How do I calculate the number of pupils eating a school lunch to check my lunch provision against the nutrient-based standards?
In primary schools defining a school lunch is relatively straightforward as most of the food is provided as complete meals i.e. main dish, vegetable, dessert and drink, therefore in primary schools Number of lunches provided in primary schools = Reported number of meals served (including those paid for plus free school meals) In secondary schools defining lunch is more complex because there is more choice, a variety of outlets, different serving times, the type of food or combination of foods are often not recorded in detail, and the number of ‘meal equivalents’ is not clearly definable. Two pieces of information all caterers can provide are: • total income (all till receipts) from lunchtime sales and • the price of a free school meal (FSM) i.e. its monetary value in the dining room This information can be used to estimate the number of lunches provided. Add together the till receipts for a given period for all sales of food to which the school lunch standards have been applied. Divide
