Bread baskets and table cloths!

There are so many proven benefits from improving the dining experience for pupils including promoting positive attitudes to food, happy and calmer children, improved social skills and relationships between children and adults and children. During the Autumn Term we asked the children how we could improve the dining environment, they told us they would like:

• the dining halls to be less busy,
• to be able to find somewhere to sit straight away, that was clean,
• to sit for longer while eating and chat with their friends,
• it to be more like home or eating a restaurant!

This term we have made changes to our two dining areas to improve both the dinning environment and the experience pupils have during their lunch time.  

Changes made so far:

• new plates, dishes, cups and jugs, more like what the children would see at home or in a restaurant,
• additional tables, change in table configuration and addition of table cloths, this has meant children can sit for longer in larger groups, it also makes the environment much more inviting,
• salad bowls and bread baskets for sharing at each table,
• allocated seating for classes, this means we are able to clean the tables, refresh cutlery and top up fresh water and bread before each class is called in, children don’t have to worry about where they will sit, it reduces queues and the busyness of the two halls,
• encouraging children to take time over eating their meal without rushing out to break or worrying that another child needs their seat including an available space to sit and eat with as much time as they need after the rest of the class have gone out to break,
• teachers and teaching assistants eating with pupils, to develop positive relationships away from the busy classroom as well as to encourage table manners and to encourage the children to finish their lunch,
• routes in and out of the dining room improved, this means the two halls are less congested.

A child in Year 2 told us, “I really like the new table labels, they help us know where to sit usually I have to wander around and try and find somewhere to sit, I don’t like doing that!”

“Now we know there will be room for me and my friends rather than having to sit at two different tables,” added a Year 5 child.

We will continue with these arrangements throughout the Summer Term and seek the views and opinions from the children as we make the changes.

Coming next:

Over the next term we hope to continue with the improvements and add:

• new salad bars,
• water coolers,
• lunch-box storage,
• coat pegs,
• images on the walls to brighten up the environment,
• lunchtime monitors for each year group.