At Queen Victoria School, we are committed to promoting choice and providing a wide range of nutritionally balanced foods from which pupils can make their own selection, therefore increasing the enjoyment of their meal and encouraging greater responsibility.
Catering at Queen Victoria School is provided as part of the Defence Multi Activity Contract, at present this is provided by Aramark Defence Services under the logo Side By Side (SBS). SBS provide menus that are structured within a four-weekly seasonal menu cycle, in conjunction with Scottish Executive Guidelines, with input from Military Food Service Warrant Officers. The food is supplied and sourced through Aramark Defence Services. The menus change four times a year, in alignment with the terms, to ensure that the pupils have a varied choice of meals throughout the year. The menus will contain as much seasonal produce as possible, giving them the ability to reflect the changing seasons. SBS try to provide the most popular choices regularly within our four-week menu cycle. As an MoD establishment, we are limited to a 1000-item ‘core range’ of food products from which we can order. Despite those limitations, SBS catering staff provide meals that consistently pass government, MoD and Care Inspectorate assessments, meeting a range of healthy eating guidelines and requirements.
Aims:
We believe that healthy eating plays a vital role in supporting the education of our pupils.
It helps to:
- Enhance their ability to concentrate in the classroom.
- Develop a greater appreciation for fresh and seasonal ingredients.
- Promote the enjoyment of dining with friends over a meal.
By helping to influence and educate pupils about their eating habits, through increasing their knowledge and awareness of food issues and what constitutes a healthy diet, we aim to improve their health and address some matters of health and well-being. SBS will ensure that the food and drink available across the school day helps to reinforce the healthy lifestyle message.
Learning about food:
We devote time in PSHE, Physical Education, Biology, sports training sessions and less formally through our pastoral care in the boarding Houses, to ensure that pupils understand why a healthy diet is so important.
Feedback and Improvement:
“Helping improve the catering experience for everyone”
At QVS, pupil voice is an essential aspect of school life and school development and is no more important than in helping provide a positive dining experience for all the pupils. We believe it is important that pupils raise matters in a timely, reasonable and appropriate manner in accordance with the communication channels provided by the school. To help ensure SBS are constantly striving to improve the dining experience for the school, pupils are encouraged to raise matters ( requests, complaints or compliments) using any of the following methods:
1. Completing the Catering feedback form located in the Dining Room. The SBS Head chef reviews this document on a daily basis to ensure matters raised are dealt with in a timely manner.
2. Completing the Catering feedback form using a QR code located on posters throughout the boarding houses. The SBS manager and Head chef reviews this document to ensure matters raised are dealt with in a timely manner.
3. Raising matters directly with the house catering rep who will raise matters at the next Catering Committee meetings. SBS will consider all matters raised and implement changes where possible.
The Catering Committee meet approximately every three weeks during term-time.
We would welcome parental representation on the Catering Committee; if you would like to join us then please contact Steve Adams (steve.adams@modschools.org or Tel: 0131 310 2973). We are also happy to welcome any parent to any meal at the school, without notice. All you need to do is sign in at the front desk and ask for a member of the Senior Leadership Team to show you into the Dining Room.
Allergies:
Since January 2015 it has become law for all Catering outlets to provide Allergen information for all of the food produced and served on the premises. We are fully compliant with this requirement. All of the menus and information are updated regularly and are available on request.
Special Dietary requirements:
We expect all pupils to eat school meals and we can only meet individual requirements that are based upon attested medical grounds. Parents of children who have allergies to any food product are asked to make this clear in the medical questionnaire which they complete when their child enters the school. They should inform the school at once if their son or daughter subsequently develops an intolerance of any food.
High Standards:
We currently have the ‘Healthy Living Award’ by Stirling District Council. One of the requirements is to provide a menu with 40% of the food qualifying as being healthy. SBS are currently providing approximately 80% of the menu that would qualify as being healthy. We have also been awarded the Eat Safe award from Environmental Health Stirling District Council.