School Meals
School Meals
Hot meals are provided by Principals catering; they conform to the new government healthy standards and cost £2.30 a day. School lunches should be paid for in advance or on the day by cash or online at www.principals-catering.com
Alternatively, children may bring a packed lunch. We encourage parents to ensure that packed lunches are healthy and wholesome. Children should bring a water bottle to school which can be topped up during the day.
Snacks
Children may bring fruit for break times. We do not allow children to bring sweets or crisps into school.
Free School Meals
Universal Free School Meals for Infants
From September 2014 the Government will fund schools in England to provide every child in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 with a meal at lunch time. All you need to do to claim your child’s free school meal is ensure you confirm with the school that your child is having a school meal that day.
Pupil Premium
In addition to the Universal Free School Meals for Infants, the Government gives additional money to schools for every pupil who is registered for Free School Meals. This funding is called ‘Pupil Premium’. Eligibility is entirely confidential and children confirm that they wish to have a hot or packed lunch meal each morning, in the same way as everyone else at the school.
You do not need to take up the entitlement if you or your son or daughter would prefer not to have school meals, but having registered means that we will have an additional £935 per annum, per registered pupil, in the school’s budget.
To be eligible for free school meals the child’s family must be in receipt of one of the following benefits.
- Income Support
- Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
- Child Tax Credit (not including Working Tax Credit) if the household income is below £16,190
- Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit
- An Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Kent County Council have launched an online Free School Meals application service including an eligibility assessment to establish whether you have an entitlement to Free School Meals. This can be accessed at http://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/free-school-meals
The school will be notified automatically of any successful applications.