Parents enjoy a lunchtime treat at school

School meals take centre stage at Manchester schools this week as Manchester Fayre, Manchester City Council’s school meals provider, joins in activities to celebrate National School Meals week.

To kick-start the week of activities parents have been invited into schools to join their children for lunch.

Councillor Jeff Smith, executive member for finance and human resources said: "We pride ourselves on the quality of our school meals both in terms of taste and nutrition and it is good that children have the chance to share that experience with their families. I am quite sure that many people will be very surprised at the choice, variety and quality of meals that we offer in school today."

National School Meals Week runs from 7 - 11 November. It has been run by the Local Authority Caterers Association since 1993 and aims to encourage pupils in primary and secondary schools to have a healthy school meal.

Every day this week school meals will feature a different theme; including food from around the world, learning about healthy eating, the importance of fruit of vegetables as well as learning about school meals during the war and what children ate back in the 1940s.

Find out what's on the menu each day at your child's school. Visit www.myschoollunch.co.uk/manchester

Pictured enjoying a meal with her daughter Abigail is her mum Suzanne Jeffreys at St Edmunds Primary School in Miles Platting.