Lunch and Snacks

Lunch time at school is from 12pm to 1.00pm, during which time children are supervised by a rotating team of Teaching Assistants and Midday Supervisors. They spend half of this time eating lunch, and the other half in supervised play on Jesus Green. Children can choose to have a hot school dinner, a packed lunch, or, by arrangement, to have lunch at home.

School Dinners

Our school meals are freshly prepared by our cook and catering assistant, and are served in the school hall.

Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2: As part of a government initiative, all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to receive a free school meal. You do not need to fill in any forms to apply for their free school meals. Simply send your child in to school and they can ask for their meal when the teacher takes the register. They can have anything from one free meal in the whole year to one every day. The school will receive extra money from the Government to pay for the children’s meals based on the number of children who take a school dinner on two dates: one in October and one in January. If your child has a school dinner on these two dates, the school will receive enough extra money to pay for your child’s meals for the whole year. If your child does not have a school dinner on these two dates, they will still be able to receive a free school meal any time you want them to have one, but the school will not receive any extra money from the Government and will have to pay for your child’s meal out of the money that is supposed to pay for their education. We would encourage you to send your child for a school dinner on census days in October and January, even if your child would normally have a packed lunch. If your circumstances change and you need to send them for school dinners, or even if you just want them to have the occasional meal (e.g. Christmas Lunch), the school will have the extra money to pay for any lunches they do have. Any money that is not used to pay for their school dinners, the school will be allowed to keep and use to support the overall aims of the school. If you would like to know more about this government initiative visit http://www.schoolfoodplan.com.

Pupils in Year 3 to 6 the cost of a school dinner for pupils in year 3 to year 6 will be £2.70 per child per day. Dinner money must be paid by using the Arbor app or parent portal.  Some children in years 3 to 6 may be eligible to receive a free school meal. Your child may be able to get free school meals if you are claiming one of these benefits:

• Universal Credit (in certain circumstances)
• Income Support or
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance or
• Income-related employment and support allowance or
• Support under part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999 or
• Child Tax Credit but who are not entitled to working tax credit and whose annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) does not exceed £16,190 or
• Guarantee element of state pension credit

To apply for free school meals, please click here to apply online, or ask in the office for a form. Even if your child is registered for free school meals, they can still choose to have a packed lunch at any time. Children who are registered for Free School Meals also benefit from additional Pupil Premium funding to support their education. To pay online you will need to a special activation code to be able to access your child’s dinner money account online. Please email finance@parkstreet.cambs.sch.uk for your activation code. If your child is new to the school, we will not be able to issue an activation code until we have received and processed your data collection form.  There are occasionally special lunches for occasions such as Pancake Day and Bonfire Night or to fit in with a seasonal theme. If you want your child to have lunch on one of these days, it must be ordered in advance. Order forms are sent home in the children’s book bags.

Packed Lunches

Packed lunches should be brought to school in a separate bag or box and left on the trolley in your child’s playground. Packed lunches should not contain sweets, fizzy drinks, nuts or any products containing nuts. There are a number of children in the school with severe nut allergies.

Snacks & drinks at school

Snacks

All Key Stage 1 children receive a healthy snack during the morning break under the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme funded by the Department of Health.

Key Stage 2 children are welcome to bring in a snack to enjoy at break, but it must be in keeping with the school’s healthy food policy. Crisps and sweets are not allowed and, since a number of pupils have severe nut allergies, please do not give your child nuts or any product containing nuts.

Drinks

Children are encouraged to bring a water bottle to school and drink plenty of water. Please do not send in fizzy drinks or put drinks other than water in your child’s water bottle.