School Lunches

Our school catering provider is HC3S. The catering staff at St Peter’s Primary Academy will prepare the meals daily, and these will be bought over to Shrewton for serving.

 

HC3S are an award-winning catering provider to produce freshly cooked nutritious meals each day for your child(ren).

Each two-course meal costs £2.40 for children in Years 3 to 6 and meals are free to all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Each day there will be a meat and non-meat option as well as a nutritious jacket potato option.

 

Lunches for the day are ordered by the pupils at morning registration. Children will be asked if they have brought in a packed lunch from home or are having a school dinner. It may help to discuss the choices at home prior to the school day.  

 

Payment for meals should be made through the Arbor Portal prior to booking a meal.   The school no longer accepts cash/cheques.  If you require any help in using the portal, please contact the school office at enquiries@shrewton.dsat.org.uk.

 

You can find menus either on the school website or on the HC3S web site www.hants.gov.uk.

Free School Meals for Children in KS1 and Reception

As you may be aware, the Government introduced the Universal Free School Meals Scheme (UIFSM), which means all children in Year R, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically qualify for FREE nutritious school meals to maximise their learning at this critically important time in their school life.

Thousands of children already benefit from this scheme across the country. However, we recognise that some parents are confused as to whether they need to register and are consequently not taking advantage of this scheme which could save you over £400 a year for each child in KS1. For UIFSM, parents do not need to register unless they qualify for income based free school meals.

 

Income Based Free School Meals

The income based free school meal system is separate from UIFSM. Whatever year group your child is in, you could help your school even further by registering for free school meals. Your school can then receive Government funding to provide an even greater quality learning experience.

You must be in receipt of one of the benefits shown on the application form to be eligible for free school meals for your child or children.

Applications can be made by completing the Application Form available from the school office or on-line via a secure government website, which links to your benefit providers. https://pages.wiltshire.gov.uk/schoolseducationandlearning/schoolsandcolleges/parentadvice/educationgrants/freeschoolmeals/freeschoolmealsform.htm.

However, if the eligibility checking service (ECS) has not been able to verify your entitlement, Wiltshire Council will then need to contact you to ask for evidence to show you are currently in receipt of one of the eligible benefits.

Claims cannot be backdated. The date of entitlement is the date that Wiltshire Council confirm your eligibility, using the ECS or paperwork supplied, and successfully process your application.

 

Special Diets

HC3S can provide special diets for pupils with allergies and intolerances who want to have a school meal. Special diets are provided for pupils with a medical problem, not just a dislike of certain food. We will require medical evidence confirming your child’s allergy.

 

Our standard primary school menu is nut free. Our ingredients are manufactured in a nut free environment so all children with a nut allergy can eat our standard menu without having to register for a special diet.

To prevent cross contamination, our school kitchens are unable to accept any products that brought in by parents or guardians.

 

Does your child need a medical special diet to eat lunch at school?

If so, you need to create an account to register your child for a medical special diet.

Once you have created your account, we will be able to review your medical evidence with our NHS dietician in order to devise an adapted menu for your child's school lunch.

Living with allergies comes with its own set of rules so when it comes to food, as education caterers, we want to make this as easy as possible for you as a family. Our staff are trained in food safety and regularly update their skills on allergens. We never underestimate the dangers of food allergies and intolerances and that's why we work hard to get it right.

More details can be found Special diets | Hampshire County Council (hants.gov.uk)

Does your child need a medical special diet to eat lunch at school?

If so, you need to create an account to register your child for a medical special diet.

Once you have created your account, we will be able to review your medical evidence with our NHS dietician in order to devise an adapted menu for your child's school lunch.

Living with allergies comes with its own set of rules so when it comes to food, as education caterers, we want to make this as easy as possible for you as a family. Our staff are trained in food safety and regularly update their skills on allergens. We never underestimate the dangers of food allergies and intolerances and that's why we work hard to get it right.

More details can be found Special diets | Hampshire County Council (hants.gov.uk)

 

Information directly from HC3S...

With over 30 years of school catering experience, our successful ethos is to provide healthy, local, responsible sourced food that children love.  Our tasty, freshly cooked, nutritious dishes help your children flourish and reach their potential.  As part of a balanced diet, our lunches provide a third of a child's dily calorie intake, to aid concentration levels and give them energy to focus and to play.

We know that providing award winning meals isn't enough so, at HC3S we go that step further, by helping schools and the wider community to encourage children, parents, carers to live healthy lifestyles and think sustainably.

That's why both our 'Ready Steady Cook' and healthy eating/lunchbox sessions, tyhe later in collaboration with Public Health England, are fund, engaging and available in your area.  Our added value 'Food to Flourish Classroom' resources help teachers educate children in an innovative, food related fashion that cuts across the curriculum.

Where opportunity arise, and in a Covid safe environment, we bring live cooking and food related workshops to the classrooms.  Sometimes, though partnerships with our suppliers and other local food organisations, outside of the classroom, creating sensory filled memorable experiiences.

Celebrate with us throughout the academic year as we support, VegPower's Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign encouraging children to eat more vegetables, Nutrition and Hydration Week and National School Meals Week; key events in the food and drink calendar which are lots of fun.

Want to know more about HC3S?

Click on this web link www.hants.gov.uk/hc3s

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