Background Information
Broadmeadow is a larger than average junior school in Kings Norton, about 6miles from Birmingham. There are 260 pupils on roll and prior to any improvements take up of school meals was 33.5% with 69% of those being entitled to a free school meal (FSM).
What were the triggers for change?
Dining space:
Pupils ate in the main hall which also doubled as a gym. Kitchen staff had to set out and tidy away the separate tables and chairs during lunchtime. This process took staff 20 minutes to complete each side of the lunch period. A small bistro area was available next to the serving area however; it seated only a small number of pupils. Those children eating a school meal ate separately from those that chose to bring in a packed lunch. Some pupils said that not being able to eat alongside their friends was the main reason why they didn’t take up school meals. The school council reported the following barriers to eating a school meal:
- High cost of meals at £1.70 per day
- Poor food quality
- Separated seating for packed lunch pupils
- Dining area needs improving
- Pupil’s can’t see the menus in advance
Kitchen area:
The school kitchen was being used to re-heat frozen meals provided by an external catering service. It was hoped that if the school food was cooked from scratch then the quality might improve. The kitchen area was in need of a full refurbishment. The kitchen staff also felt that a small serving area and not utilising the whole kitchen proved problematic.
Servery area:
The presentation of the food on offer suffered from the small size of the servery. Food had to be piled on top of the hot plate in order to keep it warm. This prevented the pupils from being able to see the food that was on offer. Kitchen staff had to describe the food options to every child; which slowed down the flow of the queue and increased service time.
Who was involved in trialling the improvements?
A project team was set up to spearhead some of the changes. This included the: Head Teacher, Healthy Food Co-ordinator, Cookserve Supervisor, Local Authority Catering Area Manager, Contractor & Project Manager and Industry Forum Consultant.
What improvements were made?
Dining space:
The school decided to trial immediate, low cost changes first. Therefore, during the morning of the trial all the pupils were informed that the lunchtime was going to be different because packed lunch and school meal pupils could sit together. By lunchtime all the students were very excited and looking forward to the service. The Healthy School Coordinator dined alongside pupils at lunchtimes to gauge their feedback on the new school meals.
Initially pupils had taken their dirty trays to a separate table. A lunchtime assistant had been responsible for collecting the trays from the table and then taking them to the service hatch, to be washed. This was proving time consuming and seen as a duplication of work. Instead pupils were asked to clear their own trays, bypass the table and take them straight to the serving hatch.
Furthermore, new round tables with fixed stools were purchased to use in the dining hall. This was a more costly improvement funded by the School Food Trust. The new tables and stools were installed in conjunction with the kitchen refurbishment.
Kitchen refurbishment:
A full production kitchen was installed complete with: stainless steel benches, shelving, a dishwasher, a combi oven and a new extraction system. During the refurbishment the kitchen was closed and where possible the work was undertaken during the school holidays. All the kitchen staff received training on how to operate the new facilities.
Servery area:
The serving hatch was opened up and widened, to enable pupils’ to view the food on offer. Furthermore, the salad cart was also moved to a more prominent and central position.
Marketing and Promotion:
A launch event was planned to advertise the new food to both pupils and parents. At the event the Healthy School Coordinator dined alongside pupils to gauge their feedback on the new school meals.
What were the outcomes and benefits?
Dining area:
A physical barrier to take up was removed by enabling both the packed lunch and school meal pupils to sit together. Pupils’ sampled each other’s food and lunchtimes became a more enjoyable and social experience. Some of the children commented that they would try school meals if, they could continue to eat alongside their friends. In the last week of term, school meal take up increased by on average, 20 pupils per day. The children’s skills, behaviour and social interactions, then improved over the next term as they got used to the new dining experience.
Previously the Lunchtime Assistant was responsible for collecting and clearing away food trays. Now that the pupils self clear, the Lunchtime Assistant has more time to talk to pupils about their food likes/dislikes and school meals.
The time taken to clear away the dining area was reduced by the introduction of the new fold away tables. It now takes staff around 10minutes to set and clear away the dining equipment.
Kitchen area:
For the first time Broadmeadow school had the facilities to cook fresh food and offer a greater menu choice. By providing training and a better working environment for the staff, morale increased and teamwork improved.
Servery area:
Queue time has been reduced and now flows more easily.
The students can see the food on offer and the overall presentation of the school food has been greatly improved. More pupils were able to access the salad cart which increased the overall usage
Take up:
During the last week of the term (April 2009) a FSM trial was piloted which increased take up considerably. The amount of pupils choosing to take a school meal has remained consistent ever since. The overall take up of school meals has risen from 33.5% (prior to the improvements) to 40.9% (after improvements were implemented). In the last week of June 319 school meals were paid for and 387 FSMs were also taken.
Additional Information:
For more information about Broadmeadow Junior School and how they increased school meal take up please contact the School Food Trust on 0800 089 5001 or alternatively please email info@childrensfoodtrut.org.uk
