School Lunches

REMINDER - we are a NUT FREE school

(this includes all chocolate spreads)

Our catering team from Chartwells are very experienced and enthusiastic about feeding children well and offering tasty meals from nutritionally balanced menus.

If your child needs a specific medically requested diet please contact your school office (eg wheat and gluten free (coeliac), egg free and dairy free diets).

Chartwells are always happy to hear your comments, suggestions and ideas about improving the meals they offer and if you require any further information, then please contact them and they will be pleased to help.

A three week rolling menu is published. Families are encouraged to talk through the menu with their child.

Home Packed Lunches: If your child would still prefer to bring a packed lunch from home please ensure their name is clearly marked on the outside of ALL containers and of their packed lunch box. Please do not send in any glass containers. Please do not include any hot soups, flasks, sweets, chocolate, fizzy or dark coloured drinks.

We have children and staff at school who suffer with food allergies so to help keep everyone safe we are a Nut Free Zone. It is vital, therefore, that you do not send your child in with a lunch that contains nuts, for example peanut butter sandwiches. No chocolate spread sandwiches either please as these often contain nuts. Also, as a healthy school, we do not encourage chocolate as a sandwich filling. Lunch boxes are stored away from direct sunlight, however you may wish to consider using small ice packs in your child’s lunch box to keep food and drink cool. All lunch boxes, bottles, food containers and their lids must have your child’s name on them.

Fresh, cool water is available to all pupils throughout the day. All new pupils are given a ‘sports top’ water bottle when they join our school. This is kept in their classroom during the day. For health and hygiene reasons, your child will bring their water bottle home every afternoon for you to clean. All children will need to bring their cleaned, empty water bottle back to class the following morning to refill in school.

Your child must bring their water bottle into school every day – preferably empty please so that they can fill their bottle with fresh water in school.

These bottles are for water only.

PRE-SCHOOL : The school kitchen can provide lunches for Pre-School children at a cost of £2.70 for a main meal and dessert, or you can provide your child with a healthy, home packed lunch.

Choose your child's lunch option and pay for it on MCAS in advance (the cut-off for ordering a school lunch is at midnight).

INFANT SCHOOL : All infant school children are entitled to have a free school meal, cooked on the premises by Chartwells.

Choose your child's lunch option on your MCAS app in advance (the cut-off for ordering a school lunch is at midnight).

Although every infant school child is entitled to a free school meal (UFSM) it is important that families in receipt of one or more of the following benefits register for Free School Meals (FSM) please so that our school receives a Pupil Premium Grant as this is a vital source of funding which enables our school to better support children:

Universal Credit - provided you you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400 a year, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
Child Tax Credit (provided you are 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
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guarantee element of Pension Credit

If you are eligible under the above criteria please register at https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/hants/apply

The Pupil Premium grant funding awarded to the school through your application will be used to enhance children’s learning and enjoyment and provide catch up learning support programmes.

Please apply for FSM Pupil Premium even if your child will be bringing in their own home packed lunch as there may be occasion when your child will want or need a school lunch, eg Christmas lunch.

Lunchtime supervision is provided by our well trained Supervisory Assistants and is generally a very happy and safe time for all our children, with plenty of outdoor toys and activities. Indoor activities are scheduled during wet weather.

JUNIOR SCHOOL : Our lunches cost £3.14 for a main course and dessert.

Choose your child's lunch option and pay for it on MCAS in advance (the cut-off for ordering a school lunch is at midnight).

Junior school children are also encouraged to bring in a healthy snack for mid-morning playtime.

Free School Meals :

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:

Universal Credit - provided you you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400 a year, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
Child Tax Credit (provided you are 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
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guarantee element of Pension Credit

If you think you may be eligible for Free School Meals, please apply on line at: https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/hants/

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, are also eligible for free school meals

Registration for FSM will also attract Pupil Premium grant funding for our school which will be used to enhance children’s learning and enjoyment and provide catch up learning support programmes.

Home Packed Lunches

If your child does not want a school lunch please ensure you they bring in a healthy and nutritionally balanced packed lunch from home. Foods that are high in salt, additives, sugar and saturated fats should be avoided. Whilst we appreciate it is often difficult to get children to eat healthy food, we do ask parents to do their very best to provide such foods in their packed lunch.

Children need to bring a drink in their packed lunch separate to their water bottle as these are not accessible to children in the dinning hall. Alternatively, parents can provide an empty plastic cup which can be filled with water once in the dining hall.