School Meals & Packed Lunches

Snacks / drinks
All EYFS and KS1 classes will continue to receive a morning break time snack of fruit and vegetables. If KS2 children require a morning break time snack parents/carers can provide their child with fruit or vegetables.
Only healthy snacks are allowed at break time. No fizzy drinks, concentrated juices or sugary drinks, sweets, crisps and chocolate biscuits are allowed in school or on school trips.

Water for all
Pupils have access to drinking water both in the school building and in the playground. All children both school dinner and packed lunches will be provided with water at lunch time with their meal. If pupils require a drink at break time they will have access to water in the playground.

Healthy School lunches

All our school meals are provided by a contracted caterer, who acts in accordance with the food based standards and nutritional guidelines. A copy of the weekly menu is on display in the dining area, reception area, CCLC, parent notice board and discussed with children.
Please click here for a copy of the Autumn 2019-20 menu. We aim to ensure that all packed lunches brought from home and consumed in school (or on school trips) provide the pupil with healthy and nutritious food that is similar to food served in schools which is regulated by national standards. The menu includes a choice of main course with vegetables and salads. All the meat cooked is Halal meat and there will also be a vegetarian option. The children are offered a choice of yogurt, hot puddings and fruit.

The school recognizes that some pupils may require special diets that do not allow for the standards to be met exactly. In this case parents and carers are urged to be responsible in ensuring that packed lunches are as healthy as possible. For these reasons pupils are also not permitted to swap food items.

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2

From September 2014 all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools in England are offered a free school meal (FSM).

Eligibility Criteria for Other Groups

Existing entitlements to free school meals for disadvantaged pupils in nursery classes and at key stages 2-4 will continue, based on the existing free school meals eligibility criteria for those groups of pupils.

In England, children at key stages 2-4 in state-funded schools are entitled to receive FSM if their parents or carers are in receipt of any of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Guaranteed Element of the State Pension credit
• Child Tax only (provided that you do not receive Working Tax Credit and are below a certain income)
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• During the initial roll out of the benefit, Universal Credit

*information from the DfE document Universal Infant Free School Meals

If you are Eligible for Free School Meals 

The Camden Benefits Service would like all parents/carers applying for free school meals to apply online. The application form can be downloaded from the Camden council website. If this is not possible, then please ask at the office for a paper copy of the form/ or Camden-Free-School-Meals-Application-Form

You will only receive free school meals once we have received confirmation from the benefits office. You must contact the benefits office if your circumstances change.

If you previously applied for free school meals but did not qualify and your circumstances change meaning that you may now qualify – then you are required to contact the benefits service immediately and they will do another check. You are not required to complete another form. The address is:

Each class has the statutory amount of P.E. (physical education) on a weekly basis – please see the section within the curriculum for more detail on what is taught in each year. There is an annual Sports Day where all children from nursery to year 6 participate.

As part of the Science curricular topics, the children cover topics on healthy lifestyles and choices. The school also has agreed policies on Sex and Relationships Education and Drug Education. Our behaviour policy includes non-food related rewards for positive behaviour. We also take into account the needs of all of our children, including those with allergies and disabilities.

We inform and involve parents and carers about healthy eating through our PTA and coffee mornings, school website and newsletters. The partnership of home and school is critical in shaping how children and young people behave, particularly where health is concerned. Each must reinforce the other. This is not always easy but our school is well placed to lead by example.

Parents and carers are regularly updated on our policies through school newsletters and on the school website and coffee mornings. We ask parents and carers not to send food or drink which conflict with our food policy, this is shared by the head teacher with parents on admission as well as by class teachers at the beginning of the academic year.

During out of school events, the school will encourage parents and carers to consider the food policy and packed lunch policy in the range of food and drinks offered. Parents are also informed of the school meals on offer through the weekly menu being displayed on the parent’s board.

Parents are given information about the annual national weight measurement programme that children in reception and Year 6 take part in and we give information to parents and carers about local weight management services where applicable (MEND, Apples and Pears are currently available). The School Nurse supports the school and families during her parent/carer appointments.