Angry parents have said their children are going hungry and claim they have had to drop food off at their school due to shameful meals.
Concerns have been raised over the daily school dinners offered at Wyvern Academy, in Darlington, County Durham, where parents have slammed the food supply, claiming their children are going without.
Several parents have voiced their concerns over the current state of the school meals system and have called for urgent changes to the menu.
Read More: Brits warned their Universal Credit may be cut by DWP for six reasons - here's why
Some say they rely on free school meals due to low incomes but have had to spend money on packed lunches to ensure their child was guaranteed a meal.
Others have said they have regularly dropped off food at the school gates due to food supplies running out before all pupils on school meals could be fed. Pictures of food that has been dished out show tiny portions of potatoes, pasta and undercooked chicken. Each parent spoken to wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.
“They regularly run out of food by the time it's my daughter’s turn in the dining hall,” one parent said. “She often texts and asks me to drop off food. She takes a packed lunch as standard now in case she can't get a meal at school, so she isn't hungry for the rest of the day.”
Another parent said they had recently started sending their child in with packed lunches due to the low food supplies and added: “This has been going on for a while. My child, along with others, are eligible for free school meals [but] now I'm having to provide her with a packed lunch.”
Several parents have told of attempting to speak to the school about the issue but say they did not receive a reply.
One parent explained: “I complained about the school meals as my daughter didn't get fed one day. They rang me and said there is always food left, perhaps she didn't want to eat what was there as it was a healthier menu. My son comes home and says regularly that there is no food or water left when he arrives.
“When looking on the parent pay it tells you what they have had and most days they have red crosses on or just water. My children have free school meals and I very much need the free school meals. I often find that I have to drop food off for them if they don't feel they can cope till home time.
“My son says there was just five pieces of pasta in his pasta pot that he ordered one day. When telling the school this they told me that it just wasn't possible that this is true.
“If it isn't enough for my children then I should give them packed lunch. I really need the free school meals as a single mum on Universal Credit.”
Several parents said the lack of food at lunchtimes is having a detrimental impact on their child’s energy levels and work rate, meaning they are unable to concentrate without a substantial meal.
One parent told of their child relying on medication to maintain his weight levels and skipping meals could affect his health.
Another parent, who has seen the pictures, says they are worried about the food quality. “The pictures I have seen of the dinners are disgusting and wouldn’t fill a baby never mind a teenager,” they said.
“I'm extremely angry over this as my child is doing exams. I think it's important she eats. What about the children who don't get much at home and rely on the dinners?”
Wyvern Academy was rated ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted at its last inspection in 2019, with a further probe due. The school said it has recently introduced a menu of reforms in the dining hall to make its school meals more balanced and reduce the reliance on sugary carbohydrates – in line with the Healthy Schools Agenda.
A statement added: “Wyvern Academy introduced changes to ensure students were offered a diverse choice of quality food, from breakfast club before school to mid-morning snacks and healthy lunches, all made on site from fresh produce."
Headteacher Owen Inglis said changes were introduced in line with research that saw a direct link between nutrition and brain function.
Read Next:
