Schools across Dorset had to find ways of feeding their pupils after catering company Chartwells failed to deliver the governments promised free school meals.

John Bagwell, the head of Parley First School, went to the local Tesco and bought sandwiches, fruit and yoghurt for 80 children when their meals failed to turn up. 

When the lunches were delivered – 25 minutes late – there were not enough of them and not enough cutlery.

“We’re really focused on teaching and learning, that is my main priority and we have done a huge amount of work to raise standards,” he said. “This is an unwelcome distraction.

“The welfare of our children comes first and I had to make a strategic decision. It’s not the best first day I’ve had – going around Tesco with two lunchtime supervisors on a trolley dash. It was quite an experience.

“Thankfully, the children were fantastic, my staff were fantastic and our parents were understanding; but from my point of view, it was unacceptable.”

At St Luke’s School in Bournemouth, head Mark Saxby wrote to parents to tell them their children had eaten takeaway pizza for lunch after none of the meals they ordered turned up.

“I am unaware of what the issue was regarding today’s delivery and will be taking them to task when they answer my calls,” he wrote.

“I apologise for the inconvenience to your child; it did mean that they had a longer lunchbreak than normal and had a pizza lunch.

“As I would expect from a St Luke’s pupil, they showed great resilience and put up with this hardship.”

Pupils at Ferndown First School also had a pizza lunch after their order turned up very late and without any main courses.

Head Jo Di-Pede said: “It’s incredibly frustrating and disappointing that the majority of our time this week has been spent dealing with school meals, rather than settling pupils into the new term.

“The children have all coped admirably and I’m especially grateful to our staff, who rallied together to help out in quite unusual circumstances, and parents for their patience.”

At Lytchett Minster school on Thursday, dinner ladies went to local shops to buy fresh food after seeing the chicken tikka masala sent by Chartwells.

In a message to parents headteacher Mr France said: "Upon opening the trays of food the kitchen staff were unhappy that is was acceptable to serve to the children. As such, and to their credit, they bought produce from local shops and prepared it in the time they had left."

Mandy Van-der-Zee, general manager at Bearwood Primary, said their lunches turned up 40 minutes late and without the plates and cutlery they had ordered or any instructions on how to re-heat the food.

"Our head and deputy went to the Co-op to get provisions but by the time they get back the food had arrived,” she said.

“Thankfully, the problems were just on the first day. Today we have had all meals, equipment and instructions delivered.”