School Meals

Snack-time

The children in Foundation Stage and KS1 will be offered a healthy snack to eat at break-time. This will be provided by the school and can be any of the following; an apple, carrot, pear, tomatoes' and lots of other healthy snacks available to the children. If you wish to supply your child with their own snack we would encourage you to make this a healthy snack such as a piece of fruit. The children will eat this during their break time at 10.30 - 10.45. The children will also have their drinks available to them during this time and we again encourage you to supply your child with water or a fruit juice no fizzy drinks please.

Children in KS2 can bring their own snack to school to have at break-time, which will be 10.15-10.30. Can we please ask that the snack is a healthy one as suggested above and also supply your child with a drink preferably water.

Free School Meals link Please click on the link to apply for FSM.

All children in Foundation Stage, Year 1 and Year 2 are eligible for a universal free school meal. This includes a hot, nutritional school dinner, supplied by Innovate, Impact Food Group.

Year 2 Parents

You will shortly be receiving a letter (please see below) regarding the policy for Free School Meals.

When your child begins Year 3 they will no longer be entitled to a free school meal unless they qualify under the benefit related free school meal system.

If your child does not qualify for Free School meals but you would like to pay for them in Year 3, please let us know by returning the slip at the bottom of the letter. If your child will be bringing a packed lunch from home to school in Year 3, please indicate this on the slip and return to the school office.

If you think your child may qualify for Free School meals but you have not yet applied, please see the school office for an application form or click the link below.

Free School Meals Information and how to apply for FSM

Lunch Time

There are several options to choose from about your child’s lunch. These are;

Hot Meals
You can choose if you want your child to receive a hot, nutritional school meal provided by Innovate (Impact Food Group), you can order as little or as often as you like. Meals are chosen at least a week in advance with the cut-off time being 11pm on a Saturday for the following week. You can easily order and pay for your child's meals if you are a paying customer or if your child is eligible for Free School Meals, you can easily order and no charge will be applicable. To order, follow this link: Innovate Meal Ordering. Innovate support can be contacted via email on primary@impactfood.co.uk or by telephone on 020 4542 7211. For more information on Innovate, please see the attached parent presentation.

Meal ordering preferences

Did you know you can set meal ordering preferences with Innovate which will automatically add a meal for set days. This means no more forgotten meals or setting reminders to order, using this option means meals will automatically be ordered as new menus are added. You can still change individual days menus if your child doesn’t like a particular dish or you need to order a packed lunch for a trip, any changes would need to be made before 11pm on the Saturday before.

See below for a helpful guide on how to set your meal ordering preferences.

Free School Meals
Children of families on certain benefits may be entitled to free hot school meals. For further details click on the link above or contact the school office.

Packed lunch
Your child can bring in a packed lunch from home. These should be carried in a leak-proof container and clearly labelled with your child’s name. Drinks should not be hot or fizzy, and must be in a leak-proof plastic bottle.

At Eastover Primary School we understand the importance of children having a healthy and nutritious lunch. School lunches are a great choice but if you do make a packed lunch for your child, the key is providing them with a varied and balanced diet.

Here are some ideas of what to include to ensure that your child’s packed lunch is healthy, balanced and nutritious.

Wraps, Pasta, Sandwiches, Rice, Crackers, Cous Cous, Pitta, Bagels
Cheese, Yogurts, Boiled Eggs
Healthy Bar, Breadsticks, Rice Cakes, Plain Popcorn, Malt Loaf
Fresh or Dried Fruit
Vegetable Sticks
Water to drink

We do not allow the following items in a packed lunchbox:

NO Fizzy Drinks
NO Chewing Gum
NO Sweets
NO Fast food

For more ideas and suggestions for a healthy lunchbox please click on the links below.

NHS Better Health - Healthier Lunchboxes Quick, easy, healthier lunchbox ideas and tips

Going home for lunch

If preferred, your child can go home at lunchtime for their lunch. Please let us know in advance if your child will be leaving the premises for lunch. You will need to collect and return your child. He or she will have to sign out at the office when they leave and sign in again when they return.