School Meals

Meals at Lime Tree Primary Academy are provided by Food & Co by Sodexo and cost £2.60 per day.

Children order their meals at the start of the school day during class registration. If your child is late, beyond 9:15am, they will miss the deadline for selecting their own meal and be given the default meal consisting of jacket potato and filling with salad or vegetables.

ParentPay

Payment for school dinners are made via ParentPay our online payment system by logging on to www.parentpay.com.  Dinner money accounts on ParentPay should always remain in credit.

Please note that if your account is in arrears by more than 1 week, ie. £13.00, we will be asking you to clear the debt and provide a packed lunch for your child. Your child will then need to remain on a packed lunch for the rest of the half term.

Our school online payment system gives you a more convenient and flexible way to pay school online and helps to keep your child safe. By making cashless payments you know that your money has reached the school safely.

You can view your account statement and payment history, check when payments need to be made and set alerts to tell you when to pay school online.

When your child enrols at school, you will be asked to complete an Admissions Form – once this form has been processed, your ParentPay account will be activated and the school office will issue a letter with your unique activation code on your child’s start date. If you have any issues using the ParentPay system, please speak to a member of the office team who will be pleased to help. If you do not have access to the internet then there is a PC available in a private area of school and office staff can assist you accessing your account from here.

Hygiene Rating

Our Hygiene rating is 5 and is provided by The Foods Standard Agency. A rating of 5 is the highest rating that can be achieved.

Menus

Our school menus are well balanced and varied, with choices to suit everyone. Please note we are a nut-free school.

Summer Term – 3 weekly cycle menu and information is attached below:

Free School Meals (FSM)

Free school meals are provided when parents/carers meet certain eligibility criteria. We will ensure that each child who is eligible for free school meals receive a meal which is filling and nutritionally balanced. Research has shown that productivity and attainment can be improved when children eat balanced meals.

To apply for free school meals please call in to the school office for advice on making an application or follow the links below to complete an oline application form.

Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM)

Universal free school meals are now available for all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

This initiative has been developed with the purpose of aiding child development, supporting academic performance and improving levels of healthy eating.

Do I need to apply for this?

You will not need to submit a free school meal application because all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will automatically be entitled to a universal infant school meal.

However, if you are on a low income we highly recommend that you do still complete a free school meals application, because it will allow the school to unlock additional funding for your child/children, which will go towards supporting their development.

FSM and Eligibility for Free School Uniform

From September 2014 all pupils in Reception Classes, Year 1 and Year 2 became eligible for a free school meal as part of the Government Universal Infant Free School Meal scheme.

It is extremely important however that families with children eligible for a free school meal based on household income under the existing system continue to apply for this entitlement. This is because the pupil premium payment received by school of £1,320 per eligible pupil is calculated based on the number of pupils in receipt of a free school meal. The pupil premium forms a vital part of school funding and is spent directly on resources to benefit pupils. Please see the pupil premium page for further details on how this money has been spent in previous years.

The governing body and senior school management have therefore decided that, upon confirmation of a successful free school meals application, the following uniform will be issued (terms and conditions apply) free of charge for Reception Class and key Stage One pupils:

• Reception Class – free first uniform (joggers, polo shirt & sweatshirt)
• Year 1 & Year 2 – two free jumpers or cardigans (the school office will keep a record of free uniform issued therefore if you only wish to have one jumper or cardigan at that time, you can claim the other at a later date)

In addition, pupils in receipt of a free school meal can attend our school run breakfast club from 7.50am each day at a discounted rate of £3.00 – please see details on Wrap Around Care page.

Lunchboxes

As a school we have in place a healthy lunch box policy following recommendations from the government for schools and parents to adopt the 2 x 100 calorie snack for children and lowering sugar content approach which fits with our lunch box guidance of crisps OR a biscuit/chocolate covered biscuit not both. When providing your child with snacks and/or packed lunches, we are a nut free school. If your child brings an item containing nuts to school, we will return with your child at the end of the school day.

Our staff  monitor what the children are eating and will encourage and support both children and parents in making healthier choices.

School Milk Scheme

In conjunction with the Department of Education’s new School Food Plan, our Academy has been providing a 189ml portion of low-fat milk to all pupils since January 2015.  Up until May 2015 we were  serving this milk at lunchtime and subsidising out of school budget. From May 2015, we began to use an external supplier ‘Cool Milk’ and provide the milk during morning break. School milk is free for all under-fives and pupils in receipt of an income-based free school meal, and is subsidised for pupils aged 5 or older at around £15 per term (cost to parents 22p per day approximately).

Each pupil that registers with Cool Milk will receive a carton of semi skimmed milk every day, which is delivered fresh & chilled to the classroom.  Their school milk will not only provide them with essential nutrients but, as it is rehydrating and energy-boosting, it also bridges the gap between breakfast and lunch to help children stay focussed.  Find out the top ten reasons to drink school milk at www.coolmilk.com/whyschoolmilk

How to register?

Milk is completely free for all children aged under five and those in receipt of free school meals; it is subsidised for children aged five or older.  Simply register at www.coolmilk.com

My child is under five:

• We will automatically register your child to receive milk until their fifth birthday;
• Cool Milk will contact you in advance of their fifth birthday to register for paid milk if you wish your child to continue receiving milk;
• If you do not wish your child to receive milk, please advise the school office in writing.

My child is five or older:

• Complete a registration form (attached) or register online as soon as possible. Shortly after registering you will receive a payment request;
• You can pay Cool Milk either online, over the phone, at a local PayPoint or by cheque in half-termly, termly or annual instalments.
• Please pay by Tuesday 5pm for your child’s milk to start the following week.

Should you have questions regarding school milk please visit www.coolmilk.com or contact Cool Milk directly on 0844 854 2913.  Alternatively, do not hesitate to speak to the school office.