Meals

Summary

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided approximate data on school meal and packed lunch choices for primary schools in November and December 2025. The response included a detailed table of figures while noting that packed lunch numbers are estimates due to varying recording methods across schools.

Key Facts

• The data covers primary school meals for the start of November and December 2025.
• Packed lunch figures are approximate because schools use different methods to record them.
• School meal numbers fluctuate due to absences, holidays, weather, and seasonal events.
• Some lunches may not be recorded on ParentPay if students lack an account or funds.
• The response included a table listing meal counts for 32 specific primary schools.

Data Disclosed

• 3rd November 2025
• 1st December 2025
• 194 school lunches at Peel Clothworkers (Nov)
• 163 packed lunches at Onchan (Nov)
• 159 packed lunches at Bunscoill Rhumsaa – Ree Gorree (Dec)
• 178 school lunches at Henry Bloom Noble (Nov)
• 12 packed lunches at Jurby (Nov)
• 6 packed lunches at St. Thomas's C of E (Nov)

Original Request

Following on from Tynwald written question W-202501-1957 How many students were choosing a) school meals and b) packed lunches at the start of i) November 2025 ii) December 2025

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Policy, Strategy and Governance Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Thie Slieau Whallian Foxdale Road St Johns IM4 3AS

Telephone: (01624) 685808
Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im

Our ref: 5198652 27 January 2026

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 30 December 2025, which states:

"Following on from Tynwald written question W-202501-1957

How many students were choosing a) school meals and b) packed lunches at the start of

i) November 2025 ii) December 2025"

Our response to your request is as follows:

Please find enclosed: School Meals Nov/Dec 2025

By way of advice and assistance the attached table shows approximate lunch and packed lunch numbers for the start of November and December 2025 for the primary school meals service.
Primary schools log packed lunch numbers in a variety of ways. For example, some schools deduct the number of school lunches from the number of children in attendance at school on a given day. Other schools record the number opting for a packed lunch. Therefore, the packed lunch figures are approximate and do not account for any other circumstances, for example, going home for lunch or children that have left school for appointments and team sports events.

The number of school lunches ordered daily will fluctuate in line with the individual school policy on change notice periods. Most schools allow children to change from school lunch to packed lunch without any notice. In addition, the use of ParentPay varies across schools and therefore school meals taken may not have been logged on the reports used to extract this data. Work is ongoing to improve accuracy. Furthermore, school meal figures fluctuate throughout a school year, for a variety of reasons, for example:
• Authorised and unauthorised school absences e.g. sickness and appointments.
• Holidays; often impacting attendance at the start and end of school terms.
• Weather changes resulting in increases and decreases in demand for each meal type.

• End of term, end of year and seasonal events such as Christmas lunch.
• Some school lunches served may not be recorded on ParentPay such as lunches provided for children that do not have a ParentPay account or do not have funds on their account.

Please quote the reference number 5198652 in any future communications.

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I will now close your request as of this date.

Primary Schools 3rd November 2025 1st December 2025 School Lunch Packed Lunch School Lunch Packed Lunch Anagh Coar 45 47 42 47 Andreas 29 33 (possible class unrecorded & high sickness) 27 50 Arbory 75 75 72 85 Ashley Hill 104 109 102 106 Ballacottier 64 103 70 103 Ballasalla 72 76 63 81 Ballaugh 26 25 20 27 Braddan 56 48 48 43 Bunscoill Rhumsaa – Auldyn Infants 90 61 84 63 Bunscoill Rhumsaa – Ree Gorree 92 142 88 159 Cronk y Berry 125 142 111 152 Dhoon 33 32 27 29 Foxdale 39 33 39 37 Henry Bloom Noble 178 163 172 143 Jurby 30 12 29 15 Kewaigue 51 44 47 48 Laxey 47 123 52 115 Manor Park 29 32 32 38 Marown 75 70 74 69 Michael 30 44 22 48 Onchan 133 162 127 163 Peel Clothworkers 194 136 182 150 Rushen 105 92 98 91 Scoill Phurt Le Moirrey 69 78 68 70 Scoill Vallajeelt 48 89 52 98 Scoill yn Jubilee – Ballaquayle Infants 54 47 57 55 Scoill yn Jubilee – Murrays Road Juniors 81 85 86 83 St. John’s 45 50 46 50 St. Mary’s RC 163 95 164 107 St. Thomas’s C of E 29 6 29 5 Sulby 70 43 79 41 Victoria Road 69 87 66 90 Willaston 60 48 59 53