Banbury primary school delivers more than 40 food parcels for second week in a row

Staff from St Mary's Church of England Primary School in Banbury delivered more than 40 food parcels last week and again today, Wednesday January 13.

The contents of the food parcels meet the expectations of the school food standards, and include some extra home cooked biscuits too. Vegetarian and religious diets are catered for too.

The contents of one food box for one child for one one week included the following ingredients: a loaf of bread, bread rolls, wraps, two large potatoes, a cucumber, packet of cherry tomatoes, five pieces of fruit, two yogurts, ham, tuna, cheese, eggs, tinned sweet corn, tinned tomatoes, tinned beans, pack of butter and homemade cookies.

Victoria Woods, headteacher of St Mary's Church of England Primary School, said: "I have worked with our caterers to meet the DFE expectation that we provide food in school or food parcels at home and only vouchers if we really can't do this.

"It is an issue as families have got used to vouchers. However, we also need to think about the catering business we e-contract with and supporting local people employed with them.

"I worked with our cook to make sure it is a box of ingredients and variety and a bit of home cooking with some cookies from the kitchen. I have then organised school staff to deliver, so that families are staying at home."

She also spoke about how the school is adapting to teaching its pupils during the third lockdown.

She said: "We have found that many families really don't want IT supported lessons, they are really happy with paper based learning packs which we have also delivered, some 84+ of them!

"This is another story as it's being made out that children have to learn through live online lessons, and they don't."