Sit up straight and don't be late again

If you are from the old school, as I am (meaning that you're over 50), your concept of head teachers comes from a background when they were all-powerful and greatly to be feared, especially by pupils who did not always follow the rules.

When a head teacher walked the school corridor, pupils came to an immediate halt, mouths tightly shut, heads bowed and trembling. Thankfully, those days have passed and, in meeting the modern head teacher, you come to realise that they are very approachable people and can even be quite nice.

During the past couple of weeks, I have had to make three group presentations to head teachers about our proposal for a new service agreement and how we can develop a mutually beneficial partnership that will result in improving all aspects of the school meals service.

My first presentation was at the secondary school head teachers' half-term meeting - my first appearance in front of such an august body. I was filled with excitement at the opportunity of selling my service, but also with just a little trepidation.

The meeting was scheduled to start at 1.30pm, with my presentation the first item on the agenda. Not everyone had arrived by the appointed time, but the meeting began regardless. During the first 10 minutes of my talk, four late arrivals crept into the room, hoping not to be noticed. I felt like asking them why they were late - had they brought a note from home?

I even contemplated making them stand in the corner or, even worse, sending them to the head teacher.

My presentation completed, I asked if there were any questions. One head teacher, who was somewhat slumped over the table, raised the issue of nutritional standards and how we planned to meet the expected guidelines. If I had sat like that at school, I would have got a clip around the ear and been told to "sit up straight, boy". I simply answered the question.

Today's head teacher certainly has many more issues to contend with than those of 40 years ago - facilities management, grounds maintenance, cleaning, catering, SATS, league tables and Ofsted. And, of course, educating the next generation.

The more I visit schools, the more I appreciate both the work that the teaching profession undertakes and my job as a caterer.

RICHARD WARE is head of catering and house services at the London Borough of Havering