When I started teaching nearly 20 years ago, I never would have predicted that one of the top concerns parents ask me about today is… food.
A few years back, when I was part of a team opening a new primary school, I spent hours outside local nurseries, handing out leaflets and chatting with parents. My head was in curriculum design, pedagogy, and assessment—but what kept coming up? Food!
Of course, our collective understanding of food has evolved. I was on the ‘frontline’ during Jamie Oliver’s campaign to improve school meals—witnessing everything from distraught teenagers mourning their turkey twizzlers to parents literally throwing doner kebabs over the school fence (true story!).
Things have definitely changed.
Now, as a parent myself, I completely understand why food is such a priority—it is for me too.
What You Should Know About School Lunches
Before your child starts primary school, it’s worth understanding how food works in schools. While each school has its own approach, here are some key things to consider.
Packed Lunch vs. School Dinners
If you send your child with a packed lunch, you have more control over what’s offered. You can also check what’s been eaten (or not) at the end of the day… in theory.
But there are a few things to keep in mind:
🔹 School lunchbox policies – Schools typically have strict rules on packed lunches, partly for fairness (imagine managing 30 five-year-olds when one has juice and biscuits) and partly for safety (allergies are a serious consideration).
🔹 Food doesn’t always get eaten – Just because you packed it doesn’t mean your child ate it! I’ve seen plenty of children discreetly bin their lunch or swap it with friends.
🔹 Children behave differently at school – Kids are social creatures! They might refuse certain foods at home but try them happily at school. Many teachers (myself included) have been amazed at how different children’s eating habits can be in a school setting.
For this reason, most schools encourage school meals. Some even seat packed lunch children separately—not for anything sinister, but purely for logistical reasons.
Will You Know What Your Child Has Eaten?
The reality is, you probably won’t know as much as you’d like.
Most schools take one of two approaches (or both!) to monitor eating:
🍽 Family Dining – Children sit in set groups with an adult, who helps encourage eating and notices patterns.
🍽 Plate Monitoring – Staff watch as children return their plates, stepping in if a child is clearly not eating much.
That said, unless a child consistently isn’t eating, it’s unlikely this will be reported to parents. If you’re concerned, though, you can always ask, and schools will usually be happy to check.
A Wider Shift in Parenting and Schools
This is just one of many areas where modern parenting priorities—understandably focused on food, well-being, and individual needs—don’t always align with traditional school structures. Schools are changing, but not always at the same pace as society.
Comments