What was your dining room like before Canteen Rescue and why did it need to change?
Our dining room was not a very appealing place to be. Grey walls, high ceilings and large windows made the space feel very cold and noisy. The windows were bare with no blinds which made eating in there uncomfortable for the children when the sun was shining outside. The furniture was old and because it was so bulky, we couldn’t shift it around to make better use of the small space available. As the school building is over 100 years old, we know we can’t change the size but we do try out best to keep lunchtimes well organised.
What did the children, parents, cooks and governors make of it, what did they say about it?
Children, parents, catering staff, and Governors all shared the same opinion – they didn’t like the canteen as it was. Instead of being fun and welcoming, it was a depressing place to be. Some of the older children would actually prefer to eat outside, even if it was really cold, to avoid eating in the canteen. When we asked some of pupils what they thought of the old dining room, they said:
“The reason I think we should have a new dinner hall is because it’s so dull and boring. We don’t want to feel depressed because of how dull it is. Also the seats are too hard!”
“The walls are very boring and it’s very cold. The floor is horrible.”
“I would eat inside but our canteen smells and it’s the loudest place in the world.
And parents and staff said:
“I do feel sorry for the children who have to sit and eat in a cold and dull room.”
“My child does not like eating in the canteen, they find it to loud and the colours are cold.”
What did you do with the Canteen Rescue grant?
As well as changing the colours on the walls, we laid a bright red floor to add as much life and soul to the room as possible. Brand new rainbow blinds were fitted to all four windows. To allow for additional seating, we installed two new breakfast bars and found some comfortable, colourful chairs. And to give it an extra special feel, we invited an artist from our local college to design the artwork for the walls.
How did you come up with that plan?
We looked to our pupils for the answers; we asked them what they would like their canteen to be like. The response was simple – they wanted to see more colours than in a rainbow! Specific areas highlighted in discussions included a new floor, walls, furniture and blinds.
Who else was involved in the ideas?
The whole school got involved – children, staff, catering staff, the Headteacher, governors and the caretaker.
What was the easiest thing to change?
I would say that the easiest thing to change, which has made the biggest difference to the children’s dining experience, is the new blinds. Having the sun shining directly on them did make eating difficult before.
What was the most difficult thing?
Due to the space and budget, the furniture was probably the most difficult thing to change.
Did anything surprise you?
It’s quite surprising how fast your budget goes down when taking on such a large project as this! The dining room needed so much work, perhaps we didn’t realise quite how much. We want to do more and make it even better, so for us it is now an ongoing project. As more money becomes available, we will continue to improve our dining room.
What have the changes meant to your school – how have they made a difference, what have you noticed?
The changes have meant so much for the school, the children now have a place they love to be and the caterers are really enjoying working in their transformed surroundings. Staff members and teachers eat in their much more often, which is great to see. Parents have also been in touch to let us know how much happier their children are now.
Have you seen an increase in take-up?
We have seen a small uptake of pupils choosing to eat in the canteen. At the moment, the weather is still warm and our pupils love being outside, but as the cold draws in, I’m positive we will see an even bigger difference.
How long did it take?
From start to finish, the project took one week. We had to work fast as we allocated a school holiday for the work to be done so there would be very little, if any, disruption to the running of the school.
How much did it cost you in all?
The whole project cost £9,800. But now we’ve started, we can’t stop! We are planning more artwork for the walls and even more new furniture for the future.
How much time have you had to put in? Who else on the staff has put time in?
We held weekly meetings with our SNAG team – The School Nutrition Group – and spoke to staff, our Head teacher, children and governors on a regular basis. One of our school governors helped us get in touch with our local college to help with the artwork. The catering manager also found the time to come along to our meetings and our caretaker was involved too.
What would you say to other schools thinking about making some improvements to their dining room?
To other schools thinking about improving their dining facilities, we would say go for it, it’s the best thing we have ever done! It was wonderful to see the whole school share a vision and work as a team to create a happy place for pupils, teachers and staff to eat together.
What top tips would you give them?
Our biggest tip would be to involve the children from the offset. Let them express their thoughts and opinions and really feel part of the project. Seeing their own ideas come to life was an incredibly exciting experience for the pupils.
