A furious mother has shared an image of the 'tiny' school meal portions her son receives that she claims 'wouldn't fill a five-year-old'. Leanne Pengelly says her 10-year-old son is left starving when he comes home every day from Millbrook Primary School in Newport every day.
The frustrated 43-year-old managed to get a snap of the free school meals handed out to the kids which showed a small piece of cabbage, potatoes and carrots accompanied with some gravy, Wales Online reports. She discovered the minuscule portion sizes after picking her son up from school early one day and taking his school lunch with him.
Leanne, who has raised concerns with the school's teachers regarding the situation, says the meal would 'barely fill a five-year-old'. She explained: “My son wasn’t well so I went to pick him up from school and they gave him his lunch to eat and I was shocked at how little there was.
"He has always said the meals are small, and he's starving when he gets in from school. I brought it up with Millbrook a few years back, but nothing got done and I had never seen the size of them.
"My son gets free school meals, but it costs me extra money to go out and buy stuff for packed lunches because he's so hungry. After picking him up from school I had to make him more food because he was still so hungry, so I can't imagine how he must feel every day at school.
"He is a 10-year-old boy and they wouldn’t fill a five-year-old up.” Mrs Pengelly said after voicing her concerns to staff at the school, one teacher suggested she raise the issue with Newport City Council.
Children at the school are currently being taught at the former Brynglas Adult Training Centre two miles away from the original building and there is no confirmation regarding when they can return. A spokesperson for Millbrook Primary School and Newport City Council said: “All school meals supplied by Newport City Council’s contracted catering company have to meet Welsh Government’s quality standards.
"They are nutritious, freshly cooked and affordable. We are sorry this parent felt this meal, which included a pudding, was insufficient but we would urge her to raise her concerns directly with the school.
“The school sent the meal home with the child, who was unwell, as a gesture of goodwill. It is not something they are legally required to do.”
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