Joining the school food revolution – a school for children with autism and a creative approach to food

We were really interested to see an article in the Guardian (Sunday 19 July 2015) about Queensmill School in West London. With 140 pupils on roll this school, for children with autism, was having difficulties with their lunchtimes and the dining hall. Whereas lunchtimes can be a trying time of day for all schools, it can be every more tricky for schools for children with autism due to a heightened sensitivity of some pupils to noise, crowds, tastes and smells and sometimes a reluctance for children to try new foods and eat a balanced diet.

In the dining room at Queensmill, everything changed when the school employed Brazillan chef, Djalma Lucio Polli de Carvalho – Lucio for short. Lucio not only cooks wholesome food from scratch, but also helps children by ensuring that the children are supported and calmly invited to try new foods and eat in a calm environment.

“This is not merely another story of a school meals service revolutionised by the arrival of a trained chef, determined to prepare everything from scratch. It’s also about the vital therapeutic role good food can play in the lives of a community that needs it most. It is about the pleasures of the table that so many of us take for granted being extended to people for whom the commonplace is a struggle. And it’s about preparing vulnerable children for the realities of life beyond school.” from the article by Jay Rayner.

(To read the full article by Jay Rayner in the Guardian click here.)

This approach fits beautifully with our work on lunchtimes and dining halls. Our new book “How to create calm dining halls” is now in stock, brimming with ideas on how to improve the dining hall in terms of organisation, noise levels, environment, behaviour, healthy nutrition, enjoyment and much more.

Website Editor’s Notes

1. Jenny Mosley is a leading pioneer in lunchtimes and playtimes work in schools. As part of her whole school Golden Model, lunchtimes and playtimes have always been a key feature of Jenny’s work in schools. Jenny trains teachers and midday supervisors during inset days or on her open conference days that are held around the country through the year. (01225 767157 or circletime@jennymosley.co.uk)

2. To purchase Jenny’s new book “How to Create Calm Dining Halls“.

3. To view all other resources in our webshop.

4. To find out more about Jenny Mosley’s training and conferencing opportunities, click here or phone 01225 767157.

5. To read the full article by Jay Rayner in the Guardian click here.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jul/19/lunchtime-revolution-school-children-autism