Question: What can schools do to continue providing meals to students?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Providing free school meals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
section_headers: National voucher scheme
section_content: As schools open more widely, and their kitchens reopen, we expect schools to
make food parcels available for collection or delivery for any children that
are eligible for free school meals who are staying at home.
Arranging food parcels helps ensure that eligible children have access to a
healthy free meal, and can also help the school to stay in contact with those
families. We know that many schools have made excellent food parcel
arrangements throughout this period.
If your school catering service cannot provide meals or food parcels for
children who are at home, you can continue to offer vouchers to families of
eligible pupils.
Before ordering vouchers, check which pupils are eligible and would be
receiving benefits-related free school meals.
We are monitoring voucher orders at school level to broadly check if they are
ordering in line with our estimates of the number of eligible children,
recognising that for some schools this will be lower if they are providing
food parcels, or using a local arrangement. If a school’s orders are higher
than expected, we may speak to the school about why this has occurred and will
take forward any necessary action to rectify the position. A cross check will
also be done for those making a claim for free school meals funding via the
financial support available for
schools.
For any voucher queries, please email:

freeschoolmeals@edenred.com for schools
freeschoolmealsparentscarers@edenred.com for parents and carers


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Gives advice on food parcels and vouchers to help make sure children are still receiving meals.
Has detailed information about how schools can continue providing meals during the pandemic.

Reviewer ratings:
Acceptable
Excellent

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Providing free school meals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
section_headers: Additional costs
section_content: The payments for the national voucher scheme will be met centrally by DfE.
We understand that other approaches, such as providing food parcels or
purchasing vouchers for shops not in the national scheme, may mean that
schools incur additional costs. We have published guidance on the financial
support available for schools who incur these additional
costs in this way.
Schools will be able to claim up to a certain limit, depending on their number
of pupils, and where they are unable to meet these additional costs from their
existing resources, or which they could only meet by drawing down on reserves
and undermining their long-term financial sustainability. In exceptional
instances where individual schools face additional costs that are higher than
the grant’s limits, schools will be able to apply to increase their limit.
*[DfE]: Department for Education

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has clear information about how schools can continue to provide meals during the pandemic.
Provides the schools guidance on financial stability to keep providing school meals.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Acceptable

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Providing free school meals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
section_headers: Providing meals or food parcels through your food provider
section_content: We know that many schools and food providers are already finding very
effective ways to ensure that eligible children already receive free healthy
meals during this period.
As schools prepare to open more widely, they should speak to their school
catering team or provider about the best arrangements for school meals.
Schools should ensure that they are supported to return to school to provide
food both for those children attending school and for those remaining at home
who are eligible for free school meals.
We have published a planning guide for
schools to help schools prepare for children returning
to school. This includes suggested approaches to help school leaders in their
decision making around school meals, including working out arrangements for
lunch so that children do not mix with children from other groups.
This could mean having several lunch sittings or serving lunch in more than
one location, including if appropriate in a classroom, or asking your caterers
to look at other flexible ways of giving pupils access to lunch such that it
can be eaten in the small group setting (for example taking cold or ‘packed’
lunches to children in the areas they are in for the day).
In addition, please speak to your catering teams and food suppliers about the
most effective ways to manage the ordering and delivery of food during this
period. This may include:

arranging fewer food deliveries each week compared with standard periods when the school is open to all pupils
ordering longer shelf life products during this period, such as frozen foods or foods that can be safely stored at room temperature

In addition to providing meals in schools, you should consider with suppliers
whether they can prepare meals or food parcels that could be collected by or
delivered to families that are not in attendance. If you do provide meals or
food parcels, ensure they are distributed in line with guidance on social
distancing at all times.
The Food Standards Agency has issued general guidance for food
businesses.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has detailed information about how schools can continue providing meals during the pandemic.
Provides a planning guide for schools to continue providing meals to eligible children.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Acceptable