School Meals and Menus

Aspens is the company chosen by us to provide the meal service for our pupils and we are looking forward to welcoming your child for their school lunches. They are experts in school catering and have years of experience when it comes to school food. The food children eat at school plays an important role in their wellbeing and eating a well-balanced diet will not only maintain and improve their health but will also set them on the right track for later life.

Packed Lunches

If your child brings packed lunches to school, we ask that parents send a healthy packed lunch such as a sandwich or wrap, fruit, vegetable sticks, yoghurt and a biscuit/small chocolate bar.  Children should bring juice or water to drink, we do not allow fizzy drinks in school.  

Water is available to all children at lunchtime and throughout the day.

Paying for School Meals

Payment for school meals are to be paid on parent pay please click here for ParentPay account or to sign up. If you need any help please ask the office staff. School meals cost £2.59 per day or £12.95 per week. Note - price increase from September 2025 to £2.64 per day or £13.20 per week.

Please speak to the school office if your child has any allergens or intolerances. Aspens will contact you to discuss these and they may be able to provide an alternative option.

Free School Meal - IMPORTANT CHANGE

From 1 April 2025, the Government's transitional protection arrangements for means tested Free School Meals (FSM) will end. Any eligible claims confirmed from this date will no longer be protected. This means any child confirmed as eligible for free school meals from 1 April 2025 will be subject to ongoing checks to confirm continued eligibility.

This will not impact any children who are already confirmed as eligible before 1st April 2025.

Those already confirmed as eligible before 1st April 2025 will maintain their eligibility until the end of their current school phase of education. At that point, they will be re-assessed for their eligibility status.

This will apply to all year 6 moving into year 7 in September 2025. These children will then be subject to ongoing checks to confirm continued eligibility.

Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) - All Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Children

Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to a free school meal thanks to a different government funding scheme known as universal infant free school meals (UIFSM). UIFSM is not the same as free schools meals.  You do not need to meet a specific criteria for your child to receive this – it is all free for all infant age children.

Free school meals (FSM) - Qualifying Children in Any Year Group

If your circumstances have changed  and you are now in receipt of benefits such as Universal Credit, then you may be entitled to apply for Free School Meals for your child. Even if your circumstances have only changed for the short term, you still have the right to apply.

The Free School Meals entitlement can be applied for where the parent’s income satisfies the following conditions at the time of applying:

• 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).

If you believe your child should be eligible for Free School Meals based on these criteria, you can apply now through our online eligibility checker. Please apply through this link https://apply.cloudforedu.org.uk/ and let the office team know.

Where benefit claims have only recently progressed, there may be a delay in confirming eligibility, however our system re-checks every day for 30 days to allow time for benefit claims to update on the Department for Work and Pensions systems.