The Manor Restaurant

In October 2008, the school was awarded the Heartbeat Award for the fifth year running by Oldham Environmental Services. This award recognises our commitment to healthy eating and the achievement of excellent catering practices. In July 2006, we received the Safer Food Better Business Award, again from Oldham Environmental Services. We are pleased to be part of the first round of caterers that have achieved the required standards.

We are delighted that, in April 2009, we were awarded five stars in Oldham Council’s Scores on the Doors food hygiene scheme in which a business’s performance is shown by a star rating – no stars for the very poor through to five stars for excellent.

All children are expected to have school meals. The weekly menus are given to parents and pupils a week in advance. Our meals are “home-cooked” and provide for all dietary requirements. The menus are well-balanced and demonstrate a commitment to healthy eating. Each day there is a choice of two hot dishes and a choice of pudding. Salads, sandwiches and fresh fruit are always available.

At Firwood Manor, we regard lunchtime as an integral part of the school day and it is an important part of the children’s social education. We talk about making healthy options, choosing varied and balanced meals over the course of a week, good eating habits, appropriate table etiquette and good manners towards one another and to all adults. Our dining room is regarded as a restaurant. Eating and behaving appropriately in our restaurant form part of our merit system.

We believe that sharing a meal together is an important part of family life, and one which is fast disappearing in today’s world as more and more families have meals on their knees in front of the television. To sit, share and enjoy a meal together is an important part of our school culture. All the staff eat with the children.

Within the lunchtime period we have three “sittings”. The Foundation Stage children eat first. During the Development Stage and Emergent Stage Lunchtimes, the children sit in family groups. At each table there is a mixture of age ranges with the older children acting as monitors and role models. Each week one table is chosen as “Table of the Week” and the children on this table enjoy the privilege of being first each day to choose their meals.

Mums, Dads, Grandparents and family friends may book a table to dine with the children on any lunchtime during the week. The children love playing host to our visitors.

The School has a Food Policy which is more than just a Healthy Eating Policy. At Firwood Manor we believe in serving healthy food and encouraging our children to eat healthily. However, we also believe that encouraging healthy eating habits in school is not enough. We believe in the development of a food culture which is just as good for the planet as it is for us.