Blog: To the Moon(shot) and back again
It was really windy. I grew up by the coast and thought I could handle a gale, but perhaps some years in London have made me nesh. This was blow-you-over wind. It slowed my every step from the train station to the quaint, Victorian school building in suburban Southampton.
The whistling wind turned into a breeze of children’s chatter, laughter and song. I took a narrow side path to the school’s reception, where I was greeted by a jovial woman and a thigh-high child who was upset about their sore finger. Before long, headteacher John Draper arrived, adorned me with a red lanyard, and invited me into the school.
I first became aware of Swaythling Primary School last year, after Mr. Draper got in touch off the back of the #FeedtheFuture campaign. He had written to tell us about Operation Moonshot, which enables all Swaythling children from families in receipt of universal credit to have free school meals. If you haven’t read about this endeavour, Mr. Draper has written about it here.
After a brew, John gave me a tour of his delightful school, and I was able to meet some of the community along the way.
Every day, half of [the school business lead's] morning is spent processing school food payments
I spoke with the school business team who, amongst many important jobs, administer the school meals payment system. Every day, half of their morning is spent processing school food payments. They manage the paid-for meals, the state-funded school meals, and the Moonshot meals. I asked what could be done to improve their work. The answer was simple: stop means testing children for food. This administrative burden could be removed, and beyond all of the benefits to children, a school business leader would get a quarter of every day back.
A walk around the school showed me classrooms full of happy, engaged children. Children running around outside; a mix of all year groups thanks to everybody having the same break times. We then entered the school hall. Like every other primary school hall I’ve been in, there was the climbing frame, the wooden benches, the themed wall displays with wavy borders. Filling the room was the mouth-watering aroma of a roast dinner.
Head Chef Ann has been working in school kitchens longer than I have been alive! What started as one pot-washing shift has become a vocation; taken up by somebody whose love for their job is demonstrated by the respect of colleagues, savour of food, and smiles of children. Ann has seen it all: from post-1980s ready meals that were shipped in and microwaved, all the way to today’s freshly cooked roast beef and vegetables.
I watched as the school’s catering staff greeted every child, encouraged them to add more vegetables to their plates and introduced them to new food items. Speaking to those serving the food, they could tell me about what it meant for families to know their children were being well-fed. They could tell me about young children who were now unlikely olive-lovers.
Ann described the difficulties faced by school catering teams. In many cases, there needs to be better pay and support. Difficulties with supply chains are impacting what can be cooked. And restrictive criteria mean too many children are missing out. I asked what is the one thing Ann would change about the system. She answered immediately. It wasn’t about working conditions, or procurement problems.
“Free school meals for everyone.”
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Headteacher John, Head Chef Ann, SFM's Sean
My stomach had started to rumble after all this walking and talking, and I was lucky enough be given a Swaythling school meal. It was a roast dinner with beef, followed by yoghurt with fruit and oats. How delicious. I also sampled the plant-based option – a sausage turnover – and some of the kitchen’s famous cheesy mash. Every mouthful was scrumptious. It is no surprise that most of the pupils have a school lunch.
Every child I spoke with seemed to know the days of the week based on Ann’s menu.
I spoke with a couple of children who were having packed lunches, but this was not an everyday thing for them as they too were often enticed by the kitchen’s offer. Every child I spoke with seemed to know the days of the week based on Ann’s menu. When asked what they liked about school meals, the young students wanted full bellies for the afternoon, and a good meal to help them learn. They all, including the packed lunch eaters, said they think every child should be able to have a school meal.
It was great to see so many staff in the dining hall. John sat and ate a roast dinner with me, while children would come and go from around us, each of whom he could name. Some of the teaching assistants also worked in the dining room, and teachers were eating their food too. There was complete synergy between lunch and the rest of the school day – food was not just a statutory bolt-on, but a central part of the school community.
Swaythling has a diverse community, with a catchment area that covers affluent and disadvantaged areas. John and his team have managed to bring people together and build a community where everybody looks out for one another. At Christmas, parents were told not to give gifts to teachers; what teachers would really appreciate is a homemade card. The school provided craft materials for anybody who might not have them at home, so that families could make Christmas cards. Teachers donated their Secret Santa money to Operation Moonshot.
Before leaving, I asked Mr. Draper what his one wish for school food might be. His answer? You guessed it: universal free school meals.
As I walked back to the station, the remnants of the morning’s storm ushered a crisp packet across my path. I realised that in my hours at the school, I hadn’t seen a single item of junk food. It’s safe to say, my visit to Swaythling blew me away.
Written by SFM's Senior Policy and Campaigns Officer, Sean Turner.