Council investigate whether one chicken nugget is sufficient for school pupils' lunch

Reception pupils in some Birmingham schools are being given just one chicken nugget for their lunch, angry councillors have revealed. An investigation is being launched into the food being dished up for pupils by contractors. Birmingham’s education chief has described the current situation as “unacceptable.” An extra 163,208 children in the West Midlands have been receiving free meals as part of a new government drive since term started in September.

But at the city council’s education and vulnerable children overview and scrutiny committee it was revealed that four-year-olds at some Birmingham schools were receiving pitiful portions. Coun Valerie Seabright said schools served by council-owned food provider Cityserve – which is responsible for meals at 92 per cent of the city’s schools, was leaving youngsters short changed. “I welcome free school meals, but I’m seriously concerned having been to see a school that was not the best quality,” said the Labour councillor.



“The rations and portions are not brilliant. In reception class children get just one nugget, Year 1 get two and Year 2 get three or four. Why are reception only getting one chicken nugget? Is it subsidising the children getting more chicken nuggets in Year 1 or 2? That shouldn’t be the case when all children get the same funding per head. The whole point is to make sure that children get adequate meals with good nutrition. In one class I went to the children didn’t get any fresh vegetables or fruit.

“This is serious, it is not working. I think we should insist that there is more training of staff, they need to know about sizes of rations.” Coun Barry Bowles (Lab, Hall Green) also questioned why children were being served “junk food” since the quality of food was alleged to haves improved enormously in the last nine years. He said: “These are processed foods, why are we not giving them fresh food?” The council’s cabinet member for children and family services Brigid Jones said the situation was unacceptable. “We are currently looking at the future of Cityserve and how we can redesign (free food provision) for the future.”