Save St Joseph's P.S. School Kitchen. We are asking the Education Authority to review its decision to permanently end on-site meal preparation and to protect this important service for current and future pupils. 

On Tuesday 18th August a message was sent to parents advising that the Board of Governors had met with EA Catering regarding the status of the school kitchen. EA were proposing transported meals. The Board of Governors rejected the proposal and requested a further meeting. On Friday 21st August a message was sent to parents advising that subsequent to the meeting held on Tuesday, EA had informed the Board of Governors that the kitchen will close from 1st September, school meals will be prepared and delivered by EA from a school located 7 miles away.

We are concerned that:

St Joseph's Primary School is an important rural school serving families in the Donagh area.
The loss of the kitchen represents a reduction in services provided locally.
Freshly prepared meals on site provide reassurance regarding quality, choice and flexibility.
Future growth in school enrolment and meal uptake may not have been fully considered.
Once a kitchen is closed and production ceases, it may be extremely difficult to restore the service in the future.
Rural communities should not face a continual reduction in local services because of financial pressures.
Parents and the wider community should have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect children's daily school experience.