From September we will be working with the Harrison team to move towards 'Family Style Dining for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

Benefits to children

Research tells us that implementing family style dining will foster children’s:

• Social/Emotional Development – Children will learn how to be responsible for themselves as well as others by following rules and routines such as passing food items. They will also develop independence and self-direction.

• Physical Development – Fine motor skills are developed as they use utensils to serve and eat as well as pitchers to pour. Their eye-hand coordination benefits from these simple tasks as they learn to control the small muscles in their hands.

• Language Development – Language and literacy skills are developed as they engage in conversations with staff and other children. Staff can use this time to talk with children about activities and important events going on in their lives, about the healthy foods being introduced, and what's going on in the classroom.

• Cognitive Development – Children’s problem-solving, reasoning, decision-making and understanding are developed by learning amounts, sizes, textures, numbers, counting, position of food items and tableware.

Other benefits:

• Increased supervision when eating resulting in less food waste and more attention to individual needs

• A calmer environment with known seating arrangements through a shared & dedicated time to eat, reduced anxiety

• Uninterrupted play, no more bells!

• We will be able to maximise use of play equipment and playground zones, and the new playworker roles,

• Children will spend more time on doing the things they like doing

Increased supervision

From September we have four new dedicated dining room supervisors, they will

• Supervise in the dining room, offering care guidance and support.

• Select the table who demonstrate school values and good table manners to sit at the outside reward space on a Friday

• Check the children have everything they need by keeping water and cutlery topped up on each table.

The Harrison's team will make sure we are ready for service by:

• Setting up tables  ready for start of service

• Providing food in ‘family style’ serving containers, 

• Making sure each table has the required food at the set time slot

• Keeping jacket potato, vegetarian and salad and bread bars topped up

• Clean up during service as needed and after service

What will the food service look like?

• ‘Family Style’ served in shared containers at table,

• Cutlery, plates, cups and water at table

• Salad and bread bar, self-service

• Jacket potato and vegetarian station, self service

• Allergy board for the day’s menu clearly displayed, chalkboard/easel 

• Children take it in turns to lay table, serve and clear away

• Classes eat together at two tables, all children in class sit and leave together

Increased responsibility for children

As the service develops children will be given the following responsibilities:

• Server 

• Table layer, 

• Plate clearer 

• Water pourer 

• Collect desert 

Once the service is embedded for the younger years  we hope to role it out to key-stage 2 children.

Food allergies

Please can you make sure your child's health care plan is up-to-date on Laser, including any food allergies as this information is shared with the Harrison's and dining room staff.