HOW TO HOST A TASTER EVENING

A taster evening is a great way to engage with parents/ carers who haven’t signed up for free school meals.

• Send out an invite weeks before and then a reminder.

• Hold the event from five until seven to boost attendance.

• Make sure staff are given plenty of notice, too.

• Make sure the event is well-staffed, so there’s time for parents to talk to staff and the chef.

Top tips:

• Send out an invite weeks in advance.

• Make extra school lunches and serve those to parents.

• Use a simple survey to gain feedback

Six Week Survey

A parent survey should be conducted around six weeks after the pupils come back to school in September. Ask for reasons why some children aren’t having free school meals now that money isn’t a barrier. The questions can be simple:

• Is there a reason you don’t want to take up the offer of free meals?

• What changes would you like to see?

• What would you like students to eat?

Using this information, write an inclusive menu. It’s important to understand what children are eating at home and to reflect that in school.

“WE WANT THERE TO BE A GOOD UPTAKE OF FREE SCHOOL MEALS; WE WANT ALL CHILDREN SITTING IN THE DINING HALL AND EATING THE SAME FOOD TOGETHER. THEREFORE, FEEDBACK FROM THE PARENTS OF THOSE CHILDREN NOT TAKING UP FREE SCHOOL MEALS WILL BE REALLY HELPFUL,” NERISSA SAYS.

“IT’S BEST TO ASK QUESTIONS IN A VERY GENTLE WAY, AND AVOID WORDS SUCH AS ‘STIGMA’. YOU SHOULDN’T USE LEADING QUESTIONS, SO PARENTS CAN THINK FOR THEMSELVES, RATHER THAN YOU FEEDING THEM THE ANSWERS. THEN, YOU CAN USE THE PARENTS’ ANSWERS TO WORK OUT A PLAN.”