Grouville School a step closer to free school meals

Grouville primary school exterior, gates. Picture: JON GUEGAN. (34334926)

ANOTHER primary school has moved a step closer to providing free meals after plans to create extra storage to make room for the scheme were approved.

Grouville Primary School will construct a new storage shed next to the playground to free up space inside.

Caring Cooks launched a pilot school-lunch programme in association with the government in 2019, which provides a daily main meal and dessert to children at Janvrin, Samarès and St Luke’s primary schools.

This was extended earlier this year to St Martin and St Peter’s schools.

As part of new Chief Minister Kristina Moore’s 100-day action plan, she has pledged to introduce legislation and funding to ensure that school children have access to one meal a day in school.

A further six schools were due to join the scheme this month, including Grouville and St John’s Primary Schools – both of which have now had plans approved for external storage to allow provision for the scheme to be introduced.

In February, then Children’s and Education Minister Scott Wickenden said that only three primary schools had a suitable area where hot lunches could be effectively and safely delivered.

When the JEP asked the government for an update on which schools were due to join the scheme this month, Children’s and Education Minister Inna Gardiner said: ‘Providing school meals to all of Jersey’s primary-aged children is hugely ambitious, and something that I committed to when I took this office.

‘I am continuing to work with the Chief Minister and our officers to roll out plans, and will provide an update within the first 100 days of this government, as promised.’

In a statement submitted to the Grouville application on the government’s planning website by Andrew Harvey Architects, on behalf of the school, they said: ‘The purpose of the application is to provide additional storage space in order to free up space within the main school buildings. This will allow for the provision of free school meals which is currently being introduced to all primary schools.’

They added: ‘The proposal is for a domestic-scale garden shed to be installed adjacent to the playground area. The shed will be constructed from timber and have a mineral felt roof. The doors will be timber.’

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