School meal times get makeover in Knowsley

The food and beverage service is being re-thought, making it more flexible to accommodate the different needs of the pupils and wider community who will use the centres. Each centre will have a central dining area which will provide breakfast, mid morning snacks, and lunch for pupils and staff during term time. Service will be partly self-serve and partly assisted, with the emphasis on quick throughput to avoid unnecessary queuing. Lunch menus have all been planned to meet the current government food based standards with an emphasis on the use of fresh ingredients, which will be skilfully cooked and expertly presented. All Centres for Learning will operate a cashless service with pupils, staff and visitors purchasing food and beverages using a personalised smart card which can be pre-loaded with cash credits at revaluation points. Afternoon and evening refreshments will be provided subject to demand. In addition to a central dining facility each centre will also have a ground floor sports café serving hot and cold snacks and beverages, and also Food2Go snack bars within the home base pupil learning areas. The service will aim to provide a quality which complements the new surroundings, supports the transformation in education, and is welcoming to the community. The designs are consistent with the innovative building designs and imaginative approaches to learning in the new centres which will provide the ideal environment for children and other learners to realise their potential. Transform Schools, the company who manage the construction of Knowsley's new Centres for Learning, have developed a fly-through DVD which demonstrates the step-change in Knowsley's approach to education. Cllr Graham Wright, Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services at Knowsley Council, said: "Our Centres for Learning are a unique opportunity to re-evaluate every aspect of the education process in Knowsley. We have said all along that we want to be bold and make ambitious changes that will really benefit our students. In some cases it means looking at arrangements that have been in place for many generations and asking whether they can be improved or enhanced to meet today's changing needs. "With an emphasis on healthy food available at times to suit the needs of Centre users, we think our plans for catering at our Centres for Learning are another example of good practice for other schools to follow."