Nottinghamshire parents are concerned their children are being left hungry due to small school dinners they claim lack nutrients. Some parents of pupils at Bulwell Academy feel there are not enough suitable options available for their children.
Parents at the school are able to see what their children are eating through ParentPay, which allows them to pay for school trips, snacks, and to see what the pupils have bought for lunch. Father of four, Craig Laird, said: "The issues with school meals is very concerning to me personally and my partner because we both have children at the school.
"The nutritional requirements are just not being met." Craig explained that due to the options available his children were often having to choose between a pizza slice, basic baguette or pasta.
Read More: Aldi shopper puts cheapest supermarket to test with £5 budget
He said: "It's literally like a polystyrene tea cup with pasta and blob of sauce on top. These are supposed to be nutritional meals, but it's really really really atrocious, I wouldn't even give that to my dog.
"My daughter has a disability which involves having an enlarged tongue which is really sensitive. Half of these meals are all spicy and she can't have those, so she has to go for the second option which is a slice of pizza that basically looks like it has been bought from Aldi out of the cheap everyday range at 59p and you just get a piece."
When asked about the basic baguette, he said: "It's an 8-inch roll of bread that has been sliced and has a block of cheese in it and that's it, it's disgusting. They're getting treated worse than in a prison."
Craig claims that while the school menu "looks very good" many children "don't eat that sort of food and have to suffice on a pizza slice." He added: "You have parents all these other parents who rely on schools for that meal to feed their kids, as they can't afford to feed them properly at home, especially in the current climate. They should be on proper bolognese, they don't even get a real choice.
"Previous secondary schools you go to the canteen and you would have a choice of chips, beans, sausages, bacon. You would have a variety of choice, but not at this school, it's this or this, and it's all inadequate."
Another parent of a pupil at the school is also frustrated with the lunches being offered. The mum, who asked to be anonymous, said: "School dinners are disgusting, flimsy pieces of pizza, no sides or even a drink with their meals.
"My daughter's always hungry, I never realised the meals were this bad, it's like feeding animals scrap. Some kids only get that meal at school, it's not good enough.
"From what I've been told by my daughter they've always been like it, she has school dinners and been taking loads of snacks to keep her going. How are kids meant to focus on work when they're not eating properly?
In response to the concerns raised by parents over the lunches, a spokesperson from Bulwell Academy said: “At Bulwell Academy we are always grateful for feedback from parents and students. Our catering staff work hard to ensure that all our menus are nutritionally balanced however we welcome suggestions for future menus.
“We ask about dietary requirements before pupils start at Bulwell Academy and tailored menus are created based on their needs. Our newly appointed student form representatives will also be involved in menu choices going forwards to ensure that student voices are heard.”
Read Next:
