Academy Lunches

We provide a wide range of meals to meet the nutritional needs of all pupils and liaise closely with the School’s Catering Provider to ensure that children’s particular needs are met. Menus are varied, nutritionally balanced and and vegetarian options always available.

The menus have been devised in collaboration with the school and Sodexo, the School Meals Provider to meet the individual needs of the children and are constantly under review.  

As all meals are cooked onsite, if a child has any specific requirements, the school kitchen are happy to accommodate individual needs. The school’s inclusive practice ensures all children, receive varied, safe and sociable meal times.

We recognise that for a variety of reasons, some children may prefer to bring a packed lunch. This may be because they have a restricted diet due to their sensory needs or other individual need. We advocate that parents provide a healthy packed lunch for their children but accept that this can be difficult at times when sensory needs impact on the range of foods, textures and colours that children will tolerate. Please speak to a member of staff if you would like more information about how we can support your child at meal times. 

During dinnertime breaks, children can access a range of areas, and have opportunity for free play in our many bespoke areas.

 

Applying for Free School Meals

All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools in England are eligible for free school meals. Please inform us if you do not wish to receive this offer, otherwise your child will automatically be opted in to the free school meal. 

Means-tested free school meals

Eligibility

You can get free school meals if your child attends a local authority maintained school (not private) and you receive one of the following: 

• Income Support (IS)
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA)
• An income-related employment and support allowance
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Child Tax Credit (provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income (as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) that does not exceed the current year’s level
• the Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after your employment finished, or after you start to work less than 16 hours per week.
• Universal Credit, provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400 (£616.67 per month) )

Additionally:

• You, as the parent or guardian, must Receive Child Benefit for the child you are responsible for.
• Children who receive IS or IBJSA in their own right are also entitled to receive free school meals.
• Children who receive “education suitable for children who have not attained compulsory school age” will still need to satisfy the additional requirement of “receiving education both before and after the lunch period”, before being eligible to receive free school meals. 

There are also cases where the parent/guardian whose children may be eligible for free school meals is not on Housing Benefit/Council Tax Reduction, i.e. where they are not the householder.  This is generally the case where the pupils’ parent/guardian lives in another household.

To apply for free school meals, visit https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/link2ict for more information.