Optimising food service at Kings Norton Girls’ School

Kings Norton Girls’ School is an all-girls academy school and sixth form in Birmingham for students aged 11–19. They welcome around 1,100 students and according to the Parent Power Guide, it’s ranked among the top secondary schools in Birmingham.

The Brief

The food service at the school faced many challenges left over from the incumbent service provider including:

• High food costs
• Significant food waste (affecting profitability)
• Low student engagement

Service times were also causing delays and student-parent dissatisfaction, along with poor communication between the kitchen team and school staff, leading to a lack of motivation in the kitchen. Providing nutritious, fresh, and diverse meals in schools is crucial for several reasons, including promoting healthy eating habits and addressing food insecurity. In 2024 Clare Skinner, Business Manager at Kings Norton Girls’ School appointed Angel Hill Food Co. to revive their catering efforts.

The solution

Our Angel Hill Food Co. team, led by Catering Manager Andre Alto (pictured below), set to work implementing interventions. These interventions spanned the food supply chain to supercharge our service.

Andre implemented a system to monitor food expenditures. He collaborated with suppliers and the purchasing team to ensure optimal price and quality. He also trained kitchen colleagues on portion control and food preparation techniques. These measures led to a noticeable reduction in food costs and waste, improving the profit margin.

A 12-month food plan was presented to the school, featuring an exciting calendar of events to engage students and sixth-formers. The plan introduced new recipes and raised awareness around key food campaigns that promote healthy eating. Calendar highlights included Build Your Own Burrito Day and the Academy Cookery Show. Special catering efforts were also made for families attending the schools theatre performances.

These changes significantly boosted student engagement and school spirit. Overall, it not only drove sales but sparked a positive shift in school culture.

Other initiatives included:

• Team training: by identifying his colleagues’ strengths and delegating ownership of food prep sections, Andre encouraged decisiveness amongst the kitchen team. He also encouraged them to come up with their own ideas on how to improve the dining experience for students and teachers, resulting in faster preparation and service times, higher quality standards, and increased student satisfaction.
• Waste reduction: By reducing the use of disposable packaging and moving towards a plated service, they minimised their environmental footprint, which, alongside supporting the introduction of food waste bins and production/wastage sheets by KNGS, enhances the school’s reputation for sustainability.
• Collaboration with students and parents: Through quarterly feedback sessions with students, joint planning meetings with the school to weave food into the curriculum and linking with the school’s social media to communicate with parents about school meals and events. This improved level of communication led to better coordination and teamwork, resulting in more efficient operations and a more cohesive working environment.
• Regular audits: Regular audits ensured the menu cycle adhered to the seasonal school food plan.
  Students received balanced meals, contributing to their overall health and well-being.

The Outcome

Financially, the team has taken the site from achieving £1,182 daily, to £1,363 daily within one year. This is an average uplift of 15% per day.

Whether you’re an independent school or part of an academy trust, please contact us to discuss how we can improve your school food service.