were so important.

With the frightening rise of food poverty the benefit budget slash and burn policies and the increase in food banks at least the free school lunches ensure one hot nutritious meal for the very youngest children! When my own children were small I can remember the cost of the packed lunch was quite a strain it is more expensive than providing a single hot meal for your family at home

I worked in schools from 1990 till 2014 and the standard of the lunches improved out of all recognition in the last three or four years. The breakfast club offering was, as I said earlier, value white bread, sugary cereal, butter substitute and cheap squash with artificial sweetener. Perhaps the breakfasts being offered under the new scheme will be subject to the same nutritional requirements that apply to school lunches nowadays - I certainly hope so.

So if the Tories are cutting the schools budget by 7%, what would the final total be if we included the lunch budget

!at least Labour has costed its plans say Institute of Fiscal Studies

For those who don't like links, this article says school funding in the Tory Manifesto just gets flimsier.

DD I can tell you're retired. School,meals are much better than they were 10'years ago.

That's what I thought when my GS aged 2 and half trotted into the kitchen when I was minding him and asked "Brioche, granny?". And sure enough there were some in the bread bin. Long way from the 'doorsteps' and jam I remember.

Pain au chocolat? Oooh! You're posh!

Those children entitled to free school meals will still get them.

As somebody who has eaten school lunches for many of the last 30 years, I can vouch for the fact that they are not particularly nutritious.

Most secondary schools have a self service system. A "set meal" is usually offered, but it's usually only staff who opt for it. Pupils themselves opt for filled baguettes or pasta with a gloopy sauce and a cake/bun.

I've never understood the obsession with a hot, cooked meal, because it's not more nutritious than a raw salad/vegetables or sandwich with balanced filling. The healthiest health freak I know doesn't eat any cooked food.

Iagree, gilly, it's really more the relative nutrition of this v. a (hopefully well-balanced) cooked lunch, which every child would have.

What on earth do children eat for breakfast at home? In my experience it is usually toast, cereal and fruit juice.

My DGD's love those Pains de Chocolat (filled croissants) and they often have one of those gently warmed and a bowl of cereal and a small fruit juice too. They are very active and sporty and need a good filling breakfast.

dd, I didn't say that there would be no nutrition in the breakfast, only that I thought there would be more in a cooked lunch.

Also the French, I believe, tend to eat a proper meal at lunchtime, as opposed to sandwiches so having a small breakfast is not a problem.

The point surely is that some children who would previously have had a cooked lunch will, in future, get a less nutritious breakfast, while some will not have a 'school breakfast' at all, as not all will be at school at that time.

We opted not to have volunteer Mums, because we wanted to be more professional. The problem with volunteers is that it's difficult to get rid of them if they aren't doing a good job. For example, we had a proper behaviour and discipline policy. Some parents are good at looking after their own children, but can't cope with crowds of children and their "discipline methods" leave something to be desired (trying to be tactful here).

Even volunteers must have enhanced DBSs and child protection/health and safety training, both of which cost money.

I don't think that toast/cereal does lack nutrition. The French have been eating white bread/butter/jam for breakfast for ages and, on average, are less obese than the British.

Children, especially hungry ones, need energy ie calories, which bread and unfrosted cereals provide. Butter and milk provide some fat and protein.

One school I did supply teaching in had parents from the PTA come in early and they did toast and cereal and a fruit juice for about half an hour before school started. As not all the children who needed some food arrived early enough there was also a small band of mums who were there with the toaster and fruit at morning break. The PTA funds paid for the food and the whole scheme was manned by volunteers. Fund raising events were held specifically for this project and some mums who did feed their children breakfast etc would from time to time come in with a donation to the funds.

Whether or not this measure would cost less, I think it is a great shame that what will presumably be a pretty simple breakfast (fruit/toast/cereal?) will be substituted for a surely more nutritious cooked lunch, plus it will not, presumably, apply to all children.

gillybob I suppose if there is an hour's care before school £25 isn't excessive really, it compares very well with the cost of any childcare. These sort of Breakfast Clubs are great for working parents who then don't need a child minder but can drop their child at school and still get to work on time. The reason for not paying on a daily basis is that like any other childcare the numbers need to be accounted for and regular to make sure staffing is right.
Years ago I worked in a school where the children were given breakfast, provided free thanks to a crusading head who pestered local businesses for support. It certainly made a huge difference to attendance and punctuality.