School Lunch

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

Chartwells are very enthusiastic about feeding children well and spend a lot of time working on the menus and ensuring the balance is right (see their January 2023 Newsletter).

If your child needs a specific medically requested diet  please contact the 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.

Although free school meals are now available to all infant school children (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 have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
  • 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 guarantee 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 four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax 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, 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.

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 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. We therefore ask 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 and, 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 labelled ‘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 water bottle back to class the following morning.

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

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.