Munchy Crunchy Club
The amount of children choosing school meals at Ravensbury Community School at lunchtime was good, although the uptake of school meals had started to fall following national trends and the “Jamie Oliver effect”. This created an opportunity to improve the dining experience, which would help sustain and ultimately increase meal numbers within the school.
School meals provider Manchester Fayre, has an established relationship with Ravensbury Community School and was keen to work with the school to further develop the dining experience for pupils. The new style dining service was introduced to Ravensbury as part of an ongoing review of the school meals service provided at the school with the aim of improving the service.
Aims and Objectives
In order to create an improved dining room experience at Ravensbury, the following objectives were set:
- To create a more relaxed dining room experience.
- To involve the pupils in the changes and influence their food choices in the dining room.
- To increase uptake of school meals by 7%.
- To generate an effective return on investment.
Partners
Ravensbury Community Primary School
Manchester Fayre – Manchester City Council
Methodology
Solution: A whole school approach. As results of partnership working between the head teacher and the catering staff, several changes were identified that would improve the dining room and the existing service provided. It was important to work with pupils to ensure buy-in from them, it was recognised that they needed to be involved in the new developments and to create a new dining experience. Pupils needed to understand that the changes to the dining experience were being made to benefit them.
A new dining experience: Therefore, pupils were asked to name their dining room and also design a sign to be displayed over the serving area. The number of entries received by pupils at the school was overwhelming. A panel of judges (comprising of the head teacher, a representative of Manchester Fayre and 2 pupils from the school) carefully selected a winner. Following the winning design being chosen, the dining room at Ravensbury was then to be transformed into the “Munchy Crunchy Club”.
Production of promotional materials for the new dining room: The pupil who had named the dining room had created a new colourful logo, which was used to create a sign to be displayed over the main serving area. The logo was also used on a large banner, which displayed the new name, and added colour and interest to the plain, white walls. Enlarged posters promoting key healthy and nutrition messages were produced for display on the walls around the dining room (sports hall). Already, the room was being transformed, and it was starting to look more appealing, colourful and warm. To help create the “restaurant feel”, bus stop menu signs were displayed close to the counter to inform pupils of the daily menu and A5 menus were produced for display on the top of each table.
Grand designs for a brand new dining experience: The regimented tables were re-organised into a more sociable, and informal arrangement, which helped children to socialise with their peers at lunchtime. Colourful tablecloths, vases and flowers and coloured tableware (including cups and jugs) were purchased for the newly arranged tables to enable children to help themselves to drinks of water, and enjoy serving their friends with cups of water. The changes made helped the room not only start to look like a dining room, but by creating ambience, the room was now beginning to feel like a dining room and a relaxed and fun place to eat lunch. Coloured wastebaskets were also introduced for pupils that bring a packed lunch to encourage them to be responsible for tidying away their own litter after their lunch.
Training and development: The catering team undertook training in the new nutritional guidelines as part of the transforming school food programme to help equip them with the knowledge of the new guidelines.
A full review of equipment: A review of equipment was conducted to identify ways of improving the delivery of the service. New kitchen equipment was purchased including an additional clearing trolley. The introduction of a new branded salad counter into the dining room enabled pupils to help themselves to fruit salad and a range of salad items to accompany their main meal. This proved to be a huge success as it not only encouraged them to eat more salad and fruit, but they also enjoy having the ability to self-serve.
Promotion
A case study has been produced for other head teachers in schools across Manchester.
Press releases were sent to the local press to inform them of the new dining experience launched.
Resources
Additional equipment: clearing trolley, jugs for water, vases, tablecloths and point of sale materials.
Evaluation
The success of the initiative can be measured against the objectives set at the outset of the project.
Objective 1 To create an improved dining room experience. The dining room has been radically transformed into The Munchy Crunchy Club. It’s an improved dining experience for the pupils.
Objective 2 To involve the pupils in the changes and change their food choices in the dining room. Anecdotal feedback received:
“I like the Munchy Crunchy Club because it’s colourful. If it was boring, it wouldn’t be exciting!” – Brandy, Year 2.
“I like the dining room because it’s full of new things.” – Chris, Year 3.
“I like the colourful signs in the dining room.” – Dominica, Year 4.
“Everything I eat here is really lovely. I eat it all.” – Travis, Year 2.
“You can look at the menu and see what there is. You can get a healthy meal.” – Nathan, Year 5.
“The food is yummy in the Munchy Crunchy Club.” – Cherell, Year 3.
“I like to listen to the lovely music everyday while I eat.” – Andrew, Year 2.
“I eat fruit and vegetables in the Munchy Crunchy Club.” – Natalia, Year 2.
Objective 3 To ensure uptake of school meals by 7%. Following the changes made to the dining service, uptake increased by 9.5%.
Objective 4 An effective return on investment. For little investment but great attention to detail a successful new dining room has been created
Lessons Learned
The project at Ravensbury had a whole school approach due to effective partnership working between all parties including the head teacher and school management, pupils, the catering team and Manchester Fayre. This ensured the whole school was involved and excited about the outcomes. A closer relationship with lunchtime organisers encouraged them to be involved with the success of the improved dining experience at Ravensbury. •
A continued investment from all the parties involved will mean continual success of the project.
Future Developments
The future plans are to roll out the new dining experience created at Ravenbury across to other schools to help sustain and increase meal numbers. Due to the success of the new dining room, the following initiatives will be implemented:
- Promote the concept across the city. The success of the improved dining room experience will be promoted to other schools within the area to help sustain and increase meal numbers.
- Submission of an award in partnership working. The school will be nominated for relevant awards to promoting the success of the partnership working.
- Parent consultation. Regular consultation with parents and pupils to obtain feedback on the new dining room and ensure that are satisfied with the new dining room and service provided.
- Marketing campaign. Weekly menus will be sent to the school to be displayed on the school website which will enable parents to be kept up-to-date with the developments of the Munchy Crunchy Club and news and activities related to school meals. There will also be links with the Manchester Fayre school meal website www.myschoollunch.co.uk/manchester.
- Communication with key stakeholders. Communication with key stakeholders, including parents, governors, healthy school coordinators and pupils will be ongoing to ensure that they are aware of further new developments and initiatives.
- New developments in the dining room.
- Installation of ‘mufflers’ to reduce noise levels, additionally, ambient background music will be introduced later this year.
Contact Details
Contact Name: Michelle Hargreaves
Job Title: Marketing Manager
Phone: 0161 234 7716
Email: m.hargreaves@manchester.gov.uk
Website: www.myschoollunch.co.uk/manchester
Organisation: Manchester Fayre - Manchester City Council
Address: New Smithfield Market Ashton Old Road Openshaw M11 2WJ