I would like details of the Borough’s policy on Halal food in school and college restaurants, cafes and cafeteria.

Specifically:

(i)Is there a policy in any establishments that only Halal products are to be used?

I am only able to respond to your questions for those schools which are in the City Council’s Contract for the Provision of a School Meal Service. You would have to contact the schools not in the list below if you wish more comprehensive information across all schools and colleges in Westminster. Details of all schools in Westminster are available from our website:

There is no specific policy however each school which provides Halal food has its own policy decided by the school’s own Governing Body for the provision of Halal food for their students. You may be interested in the following extract from the City Council’s contract specification:

Extract from WestminsterCity Council’s service Specification for School Meals Service

10.Cultural and religious diets

10.1Wherever practical midday meals shall reflect the cultural and religious needs of pupils at each school. The Contractor shall liaise with the headteacher on the range of cultural and religious needs and local menu variations shall reflect this………The Authorised Officer shall be informed of any school wishing to introduce a Halal alternative dish prior to menu introduction. The Contractor shall not introduce a Halal alternative dish without the prior agreement of the Authorised Officer. In Westminster schools Halal meat is prepared, cooked and served alongside other foods under local agreements.

10.2The Contractor shall ensure that its Staff, in particular those Staff in supervisory positions, have an understanding of religious food requirements.

10.3The Contractor shall ensure that meat prepared in order to meet cultural and religious needs of pupils shall only be served in schools that have requested such provision unless the prior agreement of the Authorised Officer has been obtained.

(ii) When sausages are served are only beef sausages used as part of a Halal policy?

In schools where Halal food is served the only sausages used are Halal chicken sausages.

(ii)Is pork ham excluded from the menu as part of any Halal policy?

Pork ham is not served in any WestminsterPrimary School (whether it serves Halal food or not) which is part of the corporate Schools catering contract

(iii)Are certificates displayed on the walls of dining rooms etc. stating that all meat products are from Halal butchers?

In those schools which are in the City Council’s school catering contract and where Halal food is served, certificates stating that all meat products are from Halal butchers are displayed in both the dining halland the kitchen.

If a policy is in place then I would like to know:

  1. When was this policy introduced?

Please see reply above.

  1. To what proportion of all the Boroughs education establishments does the policy apply? This should be expressed as a percentage.

I am not able to provide this information as not all Westminster schools and colleges are in the City Council’s School Catering contract and a number of schools (e.g. all secondary schools and some primary schools) make their own arrangements.

  1. A list of all the establishments where any such policy has been implemented. This can consist simply of a list of names of the establishments.

The following schools serve Halal meat only. There are no schools that have a choice of Halal and non Halal meat as part of their menu:

Nursery

Mary Paterson Nursery

Portman Nursery

Primary

All Souls

ChurchillGardens

Edward Wilson

Essendine

Gateway

George Eliot Juns/ Infs

Hallfield Juns/Infs

Millbank

Paddington Green

QueensPark

St Augustine's Primary

St Barnabas

St Lukes

St Peter's Chippenham Mews

St Stephens

Wilberforce

Special

College Park

Secondary

St Augustine's Secondary

Foundation

Quintin Kynaston

Pupil Referral Unit

Beachcroft