It is proven that pupils who have good, healthy diets, particularly during the school day, are more productive and more able to focus. Please feel free to read the information below about meals and snacks in school.
School Meals are provided by Chartwells at a cost of £2.90 per day which is £14.50 per week and payable each Monday through our online payment system School Gateway APP or website.
There are certain ground rules which we must apply for the smooth running of the school and the health and safety of the children. We must be given at least half a terms notice if you wish your child to change from a daily School Meal to Packed Lunch or Packed Lunch to School Meal. This gives advance notice to the Cook for ordering purposes. All changes will commence on a Monday.
You can also download the menu rotations supplied by our school meal providers.
Free School Meals
If you have any problems completing this form please email admin@whinfield.net
Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of The Child state that:
“every child has he right to the best possible health. This includes access to clean water and nutritious food.”
All school meals providers follow the government guidelines for food in school .
From September 2014, all children in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools in England will be eligible for universal infant free school meals. (UIFSM)
Free school meals (FSM) will also continue to be available to pupils (including infants) whose parents receive certain benefits and who are registered to receive a free meal. Pupil Premium funding is based on the number of pupils entitled to free school meals therefore it is ESSENTIAL all parents/carers continue to register their eligibility with school even though all reception and key stage one pupils receive a free school meal under the UIFSM scheme.
If you think you might be eligible please complete the form and we will check.
Application forms for free school meals can be completed here or are available from the school office.
Packed Lunches:
We must have a minimum of half a terms written notice if you wish to start with packed lunches and a minimum of half a terms notice if you wish to discontinue and return to school meals. Any changes will commence on a Monday. To make changes please email admin@whinfield.net
Your child must bring his/her snack in a name labelled standard container.
Cold packed lunches can be sent it to school. The packed lunches are not kept in a chilled environment so we recommend that children do not bring pork pies, yogurt or items which could melt or become inedible. Sweets, hot food & drinks, or fizzy drinks must not be included in packed lunches. No cans, glasses or flasks, or containers your child cannot manipulate unaided.
We also must insist that children do not bring NUTS or Nutella to school in packed lunch or for snack because of the risk to children with NUT allergies.
Guidelines and suggestions for creating for healthy packed lunches are available on the following websites:
https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes
https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/
http://childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/wp/childrens-food-trust/parents/your-childs-food-at-school/packed-lunches/what-to-put-in-a-lunchbox/
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/school-packed-lunch-inspiration
https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/collections/kids-lunchbox-recipes.html
Our Ethos
At Whinfield Primary School we think it is important to teach children about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and that incorporates having a healthy diet. As Part of the PSHE and HRE curriculum, children learn about a healthy balanced diet and the 5 main food groups. We believe that both children having school dinners and those bringing a packed lunch should be offered a healthy balanced meal.
What We Teach:
Through PSHE and HRE lessons children are taught about a healthy balanced diet.
These objectives are from the statutory guidance for Health and Relationships Education. (HRE)
To know what constitutes as a healthy diet (including understanding calories and other nutritional content).
To know the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals.
To know the characteristics of a poor diet and risks associated with unhealthy eating (including, for example, obesity and tooth decay) and other behaviours (e.g. the impact of alcohol on diet or health).
To help teach these objectives we use the NHS eat well guide, sometimes in a pyramid format.
We also use the advice from Change 4 Life, which offers tips and advice for having a healthy lunch box.
Packed Lunch Guidelines for Children, Parents/Carers and Staff.
Guidelines for Parents/Carers
Follow the advice for a healthy balanced meal and tips from change 4 life when planning and preparing packed lunch boxes.
A healthy balanced meal can include a treat such a cake or biscuit but this should only make up a small portion of the overall meal. Usually, if an item is found within a ‘biscuit aisle’ of a supermarket and is of a reasonable size then it is acceptable to include. This could mean small biscuit or cake bar or varieties of popular chocolate brands would be acceptable, for example, Milky Way cake bars.
No sweets or chocolate bars are to be included in a packed lunch. For example things like Haribo, Chewits, Starburst, Mars bars, Snickers, Milkyway, Bounty etc should be kept as a treat for after school.
No hot food to be included as a flask can pose a risk to health and safety.
No nuts (including spreads) of any kind are allowed to protect children with allergies.
Guidelines for Staff
Help children to open packaging when necessary.
Provide extra cutlery when necessary.
If staff become concerned about the content of a lunch box they are to monitor over a period of a week. If over that week they feel that the packed lunch is unsuitable they should contact the parents and discuss those concerns.
Food will not be taken away from a child (exception being or containing nuts).
Choices deemed as unhealthy will not be discussed with the child. As mentioned above the staff will monitor and discuss with parents/carers if required.
Yogurt pots or other messy rubbish can be disposed of in the school bin.
Uneaten food must remain in the lunch box so that parents/carers can monitor their child’s eating habits.
Guidelines for Children
You may ask for help to open any tricky packets or pots.
You may ask for cutlery if you have forgotten your own.
You may ask the lunchtime supervisors for a glass of water or milk if you would like one.
You may put your ‘messy rubbish’ in the school bin.
Take any uneaten food home. Your parents/carers and teachers want to keep you healthy and this helps them to see what you have eaten and plan for what other foods your body might need.
Leave sweets and chocolate bars at home for treats.
Encouraging Health Eating
At Whinfield we want our children to be able to make good decisions about their health and believe that promoting a healthy balanced diet and teaching them ways to make good choices will benefit them now and in the future.
We will:
Continue to plan and teach effective lessons to achieve the objectives set out by the statutory guidance.
Planned learning including information about the NHS Eat Well Plate and advice from Change 4 Life. Advice about a healthy lunch or dinner suggestion with recipes for the children to take home.
Teach children how to make healthy recipes through adult volunteers and parent/carer sessions. Parents/carers and children will be invited to take part in healthy eating parent/carer sessions.
Parent/carer helpers will be invited in to make healthy recipes with groups of children.
Lunchtime Play Leaders:
Teachers are not on duty at lunch times. It is essential that children accept and respect the authority of the Play Leaders who are trained to supervise and play games with the children. Children who persistently misbehave at lunch times may need to have alternative arrangements made for their supervision during this time. This would be in agreement with the Headteacher.
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