Patricia Ligthart, policy adviser, and Joke Visser, school meals coordinator, explain in an interview with the Jeugdeducatiefonds how they have found a good balance between structural support and special extras.

Structural approach

When the School Meals Programme began, De Faam chose to start small by offering food and drinks at school. The one-off funding was used to purchase a buffet refrigerator, which made it possible to set up a daily sandwich buffet in the assembly hall. During both breaks — at 10:00 and 12:35 — colleagues prepare sandwiches for the pupils here. “The pupils walk past the buffet and can indicate what they would like,” Joke explains. “They can also choose a toasted sandwich, for example.” The buffet is centrally located in the assembly hall and is therefore easily accessible. At first, the pupils had to get used to the concept, but by now it has become a permanent part of the school day. Fruit is also always available in the assembly hall.

Later, the offering was expanded to include assembling grocery bags. Joke: “Every Friday afternoon between three and four o’clock, parents and/or pupils can collect a filled grocery bag. The bags are carefully put together, with basic products such as whole-wheat pasta and long-life milk. During Ramadan, we add extras such as figs, dates and nuts.”

Extras that make a difference

In addition to the regular meals and groceries, there is room for food and drinks during activities, such as a sports day, and treats for special occasions. Joke: “We always do something extra during the holidays. At Christmas, we provided breakfast at school with luxury bread rolls and various toppings. At the end of Ramadan, all pupils receive a bag of sweets, and in summer there is a summer package. We also provide extras during excursions and activities.”

The school has good agreements with local suppliers, which helps it stay within budget. “Our local supermarket not only supplies the groceries, but sometimes also sponsors part of the costs in the form of a discount,” Joke explains. “These kinds of partnerships make it possible to make optimal use of the budget.”

Embedding in education and connecting with parents

An important aspect of the programme at De Faam is that both the sandwich buffet and the filling of the grocery bags are embedded in education. The school’s Work Training Centre (ATC), where pupils develop internship skills, plays a crucial role in filling the grocery bags. “On Mondays, the ATC pupils work on assembling the bags,” Joke explains. “It is wonderful to see how this is not only a practical solution, but also a learning process for the pupils.”

Contact with parents is also naturally woven into the project. Patricia: “Since this school year, we have had a liaison officer who speaks several languages. He is present when the bags are distributed, which makes it easy for conversations with parents to arise. This is how we build trust, gain a better understanding of what is going on in families and enable the liaison officer to fulfil his role more effectively.”

A valuable change

The School Meals Programme has had a clear impact at De Faam. “You can see that the threshold for collecting food is getting lower and lower,” Patricia observes. “At first, there was sometimes a sense of shame, but because the programme has become so embedded in the school, it has become normal. New pupils and parents see that it is simply part of school life.”

Parents also show their gratitude. “There was a parent who came to collect a bag every week and one day spontaneously brought some chocolate as a thank-you,” Joke recounts. “And then there are those small moments that stay with you, such as a pupil who started crying when she received a piece of cheese because she had never had it at home.”

Tip for other schools

The approach at De Faam shows how a school can use its school meals budget broadly and effectively. “It took us a year and a half to get everything running smoothly, and we have not regretted it for a single day,” says Patricia. Her advice to other schools? “Start small, build it up gradually and be creative with the budget. There is so much more you can do than just handing out fruit.”