School axes hot lunches for pupils in order to save teachers’ jobs
Lunches will be served cold from September in a bid to cut costs and save staff
A SCHOOL head has axed hot lunches for pupils so she can save teachers' jobs.
From September around 400 youngsters aged between four and seven-years-old will have to make do with cold lunches - despite politicians claiming the boost pupils focus in class.
Head of Queens Park Infant Academy in Bournemouth, Dorset, Alison Smith, says warm meals will no longer be served because they force her to employ more lunchtime supervisors.
She says she made the tough choice to avoid having to lose teachers or reduce costs elsewhere.
She said: "Unfortunately it's teachers or temperature. In order to set a balanced budget for next year we need to make some unwelcome cuts.
"For us it has been a very difficult decision, which we reluctantly had to make to minimise the effect the necessary cuts will have on our children's education.
"The money we receive from the government for free school meals does not cover all our current staffing cost of providing hot meals.
"By moving to a cold lunch service we can cut our staffing costs dramatically whilst still providing the same level of nutrition and choice."
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She added: "Unfortunately, as is the situation in many companies, budgets are tight and this year we have to make some cuts.
"We have looked primarily to budget cuts other than classroom staff and resources."
Her actions go against the free hot meals policy introduced by Nick Clegg in 2014 when he was Deputy Prime Minister under the last coalition government.
At the time he proclaimed hot healthy lunches help boost pupils focus in school and drive up their attainment in maths and English.
Mrs Smith said the cold meals would still meet high nutritional standards and remain free of charge - and will be quicker and easier to serve, as well as giving pupils more time to play during their lunch break.
But the decision has not been popular with some parents.
One, who did not want to be named, said: "I think it is important for young children to have access to a hot meal.
"A lot of parents have to go to work so children don't get a hot meal in the evening."
The Children's Food Trust said although schools are encouraged to provide hot meals it is not mandatory, but all food provided must meet the revised food standards.
The cold meals provided by Chartwells includes egg mayonnaise or tuna mayonnaise rolls, mixed crudite, an orange and a flapjack, or a ham and cheese wrap or salad and houmous wrap with cucumber, a pear and a chocolate brownie.
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