School lunch revolution at Graffham and Duncton Schools
Staff at Graffham and Duncton Schools are fundraising to purchase new kitchen equipment, so that from September, they can provide pupils with fresh, healthy, hot meals prepared on-site.
After noticing that the outsourced lunches were not nearly nutritious enough or sustaining the children through the day, the teachers decided they needed to change their approach to school dinners. Writing on the school website, they said: “Lunchtime at school could be so much more than soggy potato and cold peas”.
They have teamed up with the charity Chefs in Schools, whose Chief Executive, Naomi Duncan, said: “Children represent our collective future, it’s time we start feeding them like it.”
The charity supports schools with practical advice and training to change their food culture, so children are fed the healthy food they need to sustain their brains and bodies whilst they learn.
Graffham’s Assistant Head Teacher, Sarah‑Jane Wethered, said the team is “passionate about the importance of food for children”.
From September, every school meal will be cooked from scratch by a dedicated chef at the infant school in Graffham, before being delivered up the road to pupils at Duncton.
Inspired by a podcast about nutrition in school, the staff had already begun baking fresh sourdough every day for their pupils. They source the flour locally from Burton Mill and bake it early in the morning, so the children share it during break time.
This new scheme will expand on that, as the school hopes to work with local farmers and providers so that the children understand where their food comes from. The school already has a vegetable garden, which it hopes will provide some of the salad and herbs, as well as chickens that could provide eggs.
The staff also hope lunchtime will become more sociable, with children trying new food together and chatting about the menu.
However, when the contract with the old caterers ends at the end of the academic year, the school will need to re-fit the kitchen. The team hopes to raise £7,000 to purchase ovens, cooking equipment, and utensils. They will also be speaking to local businesses to ask whether they have any second-hand plates or cutlery that could do with a new home.
In addition to their usual fundraising activities, the schools have set up a GoFundMe page inviting donations.
Over the coming months, they also plan to recruit a Head Chef for Graffham and a Kitchen Assistant for Duncton.