It’s not just what you eat but where you eat it

With the launch of free school meals for all infants last September, the issue of catering for much bigger numbers at lunchtime has become a priority for schools up and down the country.
   
But it’s not just infant schools that need to think about how their kitchens and dining rooms will accommodate more children eating school meals. Junior and secondary schools need to pay just as much attention to this issue if they’re going to build on the legacy created by free infant school meals, making sure that children continue to opt for school meals – even when they have to pay for them.

An environment to eat in
When I’m visiting schools it’s clear that a huge part of the lunchtime experience isn’t so much what food the children eat, but where they eat it. We carried out some research with pupils on this a few years ago, with some intriguing results. When you ask a young person – particularly at secondary school – about the most important aspect of their lunchtime, the feel of the dining space often comes up as more important than what was on the menu. If young people don’t find the dining area appealing; if they have to queue for a long time or couldn’t get a seat, they simply won’t eat there.
   
That’s why a big part of our work in helping schools to improve and develop their school catering services is focused on improving the dining environment – for infant, junior and secondary age pupils. You can have the tastiest menu in the world but if pupils can’t enjoy it in a pleasant space then they won’t flock to the dining hall to eat it.
    
It’s easy to assume that making the school dining area the go-to place at lunchtimes means a big financial investment. But a careful assessment of the issues before you take any action can help to keep costs down while making a real difference.

Top tips
Take time to eat in the dining area yourself and think about how it feels to you as a customer. Watch how the room is working for pupils – there may be common patterns and problems, such as lighting, overcrowding and queuing, which aren’t apparent unless you eat in the canteen yourself.

Ask pupils what sort of dining room they’d like. A simple questionnaire, created with their input, can be all you need. Make sure it asks them what it is they don’t like about their dining area, and what would be on their wish list for the perfect dining space.
   
Try improving the layout of tables and chairs and consider other suitable dining spaces. One school we’ve worked with asked pupils for design ideas to transform four old classrooms into dining spaces, each with 40 seats, and at low cost. Pupils loved this sense of ownership.
   
Ask children to serve themselves. Even most infants can manage this. This approach can help them control their own portion sizes and reduce waste too. Schools are often surprised by how well this can work.
   
Give other children responsibilities for setting tables, collecting their own cutlery and clearing their own plates. One school we’ve worked with found this saved 20 minutes of staff time every day.

Changing on a budget
One of the things which makes a big impact can be introducing tablecloths and replacing plastic plates, knives and forks with proper crockery and cutlery.
   
Think about the things on their list which you can fix easily. A dull and dismal paint job can be brightened up relatively inexpensively – get your art department working on a personalised mural for a dining room wall.
   
Remember that pupils often respond most positively to dining spaces which reflect the places where they spend time on the high street. Don’t assume you have to spend a lot to create a high street look – gather ideas from pupils first, and then think about what you can do with any budget you have. If your budget is small or non-existent could you ask the school to focus part of its fundraising efforts on the dining area?
   
The most important thing to remember is that with school food, one size never fits all. We’ve worked with schools with no budget, using older furniture in a new and creative way, to those raising thousands of pounds for a full overhaul designed by their pupils.
   
These schools are setting off from different points but what they all have in common is an understanding that a good school dining experience is more than just the food. They also agree that it all starts with really listening to what pupils want from their dining space. Investing time to improve your school’s dining space so it’s as good as the food you serve will always reap big rewards. And with Ofsted confirming that the new Common Inspection Framework will include a focus on approaches to helping children eat well and the canteen atmosphere and environment, now is the time to get prepared.

Further Information
www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk