School Meals & Healthy Eating

School Meals

A school meal is available for all of our pupils and they have a choice of a main or vegetarian hot meal, a jacket potato or a sandwich/baguette.

Pupils in Years Reception, 1 and 2 are entitled to receive a free meal under the Universal Free School Meal scheme, all meals for pupils in Key Stage 2 (Year 3-6) must be paid for in advance.

All meal orders and payments must be made using the Cleverchefs school meal online ordering system for which parents will be issued with a unique code and log-in details when their child starts at the school.  A copy of the menu is available on their website as well as on display in the office foyer.

Packed Lunches

Provision is made for any children who bring packed lunches to school or for those wishing to go home to dinner for religious reasons. Children staying for packed lunch must have a labelled container for their meal and drink. For your information, as Sandfield has a “No Nut Policy” and in line with our healthy eating expectations, packed lunches must not contain nuts (e.g. peanut butter/cereal bars containing nuts), chocolate bar or fizzy drinks. Children need to place their lunchboxes in their class trolley in the hall at the beginning of the school day and collect it from there at the end of the day.

Allergies and Special Diets

If your child requires a special diet for medical or cultural reasons, please ensure that the Special Diet / Allergy form is completed which can be found by clicking here.

Provision of School Meals

Our school meals are provided directly through Cleverchefs and all meals need to be ordered and paid for by 9:00am Monday morning each week, online at: https://www.ipayimpact.co.uk/IPI/Account/LogOn

Parents will need to register their child and order the meals as and when required.  This includes children on Free School Meals and Universal Free School Meals (Years R, 1 and 2) although no payment details will be required for these.  Those children that only have a meal on special dinner days (i.e. Christmas) will also need an account set up to enable these meals to be ordered.

More information

Please contact Mrs Mabinda in the school office before completing this form.

Free School Meals Application Form

Universal Free School Meals

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are currently entitled to receive UNIVERSAL FREE SCHOOL MEALS!  We think it’s a fantastic idea so please make sure that you support this initiative. Not only will you be saving money but you will also be giving your child a nutritionally balanced meal to fuel their bodies for the rest of the learning day.

Please note that this is not to be confused with FREE SCHOOL MEALS that you may be entitled to for children in any year.  Please request the relevant form from the school office or look at this website:   https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals

Special Diets

Special diets are an integral part of our education catering provision, whether as a result of an ethical or religious belief or a food intolerance or allergy. To register this as a requirement please complete and return the special diets form to the school as soon as possible.

 

Snacks at Sandfield

All pupils are allowed a snack for a mid-morning break.  Sandfield understands that snacks can be an important part of the diet of young people and can contribute positively towards a balanced diet. At Sandfield, healthy choices are encouraged at all times.

Key Stage 1 pupils are provided with fruit or vegetables daily at break times, as part of the Government National School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme. They can also bring their own choice of healthy snacks as an alternative.

Key Stage 2 pupils can bring in their choice of a healthy snack which they can eat as part of their morning playtime.

Examples of Healthy Snacks

  • Fresh fruit e.g. apples, bananas, small oranges, grapes (must be cut in half)
  • Fresh vegetables e.g. carrots, sticks of cucumber, small tomatoes
  • Dried fruit e.g. apricots, raisins, mango

Any pre-packed fruit or vegetables that are brought into school must not contain nuts and must not contain any sugar content higher than 20%. Please see the nutritional value on individual packs for this information.

All crisps and cereal bars are not permitted due to the high salt content and/ or possible inclusion of nuts.

Key Stage 1 pupils under the age of 5 are provided with free milk provided through the “Milk to School” Scheme.  Parents of children over the age of 5 years can opt to buy into this scheme too.

What if my child doesn’t like fruit or vegetables?

There is only the option of fruit or vegetables, no other form as in bars, drinks or winders are acceptable.  It is an opportunity to improve children’s understanding of the value of fruit and vegetables and often children will want it if their peers are enjoying it.  If your child does not want it they do not have to have it, it is a choice.

Water

Children are encouraged to drink water throughout the school day, to aid concentration and learning.  A school water bottle can be purchased to keep in the classroom and water fountains are available.  Children are not allowed to bring in other bottles.

For health and safety reasons, Sandfield is a nut free school.  Nuts of any kind are not permitted at tuck time or in lunchboxes.

If you would like your child to have grapes, please ensure that they are sliced in half to avoid choking.

School Milk

The School uses Cool Milk as the provider of our School Milk Scheme.

Cool Milk supply free milk for under-fives that have subscribed to the scheme and subsidised milk for over-fives.  They collect payments directly from parents and retain electronic records for audit purposes and submit all relevant milk claims on the schools behalf.

Milk for under-fives is fully subsidised by the Department of Health under the Nursery Milk Scheme. This scheme enables children under 5 to receive, free of charge, a third-pint (189ml) portion of milk for each day they attend approved day care facilities for 2 hours or more. The key rules of the Nursery Milk Scheme are as follows:

  • One free third-pint drink of milk per day for each under-5 child in attendance for two or more hours that day
  • The scheme only provides one free drink of milk per child per day, not one in the morning and another in the afternoon.
  • Reception Class children in schools are not entitled to free milk once they turn 5.

Milk for over-fives is partially subsidised by the European Union and the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). The total subsidy is approximately 3.5p per 189ml portion, depending on the Euro:Sterling exchange rate. The basic principle of the over-five scheme is the same as for the under-five scheme – claims are limited to one portion of milk per child per day.

If you would like your child to have milk at school, please apply at www.coolmilk.com or telephone 0800 142 2972.

The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS)

Helps your child achieve 5 A DAY!

Fruit and vegetables are a good source of the nutrients that children need and form part of a healthy, balanced diet.

It’s recommended that children – like adults – eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. But research shows that on average children in England eat only about three portions, with many eating fewer.

For handy tips on how to get more fruit and veg into your children’s diet, read 5 A DAY and your family.

The SFVS and your Child

If your child is aged four to six and attends a fully state-funded infant, primary or special school in England, they are entitled to receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable each school day.

That provides one of their 5 A DAY portions, and the scheme also helps to increase awareness of the importance of eating fruit and vegetables, encouraging healthy eating habits that can be carried into later life.

Teachers find that distributing the fruit in class groups helps to encourage a sharing, calm, social time. It also allows them to incorporate the scheme into teaching and learning.

SFVS and the School Day

The fruit and vegetables are delivered to schools three times a week to ensure freshness.  Depending on the season, the fruit deliveries include:

  • bananas
  • apples
  • pears
  • carrots
  • tomatoes
  • easy-peel citrus fruits, such as satsumas

Some schools also offer strawberries when they are in season.  All the fruit and vegetables are washed before they are handed out, which is usually just before the mid-morning break, normally in individual class groups.

If your child has any allergies to a particular fruit or vegetable, please let the office know as soon as possible.