We offer a warm meal option to all children from Reception to Year 6. Children in Reception to Year 2 do not pay for their meals as they are free to all children of this age. When children reach Year 3, they may be entitled to a Free School Meal, which is determined by the household income. Children who are not entitled to a Free School Meal have the option of paying for a meal, which costs £2.55 per day. Parents of children who have a hot school meal must pay £12.75 per week in advance of the meal, this is paid for on the School Gateway app. Please speak to the ladies in the Office if you wish to add or remove your child from hot dinners.
As a school, we offer a traditional meal, a vegetarian meal and a light alternative – such as a jacket potato, soup or sandwich. All of our meals are halal-compliant. If children have any allergies, these should be reported to the Office, and this can then be shared with the Kitchen team.
Children who have a packed lunch should have a healthy meal provided by home. There is guidance on this below. Food should not be brought into school that requires heating, and lunch boxes should be brought into school with the children at the start of the day.
Clarendon Kitchen Staff, prepare and provide meals for our children. The menu is changed each term and, where possible, uses local produce in the meals that they serve. All food is responsibly sourced too & goes through rigorous quality control checks. We have complete traceability on all products used, from farm to fork.
Choosing school meals for your child will teach them important social skills as well as provide all the nutrients that young children need to help them with their learning and development. We only serve meals that children love to eat and we cater for medical and cultural diets. Allergen information is available on request, also on the website.
There are fourteen major allergens. There are posters around the school that highlight these. It is really important that parents communicate with the school if their child has been identified as having an allergen. Proof, from a health professional, should be provided to the School Office when completing the medical consent form. This will then be shared with staff in school who may be planning food tasting activities or preparing meals for the children.
The Early Years Foundation Stage Nutritional Guidance (May 2025) states that children under 5 should not have desserts that contain sugars / artificial sweeteners. Reception and Nursery children will be offered school-made yoghurt or fresh fruit for their dessert option.
