The Trust say the restructure is “not a withdrawal of service”
Protesters gathered outside Cleeve Primary School in East Hull amid concern surrounding changes to the school’s kitchen services. Horizon Academy Trust, which runs the school, says the restructure is an operational change to how food is prepared, not a withdrawal of service.
GMB Union has condemned the Trust’s changes, raising concerns about meals being “shipped in” rather than being cooked freshly on site. The move is “putting staff at risk of job losses and reducing flexibility for pupils with dietary needs,” according to Liz Marshall, GMB Organiser.
At the protest, she told Hull Live: “This is vital for the ladies who work here, who often have two or three jobs to keep afloat. It’s vital to keep it [the kitchen] open for the children because a nutritious, freshly prepared meal means that the children here will develop, learn, and engage better because they’ve got healthy food in their tummy.”
Ms Marshall was one of a number of protesters who gathered outside Cleeve Primary School on March 13. The leader of the Hull Labour Group on Hull City Council, Cllr Daren Hale, also attended. He told Hull Live: “The workers here are solid members of the community who are really popular in the school.
“It’s going to be heated up food that’s been transported in from miles away.”
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Jason Hill, whose children go to a different school, was very concerned by the changes at Cleeve Primary School. “If meals are coming from A to B anything could happen like accidents on the road,” he said, adding: “Everything should be prepped at the school there and then.”
Horizon Academy Trust refute claims that any of their kitchens are closing. In a statement the trust said: “Every school within the Trust will maintain an active, staffed kitchen. The restructure is an operational change to how food is prepared, not a withdrawal of service. Kitchens at Bilton, Hedon, and Cleeve remain fully open. They are transitioning from “full-production” kitchens to “service and finishing” kitchens.
“Staff will continue to use these on-site kitchens to prepare fresh meal components, manage dietary requirements, and serve pupils directly. Every school will continue to have Horizon Catering staff employed on-site. The familiar team members who know our pupils’ names and preferences will remain a constant part of the school day.
The Trust have added that there have been zero compulsory redundancies and that all staff who wished to remain with the Trust have been retained or successfully redeployed. “Colleagues who chose to take voluntary redundancy are being fully supported,” the Trust said.
The Trust’s Deputy CEO for Operations and Wellbeing, Sarah Whiteley said: “It is important to reassure our parents and staff that our kitchens are not closing, and our people are not being forced out of their jobs. We have worked in good faith with unions to ensure a smooth transition that keeps our catering service ‘in-house’ rather than outsourcing to a private company.
“We know how vital a hot, fresh, and healthy meal is for our children’s development. We have already begun providing meals to Hedon and Cleeve, and the feedback from pupils has been excellent. I’m truly grateful for the dedication and community spirit shown by our catering teams. Dinner time remains an important part of the school day, and our teams remain on-site, dedicated to fuelling our pupils’ success.”
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