School Meals - School Grid
School Grid is a cashless new system that allows parents to pre-order school meals directly at home or on the go from the touch of a button. This system allows flexibility so you can choose a meal on certain days (A potential life saver for those forgotten Packed Lunches). You will be able to see menus and recipes, and provide feedback directly to catering teams, plus much more. If you pay for meals you will be able to put credit in your account daily, weekly or monthly using your debit card or by setting up a direct debit. You must have money in the account to be able to order a meal (unless you are eligible for benefit related Free School Meals (FSM) or Universal Free School Meals (UIFSM) for YR, Y1 and Y2).
Please provide the school office your most up to date and primary email address so an account can be created, please look out for an email link once you have done this so you can create your child's account and see the menus. Secondly, please take action if your child has any special dietary requirements by following the Special Dietary Requirements link below.
IMPORTANT: Dietary Requirements
As part of this process, we need parents/carers to tell the School Meals Service and the school office if your child has any specific dietary requirements so we can ensure they are allocated to your child’s individual account. Where required, any specific menus will be available to pre-order on your child's School Grid account. Please ensure you do this via this link. This will ensure all records are as accurate as possible. Special Dietary Requirements.
Please note, School Meals Service try to cater for all Dietary Requirements due to Medical reasons or Religious/Cultural beliefs. They are unable to offer alternative catering provision for reasons other than this, as the menus offered are carefully managed to ensure they offer a delicious and nutritious meal in line with the standards set by government guidelines known as the "School Food Standards" If the form is completed on the basis of a medical need, evidence from a relevant medical professional will need to be provided to school (If not done so already) before the application is completed. This also helps ensure schools are aware of medical needs outside of lunchtime.
Once the request is made via the form, this will be processed by the catering service with all information shared with School and Kitchen teams. Any agreed dietary requirements will be allocated to the pupil School Grid accounts to ensure kitchen teams are aware of specific requirements. Specific menus if required will also be made available to pre-order from.
Free School Meals
If your child is eligible for benefit related Free School Meals (FSM) or Universal Free School Meals (UIFSM for R, Y1 and Y2) you will still need to open an account and order your child’s meals– the system will know that you do not have to pay. Please see below how to apply for FSM.
Packed Lunches
If your child brings a packed lunch, you can and are encouraged, to create an account for the one-off occasions that your child may want a school meal, for example if they forget a packed lunch or when we special meal events, like Christmas dinner, Fish Friday or meat free Monday. The new School Grid system is totally flexible and allows you to order a meal adhoc.
Free School Meals / Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF Funding)
Families who receive certain benefits may be eligible for Free School Meals and can also access the DFE Holiday Activities and Food (H.A.F.) programme which provides healthy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, well-being and learning. This funding included supermarket vouchers being issued for children on FSM to cover the holiday period. Your child is eligible for Free School Meals if you’re in receipt of one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400.
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
- Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of no more than £16,190
Registering for free meals could also raise an extra £1515 for our school, the Pupil Premium funding provides valuable support like extra tuition, additional teaching staff or after school activities. Please click on the link to make your application. Free School Meals application . Or call into the school office to pick up a FSM form for you to complete.