School meals

Since September 2014, all children in Key Stage One (Reception, Year 1 and 2) have been entitled to a free two course meal every school day. This will save over £400 per child, per year.

To apply for free school meals please click here

The menus

The menus will be identified as week one, two, and three and will run in this order.

Five reasons to try a school meal

• A school meal for children in Nursery and in Key Stage 2 is great value at £2.79
• All of our menus meet the new school food standards.
• We always use quality ingredients including fresh and local produce.
• Pupils have chosen their lunchtime menu.
• Most special diets are catered for.

At Hartford Manor, we believe that children deserve a delicious and nutritious meal at lunchtime. With the support of Edsential, we offer an appetising menu designed especially for our children. There’s always a great selection to choose from and the menu includes home made cakes, biscuits and fresh fruit platters, home made pies, healthy pasta dishes and wholesome roast dinners!

Lunch and snack times at Hartford Manor are invaluable opportunities for educating our children for the future. We use local suppliers wherever possible to reduce air miles and our recipes make use of fresh, seasonal fruit, vegetables and herbs. The meat and chicken we buy is ethically farmed and we choose fish from a sustainable source.

Cost: Lunches cost: £2.79 per day = £13.95 per week

 At Hartford Manor, we are committed to ensuring our pupils learn how to stay healthy. The PHSE curriculum teaches the importance of healthy eating, why we need exercise and how to care for our bodies.
We have a healthy eating policy in school.

The school provides a daily portion of fruit for Children in Key Stage One.

Children under the age of five are entitled to a free daily portion of fresh milk.

Whilst the school dinners provide the children with a healthy and balanced meal, packed lunches brought from home can vary enormously in nutritional value.The following information is from healthylunch.org;

A good packed lunch contains:

• A starchy food, such as bread, rolls, pitta bread, naan bread, potatoes, rice, noodles. (These foods are good for children to fill up on.)
• A good source of protein, iron and zinc such as meat, fish, beans, nuts or eggs.
• A good source of calcium such as milk, cheese, yoghurt or fromage frais.
• And one portion of fruit and one portion of vegetable or salad to provide all the other vitamins and minerals. A piece of fruit could be a 100% juice or piece of fresh fruit, dried fruit or tinned fruit in fruit juice. A piece of vegetable could be a fresh vegetables such as carrot stick, salad or a vegetable soup or vegetable dish.

No single food contains all the essential nutrients the body needs to be healthy and function efficiently so it is important that the content of the packed lunch is varied.

NB: We do not allow any fizzy drinks, sweets or chocolate bars to be eaten at school.  If your child chooses to bring grapes into school, please  ensure that the grapes are cut in half lengthways. 

Nut allergies

Please check all foods, including cereal bars, for nut content and ensure that your child's packed lunch is nut free as we have staff and pupils in school who have severe reactions to nuts.

 

Free School Meals

By applying for free school meals your child's school will be entitled to claim Pupil Premium from the Government to enhance their education.

Am I Eligible for Free School Meals?

Cheshire West and Cheshire award free school meals to families that receive the qualifying incomes as outlined below, and whose children attend a Cheshire West and Cheshire school.

You may qualify if you are a parent or guardian and receive one of the following:

• Income Support (IS) or you are a pupil receiving the benefit in your own right
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; or
• Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income (as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
• The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit
• Children who get any of the above benefits in their own right (ie they get benefits payments directly, instead of through a parent or guardian) can also get free school meals.

If You Think You Are Eligible

Free School Meals can be awarded for any Child that attends a school within Cheshire West and Chester area, even if they reside outside of the area, where a parent meets the qualifying criteria.  Free School Meals cannot be awarded for foster children.

Nursery aged children can receive Free School Meals if they attend a Local Authority maintained nursery school or nursery class and they attend before and after lunch sessions.  If the nursery is held on the school grounds but is managed privately Free School Meals cannot be awarded.

All you have to do is phone the number below and we will let you know if the Children in your care are entitled to Free School Meals.

Please check you entitlement NOW by phoning the helpline number
Free School Meals Helpline - 0300 123 7021.  Alternatively you can apply online here.

CWAC will assess your claim using our eligibility checker to confirm your entitlement; if successful your claim will begin the same day.