School Meals

What's for dinner today? We all know that eating a good meal is extremely important to the well-being of all children, both mentally and physically. Therefore, we aim to offer the right balance when it comes to your children’s meals at lunchtime. School dinners cost £3.20 per day or £16 per week (September 2023). Our current menu is displayed on the Herts Catering Ltd (HCL) website here.

Since September 2014, all children in Reception to Year 2 have received a Universal Infant Free School Meal (UIFSM) for no charge, regardless of family income. However, children in all year groups are entitled to a free school meal, if their parent or main carer is in receipt of certain benefits or tax credits, and it is really important for parents to register for FSM even if your child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 and receives a free meal, as the school receives additional funding to help with your child’s education. You can find out if you are eligible and apply by visiting the local authority eligibility checker here. It is completely confidential – no information is passed to teachers or pupils, and your child will not be treated any differently to any other child at lunchtime.

Special Dietary Requirements

HCL takes the responsibility of feeding pupils with special medical dietary needs very seriously.

To reinforce their stringent processes, all applications for children requesting a special menu for medical reasons, will require evidence from a medical professional. This will ensure that food groups are not being withdrawn from a child's diet without medical supervision, and that all parties have a full understanding of a child's condition, symptoms and treatment.

We have introduced a new web base on-line application system for all pupils requiring a special menu. Should your child require a special diet then please visit the HCL special menu page where you can apply and see Frequently Asked Questions. There are step by step guides available from the school office to aid you with the application should you require it.

At all times our focus is on safely feeding children healthy, tasty meals that they can enjoy.

Packed Lunches

Pupils are welcome to bring their own packed lunches and we would request half a term's notice from anyone wishing to change from school dinners. Packed lunches must be in keeping with the following guidance to help us ensure we have a healthy school:

Healthy
No nuts, sesame or hummus (including peanut butter, Nutella and marzipan)
No sweets, chocolate or fizzy drinks

Please ensure that your children are able to open their food packaging

Snacks

At break time Infant children receive free fruit/vegetables for their morning snack.

Junior children may bring in a snack of fruit/vegetable/bread stick only – no chocolate covered bars, sandwiches etc. We will be checking what the children bring in and some children may be told that they cannot have their snack if they persistently bring in the wrong food. Please support us in ensuring we have a healthy school.

For after school clubs a similar snack would be appropriate, as clubs are being delayed by children spending large amounts of time eating snacks (some with a whole packed tea!) and leaving their rubbish. Nothing with nuts/chocolate/sesame/hummus may be brought in as we have children in school with allergies.