School Meals & Milk
School Meals
We have an extremely good take up of school meals here at Thurstonland First School. The meals are provided by Kirklees Catering Services. Children are also able to bring a packed lunch from home.
Packed lunches should be healthy with no chocolate, sweets or fizzy drinks included and should not include nut products of any kind as we have pupils with a nut allergy. Please do not send hot food to school in flasks or other containers.
We are also pleased to have been awarded the Healthy Schools Award.
The cost of a school meal is £2.75 per day as of September 2024 (£13.75 per week).
The menu is a two-weekly cycle and is shown below for Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer.
School meals are paid for using the PARENT PAY online payment facility (credit or debit card payments) or via local Paypoint facilities (cash payments).
Please remember to top up your dinner accounts regularly - it should always be in credit by at least one week's worth of meals. Reminders for overdue accounts will be sent out weekly either by e-mail, letter or text.
You can top up weekly or half-termly (please work out the cost based on the number of days during the half-term when your child will have a school meal) or any amount over £12.75 can be paid using Parent Pay as long as the account is kept in credit.
When a child is ill or absent from school there is no charge and any money paid will be carried over.
Universal Free School Meals Programme
This is a Government initiative which provides a free school meal for all pupils up to and including Year 2.
Please do not top up your child's ParentPay dinner money account if they are in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 as they will not be charged for school meals until they move into Year 3 or the UIFSM scheme ends.
School Menu from September 2024
Milk
Our milk supplier is Cool Milk. Each child that registers with Cool Milk will receive a 189ml portion of semi-skimmed milk every day, delivered fresh and 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 focused. For more information on how milk can benefit children visit www.coolmilk.com/why-milk-is-great.
If your child is under five: · Register online at www.coolmilk.com
·Register by a Tuesday at 5pm for your child’s free milk to start the following week
Free milk will continue until the Friday before your child’s fifth birthday. You will receive a payment request four weeks before their birthday - if you wish your child to continue to receive school milk, simply make a payment.
If your child is five or older: · Register and pay online at www.coolmilk.com
·You can pay Cool Milk either online, or at a local PayPoint in half-termly, termly or annual instalments.
·Please pay by a Tuesday at 5pm for your child’s milk to start the following week.
If you have any questions regarding school milk, please visit www.coolmilk.com or contact Cool Milk directly on 0800 321 3248.
Free School Meals
Free school meals are available to pupils who meet the following criteria: -
Children and young people who live in Kirklees who:
- attend full-time at a local authority school or sixth form
- are under 19 years of age
and whose parents or carers receive one or more of the following:
- Universal Credit.
- Income Support.
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
- The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit.
Please click here to find out how to apply for Free School Meals.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Even if you do not want your child to receive a free school meal (or they qualify for a free meal anyway under the UIFSM scheme) it is important that the free school meals application is still made as school receives additional funding to support the learning and development of pupils who qualify for free school meals.
If you require any further information or guidance please do not hesitate to contact us in confidence.