School Lunches
Eating a cooked meal together is a really important part of developing social skills and also learning to eat healthily.
All of the meals provided at school have to be balanced giving children the recommended daily intake of different foods.
There is no requirement for you to pre-book school meals. Children who are having a school lunch are invited to are invited each day to have a school lunch.
Meal Cost and Payment
Oakwood Infant School
All school lunches are free for infant children and we encourage all children to have a cooked school meal.
Greenfields Junior School
School meals provided by Education Catering cost £3.20 per meal.
Please remember that the school does not offer a credit facility for school meals and we expect meals to be paid for in advance.
Outstanding meal debts will be dealt with initially by the school and those outstanding for a long period and / or of a significant amount will be referred to Hampshire County Council Debt Collection Services.
When the level of debt associated with a child reaches £20, they will no longer be permitted to have a school meal. When this is the case, the parent/ carer must provide a packed lunch for the child each day.
If you are having trouble paying for school lunches, please check whether you qualify for free school meals and speak to the school office who will endeavour to help the best they can.
Free School Meals
Some children may be eligible for free school meals; the criteria for eligibility includes being in receipt of specific benefits or support arrangements. You can check whether your child is eligible by completing an eligibility check via the Hampshire County Council website.
Meals and Menu
Our school meal provider is Education Catering and our school meals are cooked on the premises. Menus change each week and include a vegetarian option and vegan option if required. A copy of the menus that your child will be able to choose from will be sent home to you each term. If your child has particular dietary needs please click here for more information around arranging a special diet.
We have worked hard to make school lunches part of the children’s education and to give them skills for life. Every lunchtime the children come together in groups to share lunch. This involves children sitting together, talking together and eating together.
The tables are set for the children and the children collect their meal from the catering team, this includes vegetables, salads and bread. Every meal is accompanied by a drink of water and children are able to select from a range of healthy puddings at the end of the meal.
The majority of children choose to have a school meal due to the menu provided and value for money. They also avoid the need for preparing food at home. However, if families do wish to provide a packed lunch we ask them to follow the school’s guidelines for packed lunches. These should be healthy, balanced and avoid high sugar, salt or calorie items. Sweets and fizzy drinks are therefore not permitted as part of a packed lunch.
Lunchtimes are supervised by Lunchtime Supervisors and our Teaching and Learning Assistants and they are more than happy to talk to parents if they have any concerns over their child’s eating. The school lunch break is staggered for all year groups and includes a supervised playtime after lunch.
