Maidenhead & Windsor

Fifty one local schools have been asked to get their teeth into plans for how the Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough’s school meals service will be provided in the future.

The borough-wide consultation – at the start of the third year of the Windsor and Maidenhead council’s central contract with Harrison Catering Services – aims to give all schools involved the opportunity to have their say regarding a two-year extension of the contract from 2008 to 2010.

With a 6% increase in local uptake of primary school meals predicted for this year – compared to the national trend of a 7% decrease – schools are being asked for their views, including whether or not the Harrison contract should be extended for a further two years or if they want the council to go out to tender for a new five-year contract.

Cllr Eileen Quick, lead member for Windsor and Maidenhead children’s services, said that providing good quality, nutritious school meals made with fresh ingredients, was vitally important for the continued health and wellbeing of children and young people.

She said: “Harrison’s meals, most of them cooked on site at individual schools, are of a consistently high standard and are very popular with the children who take them regularly. The fact that local uptake is increasing against the national downward trend is proof that the company is offering an excellent product, appreciated by schools and by many children and their parents.

“However, as Alwyn Infant School’s petition to last week’s cabinet demonstrates, a few schools are finding it difficult to encourage sufficient numbers of pupils to have meals so that they meet their targets to cover costs. This has resulting implications for their budgets when they have to make up the shortfall.

“It is absolutely essential that the views of all schools involved in the meals contract are taken into account before any decisions are taken about how the service should be provided from 2008.”

Consultation with Windsor and Maidenhead schools started before the end of summer term in July with information packs provided to enable them to discuss potential ways forward. As well as details about the possibility of extending the Harrison’s contract for two years or going out to tender for a new five-year contract, schools could decide to:

* appoint their own contractors, either for an individual school to go it alone or for several to join together in a cluster group
* operate the service themselves or
* provide packed lunches (although this would not be in line with the council’s policy to provide pupils with hot meals).

The closing date is September 24.

Windsor and Maidenhead Cllr Quick said she was looking forward to constructive responses that would enable the council to go forward with school meals that not only met the national nutritional requirements but were enjoyed by pupils and students of all ages.

Cabinet, meeting last Thursday (August 23), agreed that after the consultation a report would go to the cabinet priorisation sub committee for decision in accordance with the wishes of the majority of schools.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead