Hot food is back on the menu for pupils at a Brighton primary school after a broken piece of equipment put the school kitchen out of action for about a month.
Parents of children at Woodingdean Primary School contacted one of their ward councillors, Jacob Allen, about the problem.
They contacted their councillor after the school, in Warren Road, asked them whether they thought that it should keep offering sandwiches, buy in hot lunches or buy a new £700 electric oven.
The oven was out of action because an air handling unit, which circulates air out of the kitchen and around the building, had not been working since the middle of last month.
Councillor Allen wrote to the chief executive of Compass EKO Academy Trust, which runs the school, asking for a resolution.
The primary was a local authority maintained school – in the Brighton and Hove City Council family of schools – until it joined an academy trust earlier this year.
He urged the trust to take action because of the “significance” of the issues because the trust is accountable for major repairs while schools carry out routine maintenance.
Councillor Allen said: “Hot meals for primary school pupils are not an extravagance. They’re a basic school provision.
“Parents are understandably worried and, with a high level of deprivation in our community, high-quality school meals are vital for many children.
“If the school had dropped its academisation plans and was still with the local authority, I would be robustly representing residents within the council to secure capital funding to resolve this issue.”
The school said that hot meals had resumed on Friday (11 June) and thanked parents and children for their forbearance.
The school said: “Unfortunately, a fault to the air handling unit in the kitchen means we have not been able to use the oven since mid-May.
“We are very grateful for their patience and understanding during this period.”
Too busy ensuring a profit than tend to basic needs?
That’s a long resolution time. I wonder if it would have taken even longer had the Ward Councillor not intervened and B&H News shined a light on it?
Thank you to Councillor Allen.
Woodingdean Primary School is falling apart. A couple of years ago one boiler stopped working, and the school was cold. Then the other boiler packed in and everywhere was freezing. Children were even wearing gloves!
And this was when it was in the council. People are quick to blame it now it is an academy but the council funding probably means it was left and not on a regular maintenance pattern
I think it highlights the difference in academisation is not the panacea it’s often marketed as, especially if the same issues arise regardless of who’s managing it.