School Lunches
Children can have either a school meal from the school kitchen or bring in a packed lunch. Parents wishing their children to have a school meal should pre-book in advance to make sure that their child has their preferred choice, but before 8am that morning at the latest. Lunchtime is held from 11.45am-1.15pm, with children in Reception eating first, followed by the children in KS1 and then KS2.
Please call the school office if you would like to discuss your child's food allergies.
Please also note that we are a nut-free school as many children suffer from nut allergies and we ask that you do not send in any products that contain nuts.
School Meals
Our school catering service is provided by Taylor Shaw, the school caterer of choice for thousands of primary pupils across the UK.
Our school menu is appetising, nutritious, balanced, and designed to encourage children to enjoy food, learn, play, and grow. Lunch is an integral part of the school day and something all children should look forward to. Taylor Shaw’s dedicated catering team ensures the dining hall is a welcoming and happy place for your child.
Our menus meet the Government’s School food standards and the bronze Food for Life standards.
- 89% of meals are freshly prepared daily
- No undesirable additives or artificial trans fats are used
- Our menus provide for all dietary and cultural needs
- Our suppliers provide appropriate food safety standards
- Our catering team is supported with skills training in fresh produce
Taylor Shaw’s dietitians ensure our menus are nutritionally sound, shaping recipes to ensure they meet the School Food Standards and standards set by Public Health England for salt and free sugar.
Meal Bookings
In order for your child to have their preferred choice please make sure that you pre-book in advance, before 8am on the morning at the latest.
If you are having difficulty with the system please try another device eg: ipad/laptop.
Instructions for the new payment system can be found by accessing the link below:
Our Menu
Our menu includes a wide variety of options to suit all tastes based on feedback from pupils, staff, the catering team, and parents and guardians. We run a three-week menu cycle that changes twice a year.
Managing Allergies & Other Medical Diets
Taylor Shaw’s dieticians and catering team work together and follow a robust process, so you can feel reassured that whenever safely possible, an alternative menu will be provided. All their staff receive allergy training annually, and whenever there’s an update to allergen laws.
The Allergy Menus - A Guide for Parents contains further information about the medical diet process and includes the medical diet request form.
Procedure to follow to request a medical diet
Please print off this form, complete it and return to school. If you don’t have access to a printer please contact the school.
About Our Food
Our menu is sourced responsibly and uses:
- Red Tractor-certified meat
- Marine Stewardship Council fish (MSC)
- Free-range eggs
- Local suppliers for bread, fruit & vegetables, and dairy products to reduce food miles
- Seasonal produce
Eat & Learn
We encourage pupils to learn about food through our food education programme which includes fun-themed events, assemblies, and displays with messaging around health and wellbeing.
Eating a School Lunch is Better for Your Child
Did you know only 1% of packed lunches meet the nutritional standards that currently apply to school food. 5 reasons school lunches are better:
- Save time & money
- Nutritionally better than a packed lunch
- Promotes a varied diet & encourages new tastes
- Inclusivity, dining with friends
- Help academic attainment by being linked to improved concentration
Parents' Information Leaflet
Please click here for the Parents' Information Leaflet.
Free School Meals
Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) for children in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2
All children in years Reception, 1 and 2 are entitled to free school meals (referred to as Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) regardless of whether or not they are in receipt of qualifying benefits. However,
However, If you are a low-income family and get one of the benefits listed, you should still register for FSM (see the FSM section below). If your child is eligible, their free school meal entitlement will be protected until they reach the end of their current phase of education (primary school), even if your circumstances change.
Mayor of London Universal Free School Meals (UFSM) 2023 to 2024
Following an announcement made by the Mayor of London, from September 2023, all primary school children in state-funded schools in London automatically get free school meals for the 2023 to 2024 academic year. This could save families around £440 per child across the year. For more information, visit Mayor of London - Free School Meals
Primary school children will automatically get their free school meal whether their parent or carer gets a qualifying benefit or not, but it’s very important that families on benefits still complete an application form for free school meals. If you qualify, your child will continue to get free school meals in September 2024.
Free School Meals (FSM)/Pupil Premium
Your child may be able to get free school meals, along with extra funding for the school, if you are in receipt of the any of the following:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Even if your child is currently in receipt of free school meals throught the UIFSM or UFSM schemes please apply for the Free School Meals benefit as, if your child is eligible, their free school meal entitlement will be protected until they reach the end of their current phase of education (primary school), even if your circumstances change.
Find out how to apply here.
Packed Lunches
If your child is bringing in a packed lunch please ensure that it does not contain fizzy drinks, sweets, chocolates/chocolate bars.
As with all items brought into the school we ask that you clearly label your child's lunchbox with their name and class.
Please also note that we are a nut-free school as many children suffer from nut allergies and we ask that you do not send in any products that contain nuts.
School Fruit Scheme and Snacks
We are very pleased to be part of the government's Schools Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) which daily provides a free fruit or vegetable for all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.
We encourage parents to send a fruit or vegetable in for their older children as a snack which can be eaten during the breaks. Please do not send in any sweets, nuts or chocolates/chocolate bars.