School Meals

Our diverse menus include a wide variety of options to suit all tastes and are based on feedback from pupils, staff, the catering team, parents and guardians. We run a three-week menu cycle that changes twice a year.

We encourage pupils to learn about food through our food education program which includes fun-themed events, assemblies, and displays with messaging around health and wellbeing.

The payment for school meals is required in advance on a weekly or monthly basis. The cost is £12.50 per week. Please send money in to school on a Monday, or the first day of the school week, payments should be in a sealed envelope with the name of your child, class, and the amount enclosed. In the case of absence, please send money on the first day back to school.

Who can get free school meals?

Your child may qualify for free school meals if you get any of the following:

  • Income Support
  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • the guaranteed part of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (as long as your annual gross income is £16,190 or less and  you don’t get Working Tax Credit)
  • Working Tax Credit run-off after you come off Working Tax Credit
  • Universal Credit that you applied for on, or after, 1 April 2018. As long as your household income is less than £7,400 a year after tax, not including any benefits

If you think you may be entitled to Free School Meals, but have not yet applied, please do so by using the following link: https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims/apply and I will be happy to help with any queries.

Free school meals for all 'infants' at school

From September 2014, all children at school in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 get free school meals.

But parents who get a qualifying benefit or credit still need to claim free school meals for their 'infant' from us so that their child is counted for the pupil premium for your school. Make sure they have filled in our form or claimed as part of their Housing Benefit/Council Tax Support claim so that the child's name will be on the list we send you.

If you are an Asylum seeker we can arrange a free school meal. We can accept one of these documents as evidence:

  • an IS96 document
  • a standard acknowledgement letter (SAL) 1 or 2
  • a letter from the Home Office
  • a letter from a solicitor
  • an application registration card (ARC)
School Meals at Abbey Hey Primary Academy are now provided by Taylor Shaw

Our menu is appetising, nutritious, balanced, and designed to encourage children to enjoy food, learn, play, and grow. Lunch is an integral part of the school day and something all children should look forward to. Taylor Shaw’s dedicated catering team ensures the dining hall is a welcoming and happy place for your child.

Our menus meet the Government’s School Food Standards and the bronze Food for Life standards.

  • All items on our menu are freshly cooked by our catering team in your school kitchens to ensure we’re always offering fresh and nutritious food whilst minimising salt and sugar in recipes.
  • No undesirable additives or artificial trans fats are used
  • Our menus provide for all dietary and cultural requirements
  • Our suppliers adhere to all appropriate food safety standards
  • Our catering team is supported with skills training in fresh produce

Taylor Shaw’s dedicated dietitians work with our Chef teams to ensure our menus are nutritionally sound, shaping recipes to ensure they meet the School Food Standards and standards set by Public Health England.

Taylor Shaw’s Website Address:

https://taylorshaw.com/

Managing Allergies & Other Medical Diets

Your child's health and safety will always be of the utmost importance to us, and having accurate information about dietary needs and allergies is crucial for us to prepare and serve meals that meet their requirements

Taylor Shaw’s dietitians and catering team work together and follow a robust process, so you can feel reassured that whenever safely possible, an alternative menu will be provided. All the teams receive allergy training annually, and whenever there’s an update to allergen laws.

Our guide ‘Medical Diet Menus - A Guide for Parents, Guardians & Carers’ contains further information about the medical diet process and includes step by step instructions for you to record this information to ensure we are fully aware of any medical diet requirements.

Medical Diet Menus - A Guide for Parents, Guardians & Carers

About Our Food

Our menu is sourced responsibly and uses:

  • Red Tractor-certified meat
  • Marine Stewardship Council fish (MSC)
  • Free-range eggs
  • Local suppliers for bread, fruit & vegetables, and dairy products to reduce food miles
  • Seasonal produce
Eating a School Lunch is Better for Your Child

Did you know only 1% of packed lunches meet the nutritional standards that currently apply to school food? Here are five reasons school lunches are better:

  • They can save time & money
  • They’re nutritionally better than a packed lunch
  • They promote a varied diet & encourage new tastes
  • They support inclusivity, dining with friends
  • They help academic attainment by being linked to improved concentration

Information Leaflet for Parents & Guardians

Parents

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