Guest Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Please can someone confirm whether it is statutory to offer milk to children under 5. We don't seem to be able to get a straight forward answer! At the moment we have milk delivered by a 'free' milk scheme but it is only for children under 5. Once they reach their 5th birthday they are no longer entitled to have it. This is quite tricky in a class of mixed 4 and 5 year olds. So, we offer the milk every morning to all our 4 year olds but most of them do not drink it and it is wasted. Now the scheme are asking the school to pay for the milk. We would rather stop altogether but not sure if we can. We have been told it is statutory. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Well if it is we're stuffed as we have never offered it! To be honest, if they're going to do something like that that IS statutory, it should be for Reception, rather than just 4 year olds - having to sort out who is supposed to have it and who isn't, including those who've paid for it as they're over 5 and don't get it free, and then those who should have it but don't want it............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 As far as I am aware it all depends on whether your council buys into the milk for under fives scheme. Luckily our council does and most of our nursery children like it. It used to be free for all under fives but hasn't been this way for some time now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 in my school (gloucestershire) all the ordering of milk is ordered by parents online directly through www.coolmilk.com and whether they are 4 or 5 the parents need to order the milk with them and they get it free until they are 5 and then the parents are automatically charged after that (unless they are on benefits). As a school we don't get involved with the ordering side we just get an email from cool milk on a weekly basis saying who has ordered it and who we have to give it to. I teach in a reception class by the way and we have probably a 90% take up. The only difficulty we have is with children who desperately want it and their parents havn't organised themselves to order it and we try to give them spares but it is not always possible. sorry I'm not answering the question-I don't know if it is statutory or not- I have looked online to see but can't find out-sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 It can't possibly be statutory. Lots of people object on moral grounds (eg vegans and some religions) to drinking cows milk, and lots have dairy allergies. I am vegan and tried to get free soya from the free nursery milk schemes but was told the government won't fund soya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyPancakes Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yes I think it depends on your LA but as an aside, I was called, last week, by a lady who was trying to organise 'free milk' for my minded children. I have a fantastic milkman and when I asked him about it it seems that this woman gathers a job lot of milk delivery contracts and then bargains down the milkman/dairy. Apparently, this third-party does the admin, claiming money from the LA, and the Milkman only gets a penny a pint. I'm sticking with my trustworthy Milko. Honey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlettangel Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 This thread has been enlightening as I thought it was statutory to offer milk to under fives free!!! So if it is part of a local authority thing we could lose it anyday then to cut back more costs!!!!!! Our parents get a form to fill out each half term...... right from nursery to year 6, and obviously if you are in reception you can still get the milk but dependant on the childs age as to whether you pay for it or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Thanks everyone for trying to help. It does seem to vary from one authority to another but I don't think it can be statutory if that is the case. Very confusing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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