Michaela Secondary School Punishes Pupils With ‘Lunch Isolation’ If Parents Pay Meal Fees Late

Pupils at a London secondary school face spending their lunch break alone if their parents are late with their school meal payments.
A mum revealed she had received a letter from Michaela Community School, a free school in Wembley Park, stating that her child would be put into “Lunch isolation”. The letter, which was shared on Twitter by The Guardian’s education editor Richard Adams, read: “The deadline for this term’s lunch payments was 1 June 2016. You are now one week overdue.

“You are currently £75 overdue. If this full amount is not received within this week your child will be placed into Lunch Isolation.
“They will receive a sandwich and piece of fruit only. They will spend the entire sixty minutes period in lunch isolation.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/lunch-isolation-michaela-community-school-katharine-birbalsingh_uk_579b2f3ee4b0459aae5d4f5a?edition=uk&utm_hp_ref=uk


Er why are they punishing the child for the failure of the parent and in this day and age when parents struggle?
So wrong on every level.

That's disgusting! When parents find themselves in these situations they should always contact the Governing Body for the school. Straight to the School Governors because it has to be discussed and it all goes on public record.

eddie wrote:That's disgusting! When parents find themselves in these situations they should always contact the Governing Body for the school. Straight to the School Governors because it has to be discussed and it all goes on public record.

This is a fine example where you can teach eddie.
Maybe they never knew they could
This is a sad reality, as many parents do not know their rights

No, you're right, parents don't always know, but the information is there for them to find. Sadly, many schools won't "remind" the parents that the info is there and that they may take matters up with the Governing Body.
Schools also have policies on every single thing you can think of and they are always accessible (or should be) to any parent at any time.

Some schools are not as good at sharing information with parents as they should be and it's a major part of a child's learning and well-being.

eddie wrote:No, you're right, parents don't always know, but the information is there for them to find. Sadly, many schools won't "remind" the parents that the info is there and that they may take matters up with the Governing Body.
Schools also have policies on every single thing you can think of and they are always accessible (or should be) to any parent at any time.

Some schools are not as good at sharing information with parents as they should be and it's a major part of a child's learning and well-being.

Schools can let us down Eddie
Here again is an example for you to teach others. As is it not from experince?

I trust your views on this as you are actually not emotional
Just logical and factual

Night

Well I'm giving information and not an opinion.
My opinion is far more emotional on this subject.

Punishing children with social isolation over money?!

It's disgusting isn't it? Britain really is a snobby country.

eddie wrote:It's disgusting isn't it? Britain really is a snobby country.

In some places Eddie

Not all

That is how prejudice starts and discrimination

Have to go

Night

Not only that, giving a child "one sandwich and one piece of fruit" is actually not a part of the Healthy Eating Policy. Well, it wasn't in my school and all policies are written a little differently - which in itself, is bloody ridiculous.

eddie wrote:It's disgusting isn't it? Britain really is a snobby country.

Sometimes it seems that way. I remember hearing Damon Albarn saying the country is still hung up on socioeconomic class.

If I don't pay for food I don't eat ..

BRITAIN obviously needs to get rid of their anachronistic snobbery/class-infested school governing councils, and centralise their governance with your education department...

ONE CLEAR example where a "decentralisation" of powers isn't such a good idea..      

Tommy Monk wrote:If I don't pay for food I don't eat ..

YOU.....are not a child (though others may have a different opinion)

In America - we've had our own 'RAMBO LUNCH ROOM TACTICS' deployed before; sadly it's been uncovered after some poor child has suffered the gross humiliation in front of their entire peer group/under classmates/other adults in the lunch room!
Far too many stories for me too C & P from my tablet ...but here's a good link>


National Education Association › home
Students Denied a School Meal Due to Unpaid Cafeteria Bill ... This person supported the school's position in holding parents accountable for unpaid bills by denying their children anymore "free" meals ...
*************************************

IN.gov (.gov) › doe › files › nutrition

Oct 1, 2014 - Schools may not deny a meal to free approved children for meal ... Since the student is not beingoffered the required menu ... five days of non-payment, the student's breakfast/lunch ...
*************************************
It's a horrible method of teaching children the 'ills of being POOR vs RICH' when abused in this manner ...especially by a institution for teaching! 

Very harsh on that poor kid! It's unjust when the sins of the parents are visited on their children.

But why did the parents neglect to pay? Debt?? Forgetfullness??   $75 represents a lot of unpaid school lunches, where did they think the money to fund this kid's meals was coming from? Good housekeeping is one of the elementary skills of good parenting.


Saying that, - I don't know the solution to this problem. I imagine the educators had several options on the table and they felt this was the best one.

Jules_1 wrote:Very harsh on that poor kid! It's unjust when the sins of the parents are visited on their children.

But why did the parents neglect to pay? Debt?? Forgetfullness??   $75 represents a lot of unpaid school lunches, where did they think the money to fund this kid's meals was coming from? Good housekeeping is one of the elementary skills of good parenting.

Saying that,  -  I don't know the solution to this problem. I imagine the educators had several options on the table and they felt this was the best one.

Here in the states our public schools are mandated to offer a 'reduced lunch' program for 'ALL' students {and those tickets cannot be color coded to appear any different to the others} ...but even at a reduced program ...single parents struggle to make ends meet each month and budgets only cover so many 'HAVE TO PAY THESE BILLS NOW' so something falls behind

Tommy Monk wrote:If I don't pay for food I don't eat ..

The child shouldn't be made to feel he has done something wrong though...and separating him or her from the other kids at meal times is bordering on cruelty imo.

When I was at school the kids who had arranged free diners had to stand in a different line to the ones who had paid...I thought those days had long past.

Lord Foul wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:If I don't pay for food I don't eat ..

YOU.....are not a child (though others may have a different opinion)

The parents are not children either... if they want their children to eat then they must provide their food or pay for others to provide it for them.

Tommy Monk wrote:

Lord Foul wrote:

YOU.....are not a child (though others may have a different opinion)

The parents are not children either... if they want their children to eat then they must provide their food or pay for others to provide it for them.

How utterly selfish and absurd
What if the bread winner has just lost their job or that they only have enough money to barely feed their child at home, based on their incomes? Is the system wrong or they Tommy?
No child should suffer by a school, whether the parent is at fault or not over payments.
The child is being punished for something they have not done.
Its the most dispicable and disgusting thing to do and will make that child feel they have done wrong.
This is a necessity that a child needs and parents do struggle
For a school to do this verges on fascism.

They all get child benefit... Maybe this should get diverted to schools if parents fail to provide for their children to eat there...?


Free school meals are already available for those who's parents fit the criteria of being on benefits or low income/earnings etc... although I have shown before how a single parent can do a few hours work a week and then get an extra £15000-20000 a year paid on top in tax credits...

I'm thinking about opening a petition on Change.org to convince the U.S. government to help feed hungry British schoolchildren as part of our foreign aid. Although the corrupt UK officials would probably just build themselves lavish mansions with it ...

Tommy you're being an absolute knob.
Sometimes I wish you'd stop and think.

Eddie... it is obvious that the parents are the knobs for not looking after their children by failing to provide for their lunch provision...

eddie wrote:Tommy you're being an absolute knob.
Sometimes I wish you'd stop and think.

I wouldn't even care about the thinking part

eddie wrote:Tommy you're being an absolute knob.
Sometimes I wish you'd stop and think.

I actually think i can perceive why Tommy feels this way
He was once homeless and was so based off a hard time, but perceives anyone in the media on low income, refugees, homeless as all taking the piss.
Some no doubt do take the piss and do not place their children first, but this is not the reality as most do care about their children.
Tommy's being emotive in his answers because he does not like people who take the piss out of the system, even though he does not like the system. A double negative.
Again though he avoids talking about the one thing that he has failed to answer or talk about.
How and why it would be acceptable in any situation to blame and punish a child over nothing they have done wrong.
In all his answers he has avoided speaking about this and cannot reason ever why he could think this is acceptable
This is my opinion and perception as to why he draws this wrong conclusion

If it was tommy that gave me the red, he just proved my perception right

Hey, who knows if he did.

eddie wrote:Tommy you're being an absolute knob.
Sometimes I wish you'd stop and think.

Thanks for reminding me eddie...


I made the mistake of thinking this op and media story was genuine when I added my bit... and I also made the mistake of thinking others here had actually fact checked the story too...


But no...


As the whole article/story is based off a dodgy Facebook post claim and a pic of a fake photoshopped letter...

Proof please.

Proof?


That's the funny thing eddie...


Where's the proof that this story is real in the first place?


Someone posted it on a forum... it has the general look of a news article... it has a link to a news media source at the bottom... open article link and it looks authentic etc...


But then if you actually read it... the original source is a Facebook post claim with a dodgy photoshopped letter pic...





Where is the proof that any of it is true...?


But if you look closely at the 'letter'... you can see it is fake...!

Tommy Monk wrote:Proof?
That's the funny thing eddie...
Where's the proof that this story is real in the first place? HMMMM, because as your 'normal lack' of being able to read and comprehensive skill set fails you - the article is written by 'HUFFINGTON POST.UK - they provided several sub-links that you could have followed had you had your mommies help - there's the copy of the letter, clearly written on the schools letter head {and you'd have known that if you'd been able to follow those sub-links} ...but your OCD is all about YOU and keeping the attention on YOU and away from the topic!  
Someone posted it on a forum... it has the general look of a news article... it has a link to a news media source at the bottom... open article link and it looks authentic etc...
But then if you actually read it... the original source is a Facebook post claim with a dodgy photoshopped letter pic...


Where is the proof that any of it is true...?
But if you look closely at the 'letter'... you can see it is fake...! 

And the most disruptive 'FUCK-WIT' - narcissistic - needy member we have = TOMMYKINS

Yes two minute research provd this is genuine:

Miss Birbalsingh admitted that she and Miss Kelly 'did not see eye to eye', and insisted Miss Kelly had not paid for her son's lunches. Miss Birbalsingh added: 'The letter from Barry Smith…was sent in an attempt to encourage mum to change her ways and support her son by paying for his food.

Tommy did you actually check to see if it was true? Ffs

The letter is not real.

Didge wrote:Yes two minute research provd this is genuine:

Miss Birbalsingh admitted that she and Miss Kelly 'did not see eye to eye', and insisted Miss Kelly had not paid for her son's lunches. Miss Birbalsingh added: 'The letter from Barry Smith…was sent in an attempt to encourage mum to change her ways and support her son by paying for his food.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3713583/Superhead-claimed-Britain-s-education-broken-puts-pupils-detention-lunch-restricts-food-parents-failed-pay-school-meals.html#ixzz4Fwx8CpQ4

For everyone else

Here again is the head admitting to the letter and the letter is school headed paper, which is evident by the very bottom of ther page

Doh

Didge wrote:Yes two minute research provd this is genuine:

Miss Birbalsingh admitted that she and Miss Kelly 'did not see eye to eye', and insisted Miss Kelly had not paid for her son's lunches. Miss Birbalsingh added: 'The letter from Barry Smith…was sent in an attempt to encourage mum to change her ways and support her son by paying for his food.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3713583/Superhead-claimed-Britain-s-education-broken-puts-pupils-detention-lunch-restricts-food-parents-failed-pay-school-meals.html#ixzz4Fwx8CpQ4

Sounds really sad, that this kid is being subjected to public humiliation because the adult's are warring about issues that he has zero control over.
While the school can't divulge the issue it's plausible that it may have to do with something erroneously posted on the students lunch charges - happened to mine and a couple of other children's lunch accounts {well actually there ended up being nearly twenty accounts with errors charged to our lunch accounts that one year} ...seemed the volunteer that was seated notating the daily checklist wasn't the brightest light bulb and shouldn't have been left to do that job

FFS - Tommykins go play in traffic - chase cars - find something that will fill your need to just cause disruption around here

Okay....what makes this letter a fake, Tommy?

The writing is pissed for a start... if you have paper with header and details at bottom... it will be printed straight.

The main text isn't right either... top bit is curved to try to make it look like it is following a bend in paper... but if you follow the line of main crease in middle against the line of writing directly above... writing curves unnaturally... crease is edited out on far left hand side too...


Also if you zoom in and turn up brightness... you can see other strange anomalies where it looks like other writing or scribbling has been edited out...


Look at top edge of paper... look along the line... is not straight and slight creases in paper at top don't account for it.


And if this letter was sent to one person... why does it start with "dear families"...?


The whole thing looks odd in a number of areas...


There may well have been a letter sent to woman about lunch money... but that wasn't it!!!

I did wonder about the "dear families" but as to the rest of it, I don't see WHY (there's the why again) someone would need to lie about this.

Most comical load of gibberish I have ever heard about a piece of paper
Here are the facts
Its school headed paper
The school admits to sending the letter

Case closed

Its also be sent to many parents as seen by the following



Children who are put in lunch isolation are given a sandwich and piece of fruit instead of their usual hot meal with dessert, and made to sit on their own for the whole lunch hour.

I've shown the letter is bogus... stupid people do stupid things for stupid reasons...

Didge... I've already said that there may well have been a letter sent... but that one wasn't it!


I've explained the dodgy anomalies... have a clise look and see for yourself...

Tommy Monk wrote:The writing is pissed for a start... if you have paper with header and details at bottom... it will be printed straight.
It's a 'FORM LETTER' used by every corporation/educational institution in the entire world. Load the blank letter head in the paper tray and using the Microsoft Letter 'MERGE' option and it allows you to generate as many 'same type' letters that need to be sent out to a 'GROUP' of individuals and their addresses - it will even print up the envelopes or just do the mailing labels.  The area's that are set up for the 'data fields' can be established in BOLD FONT TYPE ...and yes MORON sometimes the letter head paper may pull into the printer at an angle but it's STILL A FACTUAL LEGAL DOCUMENT!

The main text isn't right either... top bit is curved to try to make it look like it is following a bend in paper... but if you follow the line of main crease in middle against the line of writing directly above... writing curves unnaturally... crease is edited out on far left hand side too...  idiot - it's a 'form letter'
Also if you zoom in and turn up brightness... you can see other strange anomalies where it looks like other writing or scribbling has been edited out... idiot - it's a 'form letter'
Look at top edge of paper... look along the line... is not straight and slight creases in paper at top don't account for it. idiot - it's a 'form letter'

And if this letter was sent to one person... why does it start with "dear families"? idiot - it's a 'form letter'

The whole thing looks odd in a number of areas... idiot - it's a 'form letter'

There may well have been a letter sent to woman about lunch money... but that wasn't it!!!  idiot - it's a 'form letter'

Having taught Excel Spread Sheets & Word in my home for those women & men not wanting to be seated in classrooms filled with high school children, there are many uses for the templates and easy access to simply sending our mass mailings to numerous people {parents regarding the same issue} >>>

On the Mailings tab, click Start Mail Merge, and then click Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard. When you open or create a data source by using the Mail Merge Wizard, you are telling Word to use a specific set of variable information for your merge.

How to use mail merge to create form letters in Word

support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/294683

But this will not be anything within your simplified grasp for basic knowledge of office use and legal formality when sending mailers out to people regarding specific issues; this like many other topics is just beyond YOUR GRASP OF COMPREHENSION!

Tommy Monk wrote:Didge... I've already said that there may well have been a letter sent... but that one wasn't it!


I've explained the dodgy anomalies...  have a clise look and see for yourself...

Well done

No you have offered up what only seems to you to be suspect.
Again the school has this measure poorly to isolate kids, where their parents have not paid, which is wrong and they have admitted to warning parents of this action. You are poorly trying to deflect from the main points at hand.
What is even worse is this child highlighted is entittled to free school meals

Jules wrote:But why did the parents neglect to pay? Debt?? Forgetfullness?? $75 represents a lot of unpaid school lunches, where did they think the money to fund this kid's meals was coming from? Good housekeeping is one of the elementary skills of good parenting.

I too think this practice is horrible. Your question, Jules, goes back to Ben’s very perceptive point:

Ben wrote:Punishing children with social isolation over money?!

Using the market system to distribute such essentials as medical care and food for children is reprehensible. It means someone is actually making money selfishly on such things.

Funny, but we don’t leave national defense to the market. No, no…when we want to defend our borders, we depend on the dependable, the socialist system. The United States military is the largest socialist organization in the world: by the people, of the people and for the people…btw, paid for by the people.

Only socialism gives us the certainty of getting the job done…and, we don’t have to feed the extra mouth of profit.

In ANY case regardless of te letters authenticity, the sentiments expressed by Tommy are unacceptable,
Punish te oparents by whatever legal means there are available...you DO NOT, under any circumstances punish. discriminate against or WHATEVER the parents by punishing, discriminating against, inviting bullying against etc the CHILD.....

ANYONE who supports such actions needs as a matter of urgency, standing against a brick wall and removing permanently from society.....

4ever... the top header and the address details at the bottom would be on the otherwise blank page and printed at the same time .. top bit is out of line with the bottom bit... that doesn't happen...


I've shown other anomalies too which show the letter shown is bogus...

Tommy Monk wrote:4ever... the top header and the address details at the bottom would be on the otherwise blank page and printed at the same time .. top bit is out of line with the bottom bit... that doesn't happen...
I've shown other anomalies too which show the letter shown is bogus...

WOW ...here you are - yet again going that EXTRA mile to prove not only do you NOT KNOW anything about business decorum - business letter head/form letters/the basic methods of HOW TO PROCESS A SIMPLE TYPED LETTER! 

You want to keep proving what a utter FUCK-WIT you are!
Letter Head printed paper come with the requested 'FOOTED' & 'HEADER' printed as the company &/or institution request ...the people sending the letter fill in all of the required information either singly or via a large/mass mailer using the 'Mail Merge Option'!
This format is called 'Simplified Style Open Punctuation'  


 
But just continue to build your FAKED  BS opinions and I'll enjoy destroying your utter ignorance with the TRUTH!
You just can't allow any room for being WRONG - can't admit your wrong - won't admit you made a mistake!