School Meals

School Meals and Lunchtime Arrangements 

Children have lunch in the main dining hall.  

Reception and KS1 (Years 1 and 2) children all qualify for a free school meal as part of Government funding. This is known as Universal Free School Meals.  We would strongly encourage all of our Key Stage 1 children to have a free school meal, particularly when there is such a wide choice of hot and cold meals including sandwiches. 

Menus are sent out each term.  We also have pre-booking system via ParentPay which allows you and your child to choose what your child eats from a selection of menus. This system means that all children can have a meal of their choice.  For further guidance please click here

School meals are to be paid for, via ParentPay, for children in Key Stage 2, unless your child is entitled to Free School Meals. 

From September 2022 the price of a school meal will increase to £2.25 (£11.25 per week) in line with other schools in Durham County Council.   

Payment for school meals 

• Payment needs to made in advance.  Parents are expected to pay on Monday each week or may pay for a half-term in advance if more convenient.   

• We are not be able to accept cash as payment for school meals.  Parents may pay by ParentPay, either online with a debit or credit card, or with cash at a PayPoint using a Paypoint card. (If you require a Paypoint Card for September, please contact the school office).  A Paypoint card will be provided free of charge.  £3.50 will be charged for any subsequent replacement cards requested.   

• If children are absent their dinner money is credited forward to the following week. 

• For notification of a change of meal arrangements from packed lunch to school meal, or vice versa notice must be given in writing and must be received 2 weeks in advance.  If you wish to make a change to your child's current lunch arrangements please call the office or email.  Please note a minimum of TWO WEEKS NOTICE is required. Changes will be implemented after two weeks. 

• Children may bring packed lunches to school, though over a period of a week they must either have school lunches or packed lunches and not a combination of both.  

• Once a commitment is made to a school meal, parents will be liable to pay until the school has been notified that their child is changing to packed lunch. 

• Children who have a packed lunch but who are entitled to free school meals must notify the office if changing to a packed lunch because the school will still be charged for a dinner. 

• If a child forgets their packed lunch and is given a school meal, parents must pay for the meal on the following morning at the latest (except for children in receipt of free school meals or Reception, Y1 and Y2 pupils who receive a Universal Infant Free School Meal). 

• If your child is collected for an appointment before lunch and you have not informed the school to cancel lunch that day, you will still be expected to pay for the lunch which has been ordered. 

For further information on ParentPay please click here

Free School Meals 

Parents or carers who are in receipt of certain benefits may be entitled to free school meals.  To find out if you qualify for Free School Meals please click here.  As receipt of Pupil Premium Funding is based on eligibility for free school meals, all parents/carers are asked to complete a consent form which will allow the school to check their eligibility for free school meals on an annual basis.  The consent form is included in the application pack given to all new entrants to the school. 

Please be aware that all applications for free school meals are treated with the strictest confidence, in line with GDPR regulations. 

Universal Infant Free School Meals 

From September 2014, all pupils in Reception, Year 1 & 2 are entitled to a free of charge school meal, in line with the DfE initiative.  Pupils in Years 3 to 6, unless entitled to free school meals (see above), will need to pay for dinners. 

Please remember to let the office know if you wish to change to a different lunch arrangement in future. 

Packed Lunches 

For the safety of pupils who have nut allergies, this school is a nut-free zone.  Please do not include any nuts, nut products or chocolate spread in your child’s packed lunch. 

We do not allow fizzy or isotonic/high energy drinks as they are high in sugar. 

We are currently developing a packed lunch policy for September after gathering the views of parents and children. Children are not allowed to bring fizzy or high energy drinks to school.