Shropshire schools could face higher catering charges

As reported by BBC News, schools might have to pay more to support a school catering service, which is forecast to lose £600,000 this financial year

The losses made by Shire Services which supports 60 schools in Shropshire, and another 90 elsewhere, are not sustainable, the council said. Some subsidies given to smaller schools maybe removed in a bid to make the service more efficient. Shropshire Council has promised to consult teachers before making changes.

A report to the council noted 58% of the Shropshire schools the catering service looks after have fewer than 200 pupils. These schools may be charged more in the future as they are costly to serve, partly because they are charged lower management fees and because they contribute less to sickness and absence cover, it said. These changes and others might might force some schools to leave Shire Services and look for new caterers.

Highley Primary School in Shropshire has an in-house meal service and headteacher Tom Plim said teachers had been asking him for advice. However he said prices of supplies had been steadily rising every month, because of “difficulties with logistics and difficulties with leaving the European Union,” he said.