School Meals

At Oatlands Infant School we believe that healthy eating should be promoted as an enjoyable activity, as well as one that contributes to good health. We believe that it is the schools’ role to develop children’s abilities to make informed food choices, in a way which acknowledges and respects the eating habits of individuals and families.

School meals

School meals are prepared on the premises. They are served in the school hall by the Catering Manager (Miss Morrell) and the catering assistants (Mr Morris & Mrs Matykiewicz). We have lunchtime supervisors to care for the children. We encourage children to be independent so your child will be allowed to decide when they have had enough to eat. If your child does have eating problems or allergies please talk to your child’s teacher.

Meals for all Infant School children are currently provided free of charge through the Universal Free School Meal system.

There is the opportunity for families to apply for the school to claim Pupil Premium Funding. This is determined by family income and benefit details.  If you are in receipt of any of the following you may apply for Free School Meals  using the link below

• Universal Credit, provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods (£616.67 per month);

• Income Support;

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance;

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance;

• Support under part six of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;

• The guarantee element of Pension Credit;

• Child Tax Credit, provided you are also not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual household gross income that does not exceed £16,190 (as assessed by HMRC); or

• Working Tax Credit run-on, paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.

Please note that contributions-based benefits, including contribution-related Jobseekers' Allowance do not entitle you to claim free school meals.

North Yorkshire Free School Meals 

Snacks

As part of the Government’s fruit and veg scheme, pupils are provided with a choice of fruit or vegetable for their snack time each day. However, if your child is unable to have this you may provide them with one item to replace it. This can be a fruit or veg of your choice, however it cannot be crisps, biscuits, chocolate or sweets. As we are a nut aware school, snacks must not contain any nuts or seeds. We will authorise Soreen Loaf, however fruit winders and fruity chews will not be authorised due to their high sugar content.

Drinks

At Oatlands we encourage our children to bring a water bottle filled with water which they are able to refill in the classrooms as needed. We ask that these are taken home each day to be cleaned to avoid infection. Children are not permitted to have juice or fizz in their water bottles.

Packed lunches

Your child may bring a packed lunch to school, should they wish to. Your child’s lunchbox will need to be labelled with their name and class. Any uneaten food will be sent home so that you can see if you are sending too much, and so you can see what your child has eaten that day. All drinks (water only) need to be in an unbreakable container with a screw top lid.

Our packed lunch policy is developed using guidance from Action for children and NHS Better Heath. This guidance aims to support pupils to have a balanced lunch and best prepare them for learning in the afternoon. We try to use the language of ‘foods we eat lots of / often’ and ‘foods we eat occasionally / less often’ rather than ‘healthy / unhealthy foods’ as it helps children to make healthy, balanced choices without stigmatising certain food groups. We talk about this at length in our PSHE learning, which you can read about on our curriculum pages.

Nutritionally balanced packed lunches should aim to include:

• A portion of starchy food such as bread (white or wholegrain bread, rolls, pitta bread or wraps, plain naan bread, bagels) cooked pasta, rice, noodles, couscous or potato as a salad.
• At least one portion of fruit and or vegetable
• Dairy food such as cheese or yogurts
• A portion of beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat or other protein
• A small treat – this could be crackers, crisps, a small chocolate bar, Soreen Loaf or a cereal bar. It cannot be sweets or chocolates

Packed lunches must not include:

• Fizzy drinks
• Any products containing nuts

We recognise that some children may require specific items in their lunches due to sensory or dietary needs. Please speak directly to your child’s class teacher and / or the school SENCo – Miss Shaw – should you need to.

Lunchtime playtimes

After eating their lunch (or before in the case of the Year 2 children), children will play in the playground. Children are encouraged to play games with each other and a wide range of resources are available on the playground to promote active play. Quieter spaces, such as the reading den, are also offered, as well as areas for role play and building friendships.

Celebrations

We recognise the importance of birthdays and special occasions. For birthday celebrations, all children receive a sticker and song in celebration assembly. Children can bring in cake or sweets for their classmates, however we ask that these do not contain nuts. These will be distributed by your child on the door at home time, so parents and carers can check for allergies. Instead of sweets or cake, you are also more than welcome to donate a book of your child’s choice to the class as a birthday treat to read together.

Mellors

Mellors are the catering company we use to provide our school meals and they work with us in a number of ways to ensure the children get a healthy balanced meal each day.  They have also prepared fact sheets and recipe sheets for families to use at home.

School dinner dates for Summer term (starting w/c 5 May):

Week 1 - week beginning  5 May, 2 June, 23 June, 14 July

Week 2 - week beginning 12 May, 9 June, 30 June

Week 3 - week beginning 19 May, 16 June, 7 July