Your child will be able to get free school meals if they’re in a government-funded school and in:

• reception class
• year 1
• year 2

Tell your local authority if you also get any of the qualifying benefits. Your child’s school can get extra funding if you do.

Free School Meals

Free School Meals may also be available for Year 3 to Year 6, dependent on family income.

If entitled, we strongly advise all parents to apply for Free School Meals, whichever year group your child is in, as this will attract additional funding (pupil premium funding) for the school, which is used to provide additional curricular and extra curricular learning opportunities.

Each year the Government allocates additional funding to schools so that free school meals can be provided for children who have been registered. This additional funding is also available to be spent on resources, intervention and staff. With this in mind, we would ask you to read the following information regarding eligibility for free school meals. 

How can you check eligibility for Free School Meals?

Parent may wish to check their child’s eligibility for Free School Meals. This is quick and easy and can be done online through this link: Free school meals - Kent County Council

Alternatively, a member of the office or family support team may be able to help.

Your child might be eligible if you access:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or 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)

Allergies

We are a 'Nut Aware' school.  We do all we can to minimise the risk to children with allergies whilst appreciating that we cannot be completely confident that all food items brought in are nut free or that another child has not consumed nuts before coming into school.

• We suggest that you remain aware of the daily menu, emailed to yourselves termly and available on our school website, and take responsibility for school dinners taken, reminding your child of any specific food items to be avoided.
• For more serious allergies/intolerances, please contact Independent Caterers. A call or meeting will then be arranged between yourself and a representative, so that a suitable menu may be arranged.  

Class teachers are aware of their children's dietary requirements and ensure a lanyard is worn to signify a need to be aware. In the kitchen there is a list, alongside a photo, of any children with allergies, intolerances or dietary requirements. 

Packed Lunches

We are a nut aware school and, as a number of children at our school are allergic to different forms of nuts, we ask all parents to be vigilant in not providing their packed lunch children with, for example, peanut butter or Nutella chocolate spread.

Packed lunches should be healthy and balanced, sweets and chocolate bars are not allowed but small chocolate coated biscuits are okay as part of a balanced meal. To drink, water is encouraged and fizzy or high sugar content drinks are not allowed.  No glass containers in packed lunch boxes/bags please.

What do you put in a child's lunch box? 

According to NHS choices a balanced lunchbox should contain:

• Starchy foods like bread, rice, potatoes or pasta.
• Protein foods like meat, fish, eggs or beans.
• A dairy item, like cheese or yogurt.
• Vegetables or salad and a portion of fruit.

The NHS Eatwell Guide

Lunch Box Ideas:

nhs/change4life/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes 

bbcgoodfood/guide/school-packed-lunch-inspiration

sainsburys/recipes/8-lunchbox-ideas-for-kids-and-not-a-jam-sandwich-in-sight 

realfood.tesco.com/recipes/ kids-lunchbox-recipes

Milk